MANAGEMENT LESSONS FROM INDIAN HISTORY: RAMAYANA

Management and Leadership Lessons from Valmiki Ramayan:

As we all know, via newspaper articles and announcements, that Management and Leadership lessons from the Ramayana and Mahabharata are taught and discussed in renowned international and National Academic Institutions like Harvard University, JNU, University of Copenhagen,NYU Tisch School of Arts, MIT Natya, Thai Students at MIT & Sanggar Kinanthi Indonesian Art/Culture Center, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, etc.

It is well understood that these were the foundations as well as principles on which Ram-Raj was established and flourished under King Rama in Ayodhya which is considered to be the best governance model of all times.

It talks about respecting Management as well how to take decisions as well personal and professional life routines and ethics.

Therefore today we take a detailed look at those important Management and Leadership lessons which Lord Rama imparted to his brother Bharata who was to be King of Ayodhya in Lord Rama’s absence.

 

Source: VALMIKI RAMAYAN (Source:ValmikiRamayan.net)

AYODHYA KAAND

Sarga/Chapter 100

 

1. "O, my darling brother! I hope that you treat with due respect; Sudhanva, your teacher in archery, who is furnished with the most excellent arrows and darts and well-versed in political economy."

# Explanation: Always respect and honour the one who teaches you or from whom one learns the various arts of governance.

 

2. "I hope that ministers who are valiant like you, learned, masters of their senses of noble birth and skilled interpreting internal sentiments by external gesture, are assigned to you."

#Explanation: Only skill based, knowledge based, background checked and aptitude based Ministers are to be chosen by the King just like is practiced today in appointing Ministers and other diplomats in Government as well as followed in private sector as well as public sector employment procedures by Human Resource departments.

 

3. "The source of victory for kings indeed comes from a concealed counsel by ministers, who are well-versed in political sciences and who can hide their thoughts within themselves."

# Explanation: The decisions taken between PM or CM and Ministers/Company head and management executives need to be kept between the governance structure and not leaked out to outsiders else it could reach wrong hands that can derail the plan. The same is practiced today in Government decisions as well as private sector.

4. "I hope you do not fall  prey to excess of sleep and do wake up at appropriate time. I hope you contemplate during the later half of the night, about the adroitness of an action."

#Explanation: As it is scientifically proven that excess sleep or less sleep both interfere with brain functioning and decision making and hence sleep on time and wake up on time as well as reflect over one’s actions during the later half of night after completing one’s sleep.

 

5. "I hope that you do not deliberate alone nor indeed with numerous men. I hope your decision arrived at by you through such deliberation does not flow to the public (even before it is carried out)".

# Explanation: Decisions should not be taken alone by the Leader and neither amongst to many people which will lead to confusion. It should be taken amongst just those officials/ministers who are concerned with that subject matter. Decision taken needs to be kept within those people only until it is carried out to cut out unnecessary delays due to internal politics and bureaucratic bottlenecks.

 

6. "O, Bharata! I hope considering your interest fully, you launch an undertaking, which has maximum benefit with minimum coast and indeed do not delay it further."

# Explanation: The King should look into the interests of the people and administration and launch an undertaking (PSU in today’s times) which would involve minimum cost and maximum benefit with no further delay once decided and strategized. Same goes for a Company’s top management to take care of employee interests as well as customers’.

 

7. "I hope the other kings know your entire undertakings only after they have been successfully completed as well as those which have taken a shape, but not your proposed undertakings."

#Explanation: Decisions taken and implementation should not leak out of your kingdom before it begins to function being fully set up, so that it is delayed by wrong people/jealous Kings getting to know of it and stopping its progress by their evil plans so that their corruption/laziness or not serving of people is not exposed and their people would start comparing their rule with yours. Same applies in the private sector management as well.

 

8. "My darling brother! I hope that others are not knowing, by their enquiries or strategies or by any other approaches not mentioned, the details of discussions you make with your ministers."

# Explanation: Self explanatory

 

9. "I hope you solicit for one wise man rather than for a thousand stupids for, a wise man can be of a great help to you in difficult matters."

# Explanation: Do not waste time with useless people on difficult matters. Rather choose/seek out a wise man to help you with it.

 

10. "Even if a king employs thousands or tens of thousands of fools, they will not be helpful to him."

# Explanation: Do not employ people on basis of flattery or sycophants. Only employ for positions required and fill it with deserving people based on merit. Same is followed even today in public and private sector management.

 

11. "Even one wise, valiant sagacious and efficient minister alone can cause to secure a great prosperity to the king or to one who enjoys royal authority."

#Explanation: Self explanatory

 

12. "I hope that superior servants are assigned superior works only, mediocre servants in mediocre works and inferior servants in inferior works."

# Explanation: Right person for the right job according to their skill and specialisation and experience. Hierarchy is to be maintained. Same has been explained in Public Adminiistration theories of Fayol, F.W Taylor, etc.

 

13. "O, Bharata! I hope your ministers do not watch as mere witnesses, while your subjects in the kingdom wielding tremble with great fear, under your inflexible wielding of the scepter."

# Explained: A King should not have an adverse relation with his Ministers or staff or keep them so afraid that they never utter a single word even if King is wrong. This ultimately leads to destruction of the whole social system and Kingdom as Ministers/bureaucrats/employees subordinate are only viewed as implementers and not part of decision making process. This is called the Functional Model relationship between Bureaucracy and Ministers in Administration in today’s times.

14. "I hope those who perform the sacrifice do not hold you in contempt, as one who accepts terrible gifts; as one who is fallen, as women hold in contempt of those highly lustful men."

# Explained: A King has to always maintain and display an unimpeachable character both in public as well as personal life.

15. "I hope those warriors, who are excellent strong, skilled in war-face, whose excellent actions were seen before and the most courageous ones are duly honoured and respected by you."

# Explanation: It is self explanatory

16. "I hope you are regularly giving your army, the daily provisions and the suitable salary to them, without any delay."

# Explained: As reiterated in Henry Fayol’s fourteen principles of management as well as Herzberg’s two factor theory, appropriate and timely salary is huge factor in motivating employees.

17. "When there is delay in giving bread and wages, the servants become incensed against their master and become corrupt; and that is said to be a great unfortunate occurrence."

# Explanation: Same as mentioned above.

 

18. "I hope that a knowledgeable man, living in your own country, a wise man a skilled person endowed with presence of mind and the one who knows how to speak to the point, is selected as an ambassador by you."

# Explanation: The same principle is applied even today when an Ambassador is appointed.

 

19. "Do you get to know throught three spies, each unacquainted with each other, about the eighteen* functionaries of the enemies and the fifteen functionaries of your own side?"

*They are: 1)the chief minister; 2) the king's family priest; 3)the crown prince; 4)the leader of the army; 5) the chief warder; 6) the chamberlain (antaHpuraaH adhyaksha); 7)the superintendent of gails (kaaraagaara adhyaksha); 8) the chancellor of the exchequer; 9)the herald; 10)the government advocate; 11) the judge; 12)the assessor; 13) the officer disbursing salaries to army men; 14) the officer drawing money from the state exchequer to disburse the workmen's wages; 15) the superintended of public works; 16) the protector of the borders of a kingdom, who also performed the duties of a forester; 17) the magistrate; 18) the officer entrusted with conservation of waters; hills, forests and tracts difficult of access.: The fifteen functionaries of one's own side are the last fifteen of this very list, omitting the first three; viz; the chief ministers, the family priest and the crown prince.

# Explanation: This is what is done even today by many countries employing Secret Intelligence Services.

 

20. "O, slayer of your Foes! I hope you do not forever think lightly of your foes, who are weak and having been expelled, return again."

# Explanation: Never take competition or animosity lightly and become complacent in your work.

 

21. "Are you cherishing all those who live by agriculture and cattle-rearing, O, dear borhter! The people living on agriculture and cattle-rearing indeed prosper well."

#Explanation: Agriculture and Farmers need to be taken care of as a priority.

 

22. "I hope their maintenance is being looked after by you, in providing what they need and eschewing what they fear. All the citizens are indeed to be protected by a king through his righteousness."

# Explanation: Citizens should get a feeling of good governance from the King/leader.

 

23. "I hope you are pacifying the women well. Are they protected by you?

# Explanation: Safety of women and protection as well as justice os very important,

 

24. "I hope your income is abundant and expenditure, minimum. I hope your treasure does not reach undeserving people, O, Bharata!"

# Explanation: Self explanatory

 

25. "If one of noble work, despite his honesty and integrity, is falsely accused of some offence, I hope he is not killed impatiently, without enquiry by those well-versed in law-books."

# Explanation: Due process of Law as well as procedure of Law is followed so that Justice to all be served. These concepts are very much integral part of Principles and theories of Jurisprudence and Natural Justice in today’s times as well.

 

26. "O, foremost of men! If a thief is seen and even caught at the time of his act on sufficient ground and interrogated-I hope, he is not released from greed of wealth."

# Explanation: Police should not be corrupt and accept bribe and let off criminals

27. "O, Bharata! I hope that your well-educated ministers examine a case dispassionately when a contention occurs between a rich man and a poor man, after studying the situation carefully."

# Explanation: Equality in justice and rule of law should be followed while sorting out issues of people.Same is being followed today as well.

 

28. Do you eschew the following fourteen for kings -viz. atheism, falsehood, anger carelessness, procrastination, disregard of the wise, sloth, bondage to the five senses, himself alone devoting thought to the affairs of the state (without consulting the ministers); taking counsel with those of perverted insight; failure to undertake the projects already decided, failure to keep secrets, failure to utter auspicious words (at the beginning of an undertaking); and rising from one's seat (indiscriminately) to receive all.

#Explanation: Self Explanatory

 

29. "O, the very wise Bharata! I hope you understand the following and deal them properly the ten evils(1); the five kinds of fortifications(2); the four expedients(3); the seven limbs of state(4); the eight evils (born of anger) the three objects of human pursuit(5); the three branches of learning(6) subjugation of the senses, the six strategic expedients(7); adversity brought about by divine agencies(8); and by human agencies(9); the twenty types of monarches(10); and the entire population of the kingdom, setting about an an expedition, drawing up an army in a battle-array and the two bases viz, peace and war.

(1). Ten evils attendant on royalty to be eschew. Hunting, gambling, sleeping during the day, lustfulness, inebriation, pride, calumny, lounging about idly or aimlessly, diversions such as singing and dancing. (2). Five kinds of fortifications: By moat, high bank, trees thickly planted, a space destitute of grain or provisions, the turning of waters. (3) Four expedients:- Making peace, liberality, sowing dissension, chastisement. (4) Seven limbs of state king, ministers, friends, treasure, territory, forts and an army. (5) Three objects of human pursuit: Religious merit, material wealth and sensuous enjoyment or the three kinds of power (viz. energy, power of dominion, power of counsel) (6) Three branches of learning: the three Vedas, the knowledge relating to agriculture, commerce and other vocational pursuits and political science. (7) Six strategic expedients: Coming to terms with the enemy, waging war against him, marching against him, biding one's time to seek a favourable opportunity, causing dissension in the enemy's ranks, seeking protection of a powerful ally. (8) Adversity brought about by divine agencies: Fire, water in the shape of excessive rains or floods, epidemic or endemic diseases, famine and pestulence, earthquakes and Tsunamis. (9) Adversity brought about by human agencies: officials, thieves, enemies, king's favourites and king himself, when acutated by greed. (10)Twenty types of monarchs (who are not worth-negotiating with):1. a king who is yet a child. 2. Aged. 3. Who has been ailing for a long time. 4. who has been ostracised by his own kith and kin. 5. ho is characterized by a cowardly attitude. 6. who is surrounded by cowards. 7. who is greedy. 8. has greedy associated. 9. who has estranged his ministers and others. 10. who confers with fickle-minded persons 11. who speaks ill of divine begins and brahmins; 12. who is extremely indulged in sensuous pleasures and luxuries; 13. who is ill-fated; 14. a fatalist (who believes that all things are pre-determined or subject to fate); 15. who is afflicted by famine and; 16. by military reverses; 17. who (mostly) remains away from home; 18. who has numerous enemies; 19. who is in the clutches of adverse times and; 20. who is not devoted to truth and piety.

# Explanation: Self Explanatory

 

30. "I hope that you consult with three or four ministers as mentioned in scriptures any proposal collectively and singly with each of them in secret."

# Explanation:  Discuss proposals amongst Ministers in groups as well as alone with each one to understand it in depth.

 

31. "Do you follow the common practice, which our fore fathers observed and which is in accord with the path of the virtuous and which is distinguished in itself."

# Explanation: Follow established protocols of governance which are tried and tested as well as proven to yield good results. Just like Programmed and Non Programmed decisions theory is taught in Public Administration today.