Management guru Prof. Uditha Liyanage:

Memories of my mentor

I never thought that I would have to write this column so early. Two years ago, at the demise of Prof. Sudatta Ranasinghe, I felt the loss dearly, missing an inspirational icon. Now, it is even more painful, as I lost my much-loved mentor. A lot has been said by now about this legendary marketing sage, since his untimely death on Monday.

My attempt is not to repeat his accolades but to share my experiences in being influenced by this wonderful human being. Prof. Uditha Liyanage was an instructor, inspirer and influenced me. Let me share some memories.

Instructor

He was my marketing teacher at the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM). As an engineer who had never done marketing, I developed a flavour for marketing during my MBA studies, thanks to him.

The way he generated interest in us not only on the concepts but also on applications was indeed remarkable. He often advocated us to “be brilliant in basics”.

The way he delivered a session was much interactive and informative, as he firmly believed in “chalk and talk”. This was the case with numerous topics in strategic marketing, marketing communication, consumer behaviour, research, business strategy and policy. Of course, he had PowerPoint slides but not with just points but with powerful points.

He always challenged us by asking “what is the point? We had to be clear about the central theme or the main argument.

After he became the Director he recommended the use of four modes of teaching, tell, ask, do and show. His view was that in a three-hour lecture, the ‘telling’ should not be more than one third. The rest should be asking questions, doing activities such as case studies and showing videos followed by a discussion. We felt the variety and the versatility of his endeavours.

Inspirer

Prof. Liyanage inspired me on many fronts. He stood tall before all of us. As a sought-after marketing scholar, a strategic management thinker, an exceptional academic, a thought-provoking teacher and a visionary leader, he was our guiding light.

I saw him rendering yeomen service in multiple ways in raising the PIM flag higher.

His exemplary character and competence was evident in the manner he contributed to socio-economic uplift as a great human being. We at PIM have been privileged not only to associate with him also but to be immensely inspired by him. He shared the criticisms raised against MBAs by CEOs and insisted that PIM MBA’s should be different. Thus came the slogan, “Do not just do an MBA but be an MBA”.

“The process of learning and one’s exposure to education must be continuous. There is so much more to know and that which you know may no longer be valid.” This had been Prof. Liyanage’s advice. He shared with us articles, web-links and books that were of relevance to sharpen managerial skills.

I still remember how he shared the article on Nishkam Karma (detached involvement) written by Prof. Chakraborty of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. Prof. Liyanage was very interested in knowing my reflections on it, and it took time for me to realize the value of such gestures. Today, I see the immense value of detached involvement as a leader, thanks to him.

Influence

I saw the blossoming of transformational leadership at PIM with Prof. Liyanage. He influenced all of us to raise the quality and relevance of all modules we deliver. “Our business is mastery,” he often said. “PIM brings the reward of outstanding results to those professional managers who strive towards mastery.” That’s how he influenced the aspiring learners of PIM.

Converting practitioners to professionals with character and competence has been our endeavour.

PIM has always been a centre of excellence in management education with its winds spreading beyond Sri Lanka. Much credit should go to Prof. Liyanage for elevating it even higher. PIM is proud of being a self-financed, semi-autonomous public entity.

It was under his leadership that we became the first public sector higher education institute to obtain the ISO 9000: 2008 quality standards.

He influenced us to change for the better. Through his famous ‘mod-tradi consumer model’, he encouraged us to strike a balance between tradition and technology. I still remember how he insisted on us using more practical examples in discussing a theory than being overly theoretical and neglecting practicals.

Moving ahead

Life is not only to live but to leave a legacy. Prof. Liyanage has aptly done that in his knowledge creating and knowledge sharing life. “To succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, to struggle together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life,” said the most admired living psychologist of our times, Albert Bandura. This was very true of Prof. Liyanage.

He had a purpose to live and it was indeed a purpose-driven life. His thoughts will spark our minds for a long time. We at PIM commit ourselves to carry his legacy forward. I am humbly happy to lead a learning community in such a noble endeavour. Goodbye my beloved instructor, inspirer and influence. May you attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.

The writer is the Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Management. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Division of Management and Entrepreneurship, Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma, USA.