thank you mr buffett!

a smart decision

Lata Subramanian

A couple of years back, when I was offered the opportunity to lead The Smart Manager, my eyes lit up for two reasons. The first reason was kind of obvious—I knew this was an opportunity of a lifetime. Leaving aside the interactions with the best of the best in the industry and academia, the challenge of carrying forward Dr Gita Piramal’s pioneering work in the field of management publishing in India and maintaining the high standards expected of the magazine was a huge magnet. The second reason was more, shall I say, gleeful—the thought that after almost three decades of managing all kinds of teams and businesses, I would finally be able to espouse my pet theories on the editor’s page! As I said, these are not opportunities that come by easily.

On a more serious note, working on The Smart Manager meant a lot of pressure, if only because one was always conscious of having to earn the respect of the management doyens we featured. That meant constantly staying abreast of trends in management, industry categories and individual business entities, and seeing how we could fit all these into the magazine’s distinct non-reportage idiom.

Of the twelve-odd issues that I edited, my favorite is the piece I wrote on Warren Buffett—though admittedly I never met the man. However, analyzing Alice Schroeder’s masterpiece of a biography was perhaps the best homework I can recall doing in my lifetime. I recently had occasion to talk to my current employer about the book, and he was interested enough in reading the piece I wrote, following which I believe the book occupies the no.1 slot on his shopping list. I also owe the book (and Warren Buffett) a ‘thank you’ because I began dabbling in the stock market soon after, trying to apply Buffett’s principles. And yes—I did make some money out of it!

So there you are. Reading The Smart Manager is definitely a profitable business!

Lata Subramanian is former Managing Editor of The Smart Manager and Vice President, Business Development, at Spenta Multimedia, India’s leading publishing house. In her three-decade-long career, Lata has worked in hospitality, aviation and advertising, apart from publishing. Her current assignment at Sterling Resorts allows her to engage in her first love – traveling. Lata lives in Mumbai.