I’m reading Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. It’s a fascinating book about Genghis Khan the person and the ruler, as opposed to Genghis Khan the conqueror. When a lot of people think about Genghis Khan, they tend to think of a barbarian who rode out of the steppes and conquered most of Asia and part of Europe. What is less acknowledged about him, is his ability to rule. Genghis was actually a very progressive ruler for his time, and would be even for this time era.

For example his policy on hunting animals dictated when animals could be hunted, how they could be hunted, and even how they were butchered, in order to cut down on waste and also preserve the habitat of the animals. Another policy was religious freedom for everyone (probably the first anywhere).

Genghis was a very innovative person, not just in warfare, but also in how he managed and maintained his government and people. He didn’t stick with older patterns of government, but instead recognized the value of innovation in making the lives of people better.

So how can a business learn from Genghis Khan? When a business defines its own policies and marketing plans its needs to not merely follow in the steps of what other business have done, but also question those precedents and sometimes make new rules or adapt current ones that allow the business to thrive.

Business can also learn from Genghis, in terms, of communicating their policies clearly and concisely to the people those policies affect. A concise message presents little ambiguity, and also keeps people focused on what they need to do. At the same time, knowing that policies can be questioned, that processes can be examined still leaves room for adaptation and change as needed.

Ultimately the lesson is to be open-minded. Use what works, but don’t be afraid to question it and check to see if a better way can be developed. Certainly, one of the reason Genghis was so successful was because he didn’t play by the rules other people did. He made his own rules and that’s what lead him to victory.