Leadership Lessons from Bhagwad Gita

‘Leadership’ is perhaps the most hotly debated and yet the most elusive concept of all. Countless theories have been put forward by numerous authorities; yet, there is no consensus as to which theory best defines this exalted idea.

At best, what the experts have been able to agree upon is a certain set of traits that were displayed by men and women throughout history who generated respect and mass following due to their actions which earned them the title of a ‘leader.’

Before we take this discussion further, let’s first answer this question: Why do we need leadership in the first place? The following message published in the Wall Street Journal by United Technologies Corporation, Connecticut, should make it clear:

“Let’s get rid of management! People don’t want to be managed. They want to be led. Whoever heard of a world manager? World leader, yes. Educational leader, yes. Political leader, yes. Business leader, yes. They lead. They don’t manage. The carrot always wins over the stick. Ask your horse. You can lead your horse to water, but you can’t manage him to drink. If you want to manage somebody, manage yourself. Do that well and you’ll be ready to stop managing. And, start leading.”

Therefore, if any corporation, country or for that matter, civilization is to progress, sound leadership is a must. But, which style of leadership works the best. Winston Churchill’s, Bill Gates’, Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s, or ……Lord Krishna’s?

Standing on one leg with the other crossed over it, with a flute on his lips, flowing locks of hair, and a mysterious look in his eyes, Krishna was nowhere close to the image of a dynamic corporate leader of today, but he was a master communicator, motivator, and knew the importance of being ‘tactful.’

He knew how to enthuse spirit in Arjuna when he was depressed in the battlefield, how to make Yudhishthir mislead Dronacharya, and how to handle the extreme ideas of Duryodhana. Like a true general, he orchestrated the entire war of Mahabharata, from managing Bhishma’s temper to Bhim’s enormity of brawn and lack of brains, he did it all with remarkable panache.

It is surprising that while the westerners love and quote no other work of Indian literature than The Bhagwad Gita, they seem to have an amusing image of Krishna as rather a fun-loving god who liked to dance around with the womenfolk (Gopis).

But, Lord Krishna was not an ordinary man but the Supreme Godhead himself, who had descended to earth and was playing the role of a prince in a contemporary dynasty. In this role, he offered his guidance to all in many forms: As a son to those who viewed him as young, as a friend to those who viewed him as a contemporary, as a God to those who worshipped him, and as a lover to those who offered him their love.

Whereas Lord Rama was an efficient leader because he upheld values like tradition, righteousness, and sacrifice, Krishna on the other hand was an effective leader because he was tactful in dealing with all kinds of people. However, Krishna’s finesse was such that though his ideas were clever and wise, they never came across as ‘cunning.’ This is what made him give a fitting response to his evil opponents while staying virtuous himself.

Armed with such a “skill set,” Krishna was indeed most capable of speaking on leadership which he did some 50 centuries ago to his friend and devotee, Arjuna.

The Bhagwad Gita begins at the point where battle lines are drawn between two opposing armies where Lord Krishna becomes the charioteer of Arjuna, taking it upon himself to drive the fabled bowman’s chariot. When Arjuna loses his spirit to fight after seeing his elders in the opposing camp, Krishna gives the historic sermon which constitutes the text of The Gita.

The most salient feature of leadership as explained in The Bhagwad is the fact that it takes into account – Followership; a concept that no other modern theory of leadership talks about.

Followership carries tremendous importance. Someone rightly said, “He who wishes to lead, must first learn to follow.”

To convey the importance of followership, an anecdote is often quoted about a young lady who was applying for a management course. She came across a question which asked, “Are you a leader?” Wishing to be honest, she wrote, “No.” Later she felt that she had committed a blunder and gave up any hopes of selection.

Surprisingly, she was chosen and called for an interview. When she enquired as to why they had chosen her despite a negative answer to the leadership question, the admissions board told her that they had received thousands of applications and all had replied positively to that question; therefore, they decided that with so many leaders around, they would require at least one follower in their classroom.

Inherent in this wit is a profound truth of leadership which Lord Krishna understood very well. He explained that there were three kinds of people; the Tamas, the Satwas, and the Rajas.

When the Tamas come to him in order to reach God (i.e. Him), Lord Krishna advised them to have blind faith that he exists and this blind faith would lead them to God. Therefore, he calls them the Bhaktiyogis (the faithfuls).

When the other extreme kind of people, the Satwas, come to him, he advises them to deny the existence of God and go in search of truth. This visionary journey would help them actually discover that he exists. Thus, he calls them the Gyanyogis (the visionaries).

When the more common lot, the Rajas, approach him, he tells them to keep on dong their work in a devoted manner to reach him. For them work should be worship, and he calls them Karmayogis (the work oriented).

By teaching these principles of followership, Lord Krishna was able to manage and lead them so successfully.

The Gita speaks about four kinds of leadership styles to which Prof. Arindam Choudhary has added a touch of modernity and has beautifully explained them in his first bestseller:

Those who display lack of capabilities and responsibility on the job need Leadership by Direction (dand) in order to develop the right attitude. Those who become more mature need to be given incentives. Though Arindam calls it Leadership by Seduction, I prefer to call it Leadership by Attraction or Charm (daam).

Those who become more mature need Leadership by Association (saam); they should be involved in the decision-making process. Trying to incentivise everything with this group of people can backfire, for they are looking for recognition.

Those who are most mature should be left alone and trusted completely. Leadership by Delegation (bhed) {modernized interpretation} works wonders with them.

Hence, no particular style of leadership fits all categories of people in all situations and depends on the maturity level of the people and the situations.

Parents are often seen as great managers and, knowingly or unknowingly, they use all the above styles of leadership according to the need of the hour. They love their children too much to give them anything but the best. This is why the best theory of leadership might as well be the ‘true love theory of leadership.’

This is one of the precious teachings of The Bhagwad Gita that defines leadership and explains a little bit of the mystique that surrounds the awe-inspiring Krishna!

About the Author

Parikshit Bhardwaj is a prolific writer, thought leader and media professional with 20+ years of rich experience in creating content for academic and professional audiences. He was chosen by the United States Department of State for its flagship International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) fellowship in 2023. He has spearheaded Content & Strategy functions across industries such as Online Media, Academic Books & Journals Publishing & Study Abroad and has worked with brands such as SAGE Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, and NIIT Ltd. He can be reached at parikshitbhardwaj7@gmail.com