We have observed that generally, it is in the mind of the people that the management concepts including developing leadership skills have been propounded by the western management experts during the last about 200 years. We are been presented with the examples of modern business schools such as Harvard Business School and other top world business schools across the world and their teachings are taken as authentic and final.

But, we forget that our Ancient Indian Literature is evidence of establishing the fact that the management concept already existed in India even in our ancient times. A glaring example of this is in the book the Arthashastra of Chanakya, the great visionary, teacher, philosopher, economist, strategist, political thinker, kingmaker, jurist and royal advisor. His concepts of management including developing leadership skills have always been relevant. They are as contemporary today as of other modern management experts. On the other hand, they are more holistic and comprehensive in their nature.

In fact, the concepts of management as propounded by Chanakya are beyond time zone. His vision and thoughts were so ahead of time that they are totally relevant even in today’s atmosphere and context. His book the Arthashastra can very well be considered as a bible or an ocean on management.

The concepts of Chanakya on developing leadership are so comprehensive, you will read in this book, that they encompass all the modern theories of leadership rather much beyond those. He has discussed various attributes of a leader in his book the Arthashastra.

While summing up the book, it can be very well said that Chanakya has said that a leader should have broadly six qualities viz. knowledge, character, thinking capability, power to concentrate, communication skills and observation/vigilance. These have been discussed in detail under the following five categories:

 (i)    Personality-oriented attribute

 (ii)   Ethical attributes

(iii)  Administrative attributes

(iv)   Interpersonal attributes

 (v)   Miscellaneous attributes

After reading the book, you will witness that the knowledge of Chanakya about the management is very in-depth, exhaustive and never-ending. His con- cepts on management, strategies, policies, HRM, training & development, finance, marketing, handling competition, corruption handling, managing calamities and office management systems are very exhaustive and contemporary. They seem to have been framed today. We can take the opportunity to use them for our day today’s issues and problems.

The knowledge of Chanakya on the above subjects can help people of today and tomorrow in solving their various problems and handling different complex matters.

It is really very surprising as to how much visionary Chanakya was that he could cover all topics and subjects in a very holistic way in 3rd century BC (about 2,500 years ago) what we are handling today in 21st century. It will not be an exaggeration if we say that management has gone from east to west, that is, from Chanakya in India to the Western world.

The teachings of Chanakya on developing skills for aspiring corporate leaders discussed in this book are very exhaustive, inclusive and contemporary. Readers should make full use of them and develop the requisite skills and add value in their personality to become good leaders.

A worth reading book on Corporate Leadership.

‘Leaders are made not born’.