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I was recently honoured to be invited by Austrade, along with some of Australia’s most pre-eminent executive women, (see photo below) on the Australian Women Business Leaders Delegation to India. Our mission was to demonstrate and share Australia’s capability with our Indian contemporaries, to win business and to build fruitful connections.
The strategic importance of deep relationship and connection is at the heart of our work at Zaffyre. A most striking example of a new way of organising people and their relationships in a commercial enterprise is the story of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, popularly known as Lijjat. What strikes me is the empowering grassroots business model they employ. It is a business centred around collective ownership, giving women of all economic levels the capability to provide for themselves and their families.
Lijjat was created by seven semi-literate Gujarati housewives from Mumbai. They borrowed Rs80 (about A$2) and on March 15, 1959, they gathered on the terrace of their building and started with the production of 4 packets of papadums. Today they have revenues of A$84 Million and 40,000 members or ‘sisters’ who manufacture various bakery products and detergent.
Their experimental business model has certainly produced outstanding business results. Lijjat consists of the women who make the pappadams, who are the owners and decision makers. They elect a managing committee of 21 to provide direction and governance. The office bearers of the managing committee and the women in charge of various branches and divisions are chosen from among the member-sisters on the basis of consensus every three years. Then there are the employees, who are administrators - who are not part of the core decision making process.
Each member, upon joining, declares a deep personal oath to the essence of what Lijjat stands for. Each day begins with a heartfelt all-religion prayer to bring people together and realise the power of their uniting to create success and prosperity for themselves, their families and their commmunities. The sisters are free to choose their daily activities and each activity is given equal importance.
I find so much of how Lijjat think about themselves and their business inspiring and challenging and find myself asking “how do we create new, more integral leadership and organisation models?” If you feel inspired to explore some more, here is their official site: http://www.lijjat.com
I challenge all of us to ask ourselves:
1. How can you reshape your organisation to embrace more of who people are and grow prosperity and success?
2. How are you honouring yourself and others every day at work and at home?
3. Who are your key stakeholders, and how can you elevate their importance and impact?
4. Can you reshape decision making processes so they engage people more?
5. Can your corporation embrace the deep essence of who we are together, in community, beyond the bland value statements we so often see?
I was touched and excited by the wonderful Indian leaders we met, and by the success stories we shared.
I am inspired to reframe my own leadership at Zaffyre and notice the things I feel deeply grateful for - my education, my freedom to choose, the empowering beliefs my parents helped shape, those people who love me, and my capacity to create success.
Thank you to Austrade, the wonderful women on the delegation and the fabulous women and men leaders we met in India, for a wonderfully illuminating and inspiring mission.
Visiting India is a lesson in humility, resilience, deep relationship and courage.
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