Leadership Lessons to learn from Shri Krishna this Janmashtami
Vikas Singh
An Entrepreneur & Business Coach, Indore.
Today is 12th August, the birthday of Lord Krishna being celebrated as Janmashtami throughout India and different parts of the world. Lord Krishna is not only one of the most revered Gods in Hindu mythology, but he is also considered to be one of the biggest leaders of all times. He was a good orator, communicator and had a great knack of dealing with people.
Here are some aspects of his personality that are bound to help you in the corporate world --- so whether you are a leader, manager, or employee, you should learn these tips.
1) Know your team well
Lord Krishna used to remember the names of all his cows. Even though the cows looked similar he used to recognize each cow. For being a good leader, you should know everything about your team members like their attitudes, likes, dislikes, qualifications, strengths, and weaknesses, etc.
2) An astute strategist
For the Mahabharata war, Krishna planned ahead. He knew that the Kauravas would leave no stone unturned to win the war and so he made a point to note all their tactics and moves. In the corporate world too, one should always be prepared.
3) When you lead a team of geniuses to lead from the back
A leader does not always have to bag the limelight and no one can prove this better than Krishna. He quietly did his work and made the Pandavas win, without once picking up a weapon. This is the mark of a true, great leader.
4) Don't chase positions, power, or even respect. Chase trust and accomplishment of the task in hand
Personally, Krishna had nothing to gain from the Mahabharata war, no matter who won. However, he knew that for the benefit of society, it would be better if the Pandavas won. At the workplace, one should always look at long-term goals and not short-term victories.
5) When you lead a team of common people to lead from the front
Back then, Lord Indra decided to unleash havoc in the form of Samvartaka clouds and thereby ordered them to rain heavily in Mathura. This led to terrible rains in the village along with thunders that ravaged the whole place for nearly a week. It was then Lord Krishna lifted up the Govardhan hill to provide shelter for people. This shattered Indra’s false pride into pieces. He had to call back all the clouds and thereby surrendered to Krishna’s resilience for the villagers.
A leader should always be standing with his people. The job of a leader is to show the right path and be there unconditionally for the people.
6) Be as polite as possible
Krishna was polite and gentle and at the same time, he could turn into clever and shrewd, depending on the situation. At the workplace too, one should display their characteristics, depending on the situation.
This Janmashtami, bring in such values in yourself and in your organization that helps you to grow along with your subordinates who are with you on the journey. The real devotion, as said by Lord Krishna, lies not in chanting his name or praying in front of his idol, but in adopting the ‘knowledge’ that he preaches.
Wishing a very happy Janmashtami to all.
Originally published May 2, 2019