Vidya

If the kingdom is a cow that gives milk, then the king is the cowherd. That is the traditional model of a leader in Hindu mythology. The king takes care of the kingdom and the kingdom nourishes him.

Narad had behaved like a reactive subordinate. Very obedient, doing what the master told him to, leaving all the thinking to the master. Garud behaved like a proactive subordinate, anticipating all his master’s moves and preparing for it. That ‘ability to aniticpate’ made Garud more efficient and effective and hence more valuable in the eyes of Vishnu.

Time flows differently on earth than in heaven. When Indradyumna reached earth, he realized that centuries had passed since his reign. The trees were different, the people were different, even his kingdom looked different.

Within the mound, the soliders found a wonderful golden throne. As Bhoj was about to sit on it, the throne spoke up, “This is the throne of Vikramaditya, the great. Sit on it only if you are as generous and wise as he was. If not, you will meet your death on the throne.” The throne then proceeds to tell Bhoj thirty-two stories of Vikramaditya, each extolling a virtue of kingship, the most important virtue being generosity. Thus through these stories, Bhoj learnt what it takes to be a good king.

Yes, everyone wants a good deal. But deep down, more than a good deal, we really want to feel good about ourselves. We don’t want to be seduced by discounts and incentives. We want our purchases and our employment to bring forth our glory.

A leader must see his people. He must recognize them for who they are, rather than what he wants them to be. More often than not, leaders don’t have eyes – or rather they see only themselves. Their eyes are only for their vision of the world. They do not realize there are others around them with other visions of life. This lack of eyes strips them of all empathy.

A good CEO who knows the value of diversity, needs to ensure that his organization has the whole range of people – many Vishnus, a large number of Shankaras and a few Shivas.

That is why, however unethical it may seem, ‘constructing demons’ is and always will be a powerful arrow in the strategy quiver.

For centuries, Indians have been exposed to vrats and upaays. Hence, at a deep cultural core, most Indians believe there is nothing rigid about life. Everything is manageable, solvable, everything has a work around.