At Ishi, we share a philosophy that guides us in the way we run the firm. This philosophy is based on ideas we’ve borrowed from thinkers we admire. The principles we’ve adopted are ones that have proved themselves in real life, and so, have transcended the pages of a book, or the hype of management fad. These are:

A Learning Organization

Learning at Ishi is not mandated, but practiced. Our process of identifying the right people focuses on selecting those who are learners by nature. Ishi was always intended to be a learning organization, and this is an ideal that we cherish, respect and cultivate. Organizational learning is supported by an infrastructure that ensures that lessons learned are propagated throughout the firm. Ishi also believes in a strategy of training the gifted. In this sense, there is a thread of meritocracy that runs through the firm. Our corporate commitment to continuous education and learning is indicative of Learning Organization as a strategy. Our commitment to learning continues to produce value in our relationships with our clients and with our employees.

Learning at Ishi also involves giving back to the communities with which we interact. We make additional investments into learning through our relationships with local educational institutions and through other outreach programs.

A Living Company

At Ishi, one of our objectives is to create an entity that is responsive to its environment, cares for its employees and outlives its founders. Most of these ideas are represented by the idea of a living company. As a consequence of being a living company, we believe in conservative financing, choosing to be a privately held low-debt company rather than opening ourselves up to public ownership. Our approach towards entrepreneurship provides an engine for decentralization, creating a firm that is more resilient and adaptible to change. Our organizational behavior has also been influenced by lessons we have learned from the open source movement.

Leaders of the firm act as stewards of the firm, rather than its managers or owners.

Ethic of Entrepreneurship

Cultivating entrepreneurship at Ishi ensures that we build our capability to see possibilities where others see chaos. We believe that our experience, as well as the talents of our employees provide us with a unique blend of culture and vision to nurture ideas into valuable opportunities with benefits to all involved. We encourage and mentor internal entrepreneurship towards the goal of building Ishi into the firm that we want it to be.