6 MANAGEMENT LESSONS FROM THE GREAT INDIAN EPICS

Everyone would have come across the greatest Indian Epics such as Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavad Gita. Some people believed that these things portrayed in the epics have happened in real life while some believe that it never took place. But no one can deny the fact that these are some fascinating epic tales.

These epics teach us what to do in life, what not to do in life, and also how to live our life. Mahabharata tells us that we must stand by what’s right and even fight for our rights. Ramayana tells us about love, conflict, sacrifice and redemption, human ethics, and values. Bhagavad Gita tells us that there’s one thing that is constant and that is our true essence (self).

Here are some management lessons from our Indian Epics.

KNOW HOW TO BUILD TEAM SPIRIT

In Mahabharata, there were 5 Pandavas who won against 100 Kauravas. Do you think 100 members can be easily defeated by 5 members? Yeah, it is possible if you have a synergic team spirit. Pandavas shared a good bond and appreciated it. They also had a magical bond with Lord Krishna and trusted him with everything. They had a common goal and fought for it cooperatively.

On the other hand, Kauravas had Godfather Bhishma as their commander, Guru Drona, Karna, and quite a few potential people on their side. Yet they didn’t win the battle. It is because everyone was fighting their own battle and for their revenge and individual goals.

The management lesson from this story is that Managers, Team Leaders, and Corporate Leaders must lead their team in coordination. It is that synergy that brings everyone in the organization to the same page and motivates them to achieve the goals of the organization. Cohesion and obedience are vital within the organization.

STRATEGIC APPROACH

It is a well-known fact that the Pandavas would not have succeeded in the battle if it was not for the help of Krishna. Lord Krishna was an appreciated strategist among the characters of Mahabharata.

One of the strategic incidents is that, when Duryodhana went to get a blessing from his mother, Lord Krishna approached him and tricked him that it’s a sin to see his mother without any clothes. So Duryodhana covered his thigh portion with a piece of cloth. Later, Queen Gandhari with her power made Duryodhana’s body strong as a diamond except for the thigh part. Finally, Lord Krishna ordered Bhima to hit the thigh portion of Duryodhana which eventually killed him.

So in an organization, it is necessary to have a clear and focused strategy to achieve the goal and to succeed. The organization must learn their effectiveness in their industry and take the necessary steps to achieve the desired outcome.

SEEK THE UNKNOWN FROM THE KNOWN

Arjuna, one of the Pandavas was a great warrior. To be precise Arjuna was a perfect archer. Arjuna despite his status, power never hesitated to ask for Lord Krishna’s advice. Arjuna chose Lord Krishna to be his guide. Lord Krishna was Arjuna’s charioteer. During the battle, Arjuna was afraid to kill his family members. It was Krishna who advised him to stand by the right and fight for it, to bring justice to the world.

When you don’t know something never hesitate to ask it others. You can learn a lesson even from a 6-year-old child or from a 60-year-old person. Age, social status, your position in an organization should not come in the way of your thirst to quench knowledge. Seek knowledge without any discrimination.

LOYALTY TO THE BOSS

Karna has faced humiliation at the hands of Draupadi during the Swayamvar and also at the hands of Pandavas during many occasions for not being born in a royal family. But Duryodhana realized the true potential of Karna and made him the king of Angadesam. Karna was a powerful ally to Duryodhana and they shared a life-long friendship.

When Lord Krishna told Karna, the truth about his birth he never thought of betraying Duryodhana. Even when Karna realized that he is the eldest of the Pandavas, he stood with Duryodhana and chose to fight with him.

Employees in the organization must be loyal to their boss. When the employees are loyal to the organization, they tend to work harder, provide superior customer service and they stay longer in the organization. Therefore loyalty is important in the organization.

BE WILLING TO COMPETE

Everyone has heard about the famous Ram-Sita Swayamvar. When King Janaka arranged the wedding of Sita, many brave warriors participated in the Swayamvar. In the competition, several warriors tried but none of them can lift the bow of Lord Shiva. Seeing this incident, the other warriors didn’t come forward to try. They thought if they didn’t lift the bow it will be a humiliation for them.

But Lord Rama came forward and lift and strung the bow. Lord Rama defeated all the warriors who came to the competition and surfaced as the potential candidate for King Janaka’s daughter.

The important management lesson is that in today’s business world we must expect strong competition. One must be willing to take risks and participate in the competition.  Learn whatever is required to win the competition.

VALUE YOUR SUBORDINATES

Vibhishan was the younger half brother of Ravana. Vibhishan was always pious. When Ravana kidnapped Sita, Vibhishan advised Ravana to release her. But Ravana never listened to his advice. Vibhishan was against the abduction of Sita. Despite his attempt to change Ravana, Vibhishan left Ravana and joined Lord Rama to help him defeat Ravana.

The manager must value the comments and advice given by his subordinates. He must appreciate the subordinates for their work. When the subordinates feel appreciated, they feel valued. And, when they feel valued, they would go for greater lengths for the success of the organization. So it’s important to value the subordinates because they are assets of the organizations.

Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavad Gita are the great Indian epics that have the potential to change our day-to-day life. These epics never failed to inspire us in small instances be it in the personal life or the management life.

Thanks for reading these management lessons from the Indian epics. To read more about some management related topics, click here.