The power of 'obliquity'

Corporate leaders aggressively pursue shareholder wealth creation. But companies that put more emphasis on profit are, in fact, less profitable

In my last two columns, I had described, first, the value of healthy scepticism among directors, and second, the importance of the methodical as against the mercurial. Another interesting concept is the principle of obliquity. Several years ago, I had read John Kay’s elegant and slim book, Obliquity, and Lynn Stout’s book, The Shareholder Value Myth.

Obliquity flashed in my mind as I read the book, Afterness, by former Hindustan Unilever chief Ashok Ganguly, though the book has no allusion to that term. Dr Ganguly states that he never dreamt of becoming a scientist, he never targeted how to rise in