I have seen a number of rich people who are lonely and have a disturbed family life. But they themselves are responsible for their miserable situation. They only chase money and don’t trust anyone, even their family members. Later they have to repent for it. I knew one such person. He hadn’t shared any information about his business, investments and assets with his wife and children. He was so obsessed with his personal space that he never took them in his confidence. One day he suffered a massive cardiac arrest and suddenly passed away. When I visited his family to offer condolences, I was surprised to see that the family members had nothing but bitter words for him. Even his photo was not garlanded. His wife coldly said in few words that she was relieved and unburdened for the rest of her life.
I am fortunate to have a content family life. I have always trusted my wife like a true friend and shared every business detail with her. After a few days of my marriage, I decided to bring my wife into my business as a partner. My father was against this decision. He was not orthodox but his opinion was slightly different. He was particularly concerned that if both of us got involved in business, what would happen to our family life and especially to the upbringing of our children? But I trusted my wife and remained firm on my decision. My wife sensibly advised me to listen to my father. She offered a solution to me. She agreed to help me in business as an inactive partner. She kept her word and looked after the family responsibilities. She joined our office as Director of Finance only when our children were old enough. Until then she remained a housewife and business advisor.
After joining the office responsibilities, my wife proved her mettle in business with the same skill. She brought financial discipline to our company and controlled the unnecessary expenditure. Her prudence so benefitted our business that in global recession period when most of the businesses were incurring huge losses, our Al Adil group achieved a whopping 400 percent rise in profitability. Another thing for which I am always grateful to my wife is that when I had almost reached the doorstep of death due to my prolonged ailment, she put her firm hand on my back and successfully pulled me out of the whirlwind of depression. She ran our company excellently and exhibited a perfect work-life balance.
Friends, I always feel that women are excellent planners, managers, organizers and potential entrepreneurs. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating their power. It is true that behind every successful man there is a woman and usually she is his wife. So don’t confine your wife to housework only. Trust her, explore the talent in her and give her a chance of participation. She surely will make your life happy, prosperous and complete.
By: Dhananjay Mahadev Datar, CMD, Al Adil Group, UAE, Bahrain, Oman,
Saudi Arabia & India.