Minimalism - M.Ravichandran

As we grow up, the desire to get such signs of success – be it a sophisticated villa, a luxury car or a business with revenue in the millions and customers around the globe – grows all the more enthusiastic.

Consequently, we are relentlessly striving for more: more money, more business, more assets, more luxury items, more of anything and everything.

But perhaps the ball is now returning back. It seems that more people are playing with the concept that excess does not necessarily go ahead to genuine satisfaction.

Contrary to popular belief, minimalism is not simply a case of ridding yourself of your possessions, moving into a tiny house, having a piece ‘capsule’ wardrobe or living a nomadic lifestyle.

Joshua Becker, the best-selling author of several books on minimalism and the man behind the widely popular blog Becoming Minimalist, shared his own definition:

“Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value by removing anything that distracts us from it. Please take note that minimalism is not about reducing the amount of everything. Quite the opposite: it is about reducing distractions to maximise more important pursuits.”

This distinction can play a pivotal role in how an organisation is run.

Often, business leaders plug away under the premise that bigger is always better. As such, they strive for expansion into new territories, branch out into different industries and expand their workforce in the hope of netting greater profits and more apparent success.

Put simply, bigger business can involve bigger risk. A higher profile inevitably leads to more exposure – which is not always a positive thing. Being thrust into the limelight can force ruffled rivals to investigate nooks and crannies, finding weaknesses or flaws to counter or highlight.

Higher exposure can also encourage more competition and a throng of copycats, some of which could ultimately do a better job. Further, more customers require more support, but rising costs don’t always correlate with growing profits.

Indeed, bigger can mean more expenses and more investment, which can dent profit margins rather than widen them.

Apple serves as a brilliant example of how this approach can also entail a decisive refocus on a few key products.

Writer and brand strategist Wesley Gant elaborated further: “One of the most notable turnaround stories in the history of business was Steve Jobs’ return to Apple in 1997, when the company was only months from bankruptcy.

“One of his first moves was to completely eliminate whole divisions, and reduce the product line to just four products: one desktop and one laptop for the casual user, and the same for the professional user.”

“That was the start of a course that would lead Apple to become the most valuable brand in the world. Jobs followed a minimalist, ‘zen’ philosophy, and Apple’s approach – to business and to products – became an influential case study for not only Silicon Valley, but entrepreneurs, designers and CEOs everywhere.”