Secret to success
The scriptures are filled with answers to everyday questions and subjects which are very specialised, whatever the science may be. From this deep cauldron of knowledge, we shall discuss the management of human resources this time.
Although I am not an authority and do not possess any degrees on the subject, I will speak to you from my understanding of Vedanta and epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
To manage and develop human resources we need to inspire people. And to be able to do this, we must first love them. Nothing significant can be achieved by mere official authority. It’s the element of love in leaders that enables them to harness ardent and dedicated effort.
The Ramayan brings out this point beautifully. Lord Ram and Ravan were both great, but Ravan tried to become great by demeaning others, while Lord Ram’s greatness was that He treated ordinary people as his equals. He elevated the restless monkeys to the status of divinity, achieving “monkey resource empowerment”! It is through the mobilisation of monkey-forces that He emerged victorious over the invincible and well-equipped Ravan. The secret of Lord Ram’s success was His pure love for all.
Another aspect of Lord Ram’s character was that he never imposed his authority on others. Sugriv, the monkey king, offered his services along with his army to Lord Ram and awaited His orders. Lord Ram, however, declined, and gave Sugriv the freedom to plan and organise the search for Sita. You are aware of the problems of delegation of authority in management. If any administrative head gives orders directly to workers, their functional head resents it, feeling his/her authority has been undermined. Lord Ram understood this and respected the authority of others. Love and regard for others can do wonders.
On the other hand, Ravan seldom listened to anybody’s advice. He surrounded himself with flatterers and whoever opposed his views was thrown out. As the saying goes, “Do it my way or hit the highway!”, Ravan possessed neither a noble goal nor a sincere love or regard for others. It is no wonder that he destroyed himself and all those associated with him as well.
The success of a project depends upon people: Are they working for themselves or the project? Are they capable of doing their jobs efficiently or not? There is a view that everyone can do any work. Experience does not back this theory. How can any person do any job? No doubt training can bring out and refine certain talents, but only if they already exist in the individual. Every person cannot do everything, but every person is capable of doing something. In this sense, all people are equal. The leader will have to find the capabilities of his workers and assign jobs accordingly.
Keep the advice of the experienced in mind, and having discovered your potential and aptitudes, perform your work as your worship of the Lord. You will see that you are free of all impurities of the mind and success will follow.
Post new comment