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The Anatomy of

a Great Business

Zhooben Bhiwandiwala, gives us real-time examples from the Mahindra
Group and the leadership it takes to make us an anti-fragile organization.

n this extremely volatile global environment, how do we 7DOHE LQ KLV ERRN RIIHUV XV D UDGLFDO FRQWUDULDQ GHͤQLWLRQ RI
mitigate or proactively manage our business disruption the term anti-fragility:
DQG SURͤWDELOLW\ ULVNV" 1DWXUDO GLVDVWHUV JRYHUQPHQW DQG “I suddenly realized one day that fragility—which had been
even legislative surprises, radically shifting consumer ODFNLQJ D WHFKQLFDO GHͤQLWLRQ̱FRXOG EH H[SUHVVHG DV ZKDW
Itrends, terrorism and geopolitics are now considered does not like volatility, and that what does not like volatility
“normal.” does not like randomness, uncertainty, disorder, errors,
stressors, harm, chaos, events, disorder, ‘unforeseen’
“Disruption has moved from an infrequent inconvenience to a consequences, uncertainty, and, critically, time. Think of
FRQVLVWHQW VWUHDP RI FKDQJH WKDW LV UHGHͧQLQJ PDUNHWV DQG HQWLUH anything fragile, say, objects in your living room such as the
industries…” glass frame, the television set, or, even better, the china in the
- Gartner cupboards. If you label them ‘fragile,’ then you necessarily
want them to be left alone in peace, quiet, order, and
6R KRZ GRHV RQH FDSLWDOL]H IURP RU H[SORLW GLVUXSWLRQ" SUHGLFWDELOLW\ $ IUDJLOH REMHFW ZRXOG QRW SRVVLEO\ EHQHͤW IURP
Anti-fragility represents an ability for a corporation not just to an earthquake or the visit of your hyperactive nephew. Anti-
be resilient and robust in its responses to adversity, but how it IUDJLOLW\ ͥRZV̱VRUW RI̱IURP WKLV H[SOLFLW GHͤQLWLRQ RI IUDJLOLW\
leverages the opportunities presented by volatility and change. It likes volatility et al. It also likes time. And there is a powerful

6 Mahindra Partners t