Assistant Professor
Indian mythology encompasses a vast array of stories, legends, and folklore. It’s like a celestial library where gods, goddesses, heroes, and mystical beings reside. These myths have evolved over millennia, drawing inspiration from various sources: the Vedas, the epics, and the Puranas. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are one of the most revered epics of Hindu mythology. Interestingly, these epics provide a multitude of very important management lessons that can be incorporated by managers and organisations even today. This article aims to bring forth the examples of leadership & management lessons from these two sacrosanct texts.
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Leadership Skills
When Lanka’s monarch Ravan kidnapped Sita, Lord Ram displayed amazing leadership abilities over an army of monkeys. One of his most notable leadership traits was his vision. His goal was to save Sita from Ravan and get through every challenge along the way. His ability to effectively motivate the army was his second noteworthy attribute. Under his direction, his army acquired specialised talents to deal with the adversary. JIMS PGDM program aims to foster such leadership skills in the students.
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Assessment of the competitors
SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis is an essential tool in modern management. Prior to starting any work, thoroughly assess the circumstances, prepare yourself mentally, create a plan, evaluate the SWOT of your competition, and take appropriate action. The first thing Hanuman did upon arriving in Lanka was conduct a thorough analysis of the people, identifying their potential, threats, and areas of strength and weakness.
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Dedication
The true mother of Bharata, Queen Kaikayi, insisted that Bharat become king and that Ram be banished for 14 years into the forest. Ram honoured his father’s promises even though King Dashrath was devastated. It teaches us to keep our word regardless of the situation. Ram adhered to his father’s wishes. All of a company’s administrators, executives, and workers ought to comprehend it. Every employee in a company has an obligation to work towards achieving the commitment made to the organisations or people in the external environment by the manager or representative.
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Faith in subordinates
A manager is the one who can complete his tasks despite competitors. A manager listens intently to his staff members and makes an effort to keep them together, particularly during times of high organisational stress. Throughout the Ramayana, Ravana repeatedly exhibited the traits of a poor manager, which ultimately caused his kingdom to fall. He put his kingdom at war with Lord Ram right from the beginning by disobeying the advice of his administrators. One of the wisest managers, Vibhishan, left him in the middle of a crisis as a result of his poor management and lack of respect for his staff.
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Delegation of responsibility
Ram was also in charge of assigning the appropriate task to the appropriate individual. The mission to locate Sita in Lanka was assigned to Hanuman. The assignment of creating the bridge that connects India and Sri Lanka fell to the engineers Nal and Neel. Because of the radioactive material it contains, this engineering marvel has the potential to produce electricity for millions of years to come. At JIMS Kalkaji, an NBA accredited PGDM college, the management ensures effective delegation of responsibilities among employees.
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Right selection of resources
As the conflict commenced, the Pandavas and Kauravas joined most of the other armies, and Arjun and Duryodhan proceeded to King Krishna to ask for favours. Krishna was asked to be Arjun’s charioteer. Conversely, Duryodhan asked for his army. Krishna’s leadership of the Pandavas was one of the main reasons for their triumph. He guided them at every turn. The most precious human resource was him. In terms of management, selecting the right resources is essential.
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Esprit de Corps
It was not a simple effort to build the Ram Setu bridge, which connects India and Sri Lanka. Every monkey soldier, including Sugriv, Jamvant, Hanuman, Nal, and Neel, as well as their leaders, supplied the manpower and collaboration that it required. It is regarded as the world’s very first bridge.
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Importance of communication
Loss of direction and focus is a result of poor communication. Effective communication combined with ongoing advice and direction enables subordinates to move in the direction of the organization’s preset goals. This must be adhered to in both favourable and unfavourable circumstances. It was clearly seen during Sita’s abduction by Ravana when she purposely left her jewellery and belongings behind at regular intervals, providing Lord Rama with a signpost to the correct route.
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Being Decisive
One day, during the combat, Meghnad, the son of Ravan, killed Laxman. Ram assigned the task of bringing Sanjeevani, the medication that would have saved Laxman’s life. Performing better than expected, Hanuman brought the whole Dronagiri, also known as Gandhmardan, mountain from the Himalayas. In the event that he was unable to find the medicine, Hanuman demonstrated exceptional decision-making abilities by choosing to climb the mountain.! It is imperative to cultivate these decision-making abilities in executives as well as managers during times of crisis. JIMS PGDM program aptly does that.
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Ethics and Values
The Kauravas consistently followed the path of dishonesty. They fixed the game with their uncle Shakuni’s help. While the battle was going on at night, they massacred the Pandava sons. Since combat took place during the day, it was strictly banned to attack someone at night during that era. In contrast, the Pandavas have consistently upheld moral principles from their birth. They played the game with integrity.
The fight in the Ramayana was fought to lead by example and encourage others to adhere to the socially constructed value system. There must be a zero-tolerance approach for those who act in self-serving ways. The one who kidnapped Sita and intended to forcefully marry her was Ravan. Ram as a result killed Ravan. Every business has a set of values. To prevent harsh and punitive measures being taken against them, all employees need to be aware of its importance and learn how to abide by it. JIMS PGDM program aims to inculcate such strong ethical values among students and employees.
