Lord Krishna’s Relevance To Today’s Managers & Leaders | Aparna Sharma | Consulting Editor | The People Management

Have you ever been at crossroads, confused about which direction to take… wondered if you needed to quit or continue, leave or stay, do or not do, act or just wait till things tide over?

It’s very common for us as human beings of being doubtful in many situations.  For some, it may be an everyday experience. We’re constantly questioning ourselves even in small simple acts. Sometimes we can’t manage our mind even in small things.

Lord Krishna happens to be one of the most revered and liked gods of the Hindu pantheon. Considering from a management point of view, he is a great Decision Maker and a Leader par excellence.  He is seen as a true Friend, Philosopher, Guide, Motivator, Problem Solver and Path Paver for mankind. Each incident of his life teaches us a great lesson.

Lord Krishna is the perfect Manager. Let’s elaborate this statement.

1. Motivational speaker:
Every manager needs to have motivational skills. When Arjuna reached the battlefield, he lost his determination to fight after looking around. Arjuna was paralysed into inaction. Arjuna questioned the futility of killing his own relatives… he wondered what good was the victory if half of his people would be dead at the end of it.

Krishna motivated him by intervening and gave Arjuna wisdom that steered him to action. The interaction between Lord Krishna & Arjuna is our famous epic, named “Bhagwad Gita”.

2. Flexible and Be Ready to step out of Comfort Zone:
Managers have to play different roles at different times.  When it becomes apparent that Jarasandh would not allow the kingdom of Mathura to enjoy uninterrupted peace as long as He (Krishna) and his brother-Balarama were there, Krishna does not hesitate to leave his comfort zone. In order to ensure that the denizens of the city remain safe, He decided to build a new capital at Dwarka and shifts his operating headquarters there.

3. Strategy builder and Achiever:
The ratio of the soldiers of Pandavas and Kauravas was uneven. Kauravas had a larger army than Pandavas . In a situation like this, the battle could be won only with effective strategies. The fact that Pandavas won the battle proves that Krishna was successful not only in building strategies but also in implementing them to achieve success.

4. Able to lead from behind:
Lord Krishna led an army (from behind) in which each one had great prowess, expertise, and self-mastery. He also handled people who were more shrewd and cunning.  Lord Krishna was not directly involved in the battle as a warrior but even then Pandavas won the battle due to his extraordinary leadership qualities. Arjuna had requested Krishna not only to lead the entire mission but to personally lead him by accepting to be his “Saarthi” (Charioteer) and guide him to success. It’s worthwhile to ponder that being God, Lord Krishna could have accomplished everything himself singlehandedly and taken all the credit. But since He was a true Leader, He did not hog the limelight himself but made it a participatory task.  A leader is not the one who walks, but the one who leads walking ahead of others.

Krishna is a role model for spiritually inclined leaders and managers. He demonstrates that being spiritual does not necessarily mean being soft. It only implies that one’s decisions and actions are rooted in stiff pragmatism, supported by sound values and operated by a desire to achieve the greater good.