Dhirubhai Ambani is an example of one of the greatest Indian Entrepreneurs,who was responsible for a “NEW & CHANGED INDIA”.I think we can write one entire book on Dhirubhai and still we could get new articles , day after day ! However, this article is about a book “Dhirubhaism by A G Krishnamurthy” , which is a must read for every Indian Entrepreneur.The book lists the 16 lessons from Dhirubhai’s life and straight from the author’s desk:”Dhirubhaism is an attempt to capture those unique insights that Dhirubhai shared with him in several interactions during their long association“
Note:
The lessons listed below are taken from the book itself and the credit goes to the author and hence, “I” in the article refers to Dhirubhai Ambani.

The Beginning:
Few men in history have made as dramatic a contribution to their country’s economic fortunes as did the founder of Reliance, Sh. Dhirubhai H Ambani. Fewer still have left behind a legacy that is more enduring and timeless.
As with all great pioneers, there is more than one unique way of describing the true genius of Dhirubhai: The corporate visionary, the unmatched strategist, the proud patriot, the leader of men, the architect of India’s capital markets, the champion of shareholder interest.
The second son of a school teacher, Dhirubhai was born in 1932 in the village of Chorwad in Gujarat in circumstances that can best be described as modest. Driven by hardship and want, he had to drop out of school early.
In 1949, at the age of 17, he went to Aden (now Yemen) in search of opportunity, and worked as a dispatch clerk for A. Besse & Co. A couple of years later, the company became a distributor for Shell products and Dhirubhai was promoted to manage the company’s oil-filling station at the port of Aden. It was here that he dreamed of setting up and owning a refinery, which he later realised with his petrochemicals venture.
In 1962, Dhirubhai returned to India and started the Reliance Commercial Corporation with a capital of Rs.15,000.00. The primary business of Reliance Commercial Corporation was to import polyester yarn and export spices.
The business was setup in partnership with Champaklal Damani, his second cousin, who used to be with him in Aden, Yemen. The first office of the Reliance Commercial Corporation was set up at the Narsinathan Street in Masjid Bunder. It was a 350 Sq. Ft. room with a telephone, one table and three chairs. Initially, they had two assistants to help them with their business. In 1965, Champaklal Damani and Dhirubhai Ambani ended their partnership and Dhirubhai started on his own. It is believed that both had different temperaments and a different take on how to conduct business. While Mr. Damani was a cautious trader and did not believe in building yarn inventories, Dhirubhai was a known risk taker and he considered that building inventories, anticipating a price rise, and making profits through that was good for growth.
During this period, Dhirubhai and his family used to stay in one bedroom apartment at the Jaihind Estate in Bhuleshwar, Mumbai. In 1968, he moved to an upmarket apartment at Altamount Road in South Mumbai. Ambani's net worth was estimated at about Rs.1 million by late 1960s.

Sensing a good opportunity in the textile business, Dhirubhai started his first textile mill at Naroda, in Ahmedabad in the year 1966. Textiles were manufactured using polyester fibre yarn. Dhirubhai started the brand "Vimal", which was named after his elder brother Ramaniklal Ambani's son, Vimal Ambani. Extensive marketing of the brand "Vimal" in the interiors of India made it a household name. Franchise retail outlets were started and they used to sell "only Vimal" brand of textiles. In the year 1975, a Technical team from the World Bank visited the Reliance Textiles' Manufacturing unit. This unit has the rare distinction of being certified as "excellent even by developed country standards" during that period.
Dhirubhai Ambani is credited with starting the equity cult in India. More than 58,000 investors from various parts of India subscribed to Reliance's IPO in 1977
Over time, Dhirubhai diversified his business with the core specialisation being in petrochemicals and additional interests in telecommunications, information technology, energy, power, retail, textiles, infrastructure services, capital markets, and logistics. The company as a whole was described by the BBC as "a business empire with an estimated annual turnover of $12bn, and an 85,000-strong workforce".
The Key Motivating Factors to be an Entrepreneur:
Great leaders are in some ways great managers. There is no standard list of managerial traits. Great managers tell their own words, watch things with their own eyes. But reading the great managers can add a new dimension in how we think and act. Dhirubhai is unquestionably one of them who needs to be studied comprehensively. Some of his entrepreneurial insights and traits are covered here. According to the book and writer Krishnamurthy he described several principles (Dhirubhaism) of Ambani which mean the key motivating factors to be an entrepreneur by him.
Dhirubhaism 1 – Roll up your sleeves and help. You and your team share the same DNA

I believe that the success of Reliance cannot be attributed to the qualities and achievements of one individual, or even a group of individuals, but have to be viewed as a triumph of a process, and a spirit that binds the entire Reliance family together – Dhirubhai Ambani. Within a team, everyone shares the same DNA. Dhirubhai worked as a man of field wherever he went, he acted. He was not that type who is sitting in Air-conditioned room and order managers to do something. Even when he was already a name to reckon with he didn’t lose his track. It didn’t stop him from rolling up his sleeves and diving in to rescue a situation that had gone out of control. He had the animal-like sense of decoding situations. He knew his people well and trusted their capabilities and join with them in putting out the fire and not crucifying them for it.

Dhirubhaism 2 – Be a safety net for your team and they will perform wonders

Reliance’s success is a reflection of India’s capabilities,the talent of her people and the potential of her entrepreneurs, engineers, managers and workers. For him, his people were his most important asset. He scouted around for the best and most talented professionals, nurtured them and continuously propelled them to aim for still higher goals. These highly motivated people comprise the core of what he named: "The Reliance Family".Shri Dhirubhai Ambani visualised the growth of Reliance as an integral part of his grand vision for India. He was convinced that India could become an economic superpower within a short period of time and wanted Reliance to play an important role in realising this goal.The Bhagavad Gita states, "The actions of a great man are an inspiration for others. Whatever he does, becomes a standard for others to follow." This certainly applies to Shri Dhirubhai Ambani.

Dhirubhaism 3 – Be a silent benefactor
I live the Gita – Dhirubhai Ambani. This was another of his remarkable traits. When he helped someone, he never ever breathed a word about it to anyone else. There have been none among us who haven’t known his kindness, yet he never went around broadcasting it.He never used charity as a platform to gain publicity. Sometimes, he would even go to the extent of not letting the recipient know who the donor was. Such was the extent of his generosity. “Expect the unexpected” just might have been coined for him.

Dhirubhaism 4 – DREAM BIG BUT DREAM WITH YOUR EYES OPEN

A vision has to be within reach not in the air. It has to be achievable. His phenomenal achievement showed India that limitations were only in the mind. And that nothing was truly unattainable for those who dreamed big.Whenever I tried to point out to him that a task seemed too big to be accomplished, he would reply: ” No is no answer!” Not only did he dream big, he taught all of us to do so too.Dhirubhai was indeed a man of many parts, as is evident. I am sure there are many people who display some of the traits mentioned above, in their working styles as well, but Dhirubhai was one of those rare people who demonstrated all of them, all the time.And that’s what made him such a phenomenal team builder and achiever. Yes, we all need “Dhirubhaisms” in our lives to remind us that if it was possible for one person to be all this and more, we too can. And like him, go on to achieve the impossible too.

Dhirubhaism 5 – The arm-around-the shoulder leader

We must learn to trust. For several centuries,Indians have been brainwashed to distrust other Indians. This saps national energy. Distrust kills initiative. Distrust compels people to maneuver and manipulate.Trust and transparency stimulates entrepreneurship. Dhirubhai was intimate with his managers and employees. He manifested his desire, his beliefs in hundreds of ways. As a part of it, When he meet with them alone, he extended his arms to their shoulder to make an impression that they are too close to him.It really worked. A.G Krisnamurti , one of his managers says “With that one simple gesture, he managed to achieve many things. I was put at ease instantaneously. I was made to feel like an equal who was loved and important enough to be considered close to him. And I would walk away from that meeting feeling so good about myself and the work I was doing! ……. He would never, ever exude an air of aloofness and exclusivity.”

Dhirubhaism 6 – Supply creates demand

Think big, think fast and think ahead.Idea’s are no one’s monopoly. Dhirubhai was not a business graduate or an economist. But his instinct was backed by his through reading of market trends and behavior. In the perspective of India with above 100 crore people Dhirubhai was the right man to apply the theory of “Supply creating Demand “`. The essence of this theory is” increase the supply, achieve economies of scale. It will create the demand.” His Reliance Patalanga Project and Infocomm Project are the examples of the successful of application of that theory.

Dhirubhaism 7 – Money is not product by itself.It is a by-product, so don’t chase it

If you work with determination and with perfection, success will follow. M.G. krisnamurti says “when he briefed me about setting up Mudra, his instruction was clear: ‘Produce the best textile advertising in the country,’ he said.He did not breathe a word about profits, nor about becoming the richest ad agency in the country. Great advertising was the goal that he set for me. A by-product is something that you don’t set out to produce. It is the spin off when you create something larger.”He wanted himself to be best and He wanted his team to be best and he wanted his contributions to be best. It is all about Dhirubhai.It’s the essence of creating one of the largest business conglomerate in India.

Dhirubhaism 8 – Leave the professional alone

Give (your people) the youth a proper environment. Motivate them.Extend them the support they need. Each one of them has infinite source of energy. They will deliver. Though most owners would like to recruit best professionals but most of the time they want professionals work as an extension of them. It is suicidal. Dhirubhai let his expert professionals to work freely without any intervention. No policing, no supervision. He just directs them by saying “produce your best.”

Dhirubhaism 9 – Change your orbit , constantly

Growth has no limit at Reliance.I keep revising my vision.Only when you dream it you can do it. To understand this statement, let me explain Dhirubhai’s “orbit theory.”
He would often explain that we are all born into an orbit. It is up to us to progress to the next. We could choose to live and die in the orbit that we are born in. But that would be a criminal waste of potential. When we push ourselves into the next orbit, we benefit not only ourselves but everyone connected with us.However, when you change orbits, you will create friction. The good news is that your enemies from your previous orbit will never be able to reach you in your new one. By the time resentment builds up in your new orbit, you should move to the next level. And so on. Changing orbits is the key to our progress as a nation.

Dhirubhaism 10 – OPTIMISM, The Core Of Dhirubhaism
Pursue your goals even in the face of difficulties, and convert adversities into opportunities.
Dhirubhaism 11 – You can find a friend in every human being
I have trusted people and they have put the trust in me – Dhirubhai Ambani
Dhirubhaism 12 – Think Big
For those who dare to dream, there is a whole world to win….Dream and dare
Dhirubhaism 13 – Hold on to your dreams
Don’t give up, courage is my conviction – Dhirubhai Ambani
Dhirubhaism 14 – Bet on your people
People in Reliance are our core strength and it is very important to bet on them.
Dhirubhaism 15 – BE POSITIVE
My advice to the young Entrepreneurs is not to accept defeat in the face of the odds, and challenge negative forces with hope, self-confidence and conviction.I believe that ambition and initiative will ultimately triumph.The success of the young entrepreneur will be the key to India’s transformation in the new millennium – Dhirubhai Ambani.
Dhirubhaism 16: Ideas are no one’s monopoly
Shri Dhirubhai Ambani was not just firmly rooted in traditional Indian values, but was also the quintessentially modern man, the man of the new millennium. This was clearly reflected in his passion for mega-sized projects, the most advanced technology and the highest level of productivity. The corporate philosophy he followed was short, simple and succinct - "Think big. Think differently. Think fast. Think ahead. Aim for the best".He inspired the Reliance team to do better than the best - not only in India but in the world.

As we are describing his principles his quotes are also representing himself:
Secret of my success was to have ambition and know minds of men'
True entrepreneurship comes only from risk-taking.
Pursue your goal, even in the face of difficulties. Convert difficulties into opportunities. Keep your morale high, in spite of setbacks. At the end you are bound to succeed.
My advice to young entrepreneurs is not to accept defeat in the face of odds. Challenge negative forces with hope, self-confidence and conviction. I believe that ambition and initiative will ultimately triumph. The success of the young entrepreneur will be the key to India's transformation in the new millennium.
Dhirubhai will go one day. But Reliance's employees and shareholders will keep it afloat. Reliance is now a concept in which the Ambani have become irrelevant.
I have trusted people and they have put their trust in me. I have encouraged youth, and they have never let me down. I have asked my people to take initiative and to take risks. It has paid me rich dividends. I insist on excellence. This helps us to be leaders. Reliance is built on some of these principles.
The secret of Reliance's success was to have ambition and to know the minds of men.
Growth has no limit at Reliance. I keep revising my vision. Only when you dream it you can do it.
We have lost the habit of thinking big'
The problem with Indians is that we have lost the habit of thinking big!
We can prove to the world that India can do it. That Indians are not afraid of competition. That India is a nation of achievers.
I dream India of becoming a great economic superpower.
We must forge a new partnership for a great India. A strong and constructive partnership between industry, government and society.
We must always go for the best. Do not compromise on quality. Reject if it is not the best -- not only the best in India, but globally. if India wants to be a great nation, we must have courage to trust. This is my sincere belief.
All we have to do is to break the shackles that chain the energies of our people, and India's economy will record a quantum leap and move into a new, higher orbit of growth, competitiveness and productivity.
I can never fully repay the debt I owe to Mumbai. To all of you. My past was shaped in Mumbai.
For those who dare to dream, there is a whole world to win!
I am deaf to the word 'no.'
I am 100 per cent pro-liberalisation. I do not think any industrialist is against it. But we should protect our industries, from unfair competition.
There is no question about that (retirement). Business is my hobby. It is not a burden to me. In any case Reliance now can run without me.
I give least importance to being Number one. I consider myself to be fortunate in this position and would like to contribute to nation building in some way.
Does making money excite me? No, but I have to make money for my shareholders. What excites me is achievement, doing something difficult. In this room extraordinary things must happen.
Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one's monopoly.
Our dreams have to be bigger. Our ambitions higher. Our commitment deeper. And our efforts greater. This is my dream for Reliance and for India.
First and foremost, I owe my success and achievements to the affection, friendship and trust of millions of employees, customers, shareholders, and business associates, who have stood by me and been a major source of my strength all along.
I believe that the success of Reliance cannot be attributed to the qualities and achievements of one individual, or even a group of individuals, but has to be viewed as a triumph of a process, and a spirit that binds the entire Reliance family together.
I consider myself a pathfinder. I have been excavating the jungle and making the road for others to walk. I like to be the first in everything I do. I, as school kid, was a member of the Civil Guard, something like today's NCC. We had to salute our officers who went round in jeeps. So I thought one day I will also ride in a jeep and somebody else will salute me.
My fulfilment lies in the satisfaction of every member of the Reliance family, comprising thousands of workers, managers, business associates and over five million shareholders. Being instrumental in creating wealth for over 5 million India families, and bringing prosperity and wellbeing to their life is the best source of satisfaction and joy for me.
Give the youth a proper environment. Motivate them. Extend them the support they need. Each one of them has infinite source of energy. They will deliver.
You do not require an invitation to make profits.
If you work with determination and with perfection, success will follow.
Between my past, the present and the future, there is one common factor: Relationship and Trust. This is the foundation of our growth.
We bet on people.
Meeting the deadlines is not good enough, beating the deadlines is my expectation.
Don't give up, courage is my conviction.
We cannot change our rulers, but we can change the way they rule us.
Roll up your sleeves and help. You and your team share the same DNA.
Be a safety net for your team.
Always be the silent benefactor. Don't tom-tom about how you helped someone.
Dream big, but dream with your eyes open.
Leave the professional alone!
Change your orbit, constantly!
Money is not a product by itself, it is a by-product, so don't chase it.