Vidya

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.

Our Hanuman will help you realize all this. But, maybe, the goals could have been greater and grander, if we had let Hanuman do more than merely obey.

These two stories draw attention to the nature of human civilization and one unspoken aspect of leadership and organization: the power of authority.

Vishnu is the God responsible for sustaining the world and keep things running, one wonders if these different forms are indicative of the different roles a leader has to play as he leads a team or an organization.