The Bhagavadgita provides several lessons for managing life's challenges and work. It teaches that life is like a battlefield with constant inner turmoil between good and bad impulses. Krishna advises Arjuna and teaches us that action is required in life with a positive attitude and proactivity. Anger should be managed to avoid damage and confusion. The Gita also speaks of creating a virtuous work culture and utilizing resources optimally with commitment to work and goals above personal rewards or results. Ultimately, one should surrender to higher purposes, maintain a steady mind, and align oneself with harmonious organization goals.
2. The setting of the Gita
The setting of the Gita is
symbolic of the battlefield of
life, but more importantly, it is
symbolic of the battlefield
within all of us.
Our life is a constant turmoil
between positive and negative
impulses, between the pleasant
and the better, between our
likes and dislikes, between the
good and the bad.
3. In-action to Action.
Krishna’s response to the despondency of
Arjuna on the battlefield wad that “This is not
the behavior of a great warrior.”
Management Lesson:
5. Action is required in life.
7. Work with Proactivity.
9. Work with Positive actions as our current
actions define our future.
4. Anger Management
Modern psychoanalysis has revealed that anger is
a manifestation of repressed and suppressed
desires.
Modern medicine has also established the
damage to internal physiology caused by
excessive anger.
In the fit of anger, we are confused and issues
that have no bearing on the circumstance are
brought in only to add further confusion.
In such a confusion, we forget many things: the
purpose of life, our responsibilities, our goals,
and most importantly, peaceful co-existence with
fellow human beings.
5. Work Culture:
Bhagwat Gita speaks of 2 types of work cultures – Daivi Sampat and Asuri
Sampat.
Daivi work culture ‐ involves fearlessness, purity, self‐control, sacrifice,
straightforwardness, self-denial, calmness, absence of fault‐finding, absence of
greed, gentleness, modesty, absence of envy and pride.
Asuri work culture ‐ involves egoism, delusion, personal desires, improper
performance, work not oriented towards service.
Management Lesson:
12. Try to create the Daivi Sampat work culture in your work area.
6. Utilization of available resources:
The first lesson of management science is to choose wisely and
utilize scarce resources optimally.
During the curtain raiser before the Mahabharata War, Duryodhana
chose Sri Krishna's large army for his help while Arjuna selected Sri
Krishna's wisdom for his support.
This episode gives us a clue as to the nature of the effective manager
• Resources are scarce.
• Select the best resources.
• Utilize the resources optimally.
7. Work commitment:
Detach yourself from the end reward & concentrate on the work
itself.
A popular verse of the Gita advises "detachment" from the fruits or results of
actions performed in the course of one's duty. Being dedicated work has to
mean "working for the sake of work, generating excellence for its own sake.“
Management Lessons:
• Results in quality in work as mind works without fear of the result.
8. Surrender to the Supreme:
Krishna asked Arjuna to surrender him to Lord. He should not have any doubts
on the existence of the Lord.
Management Lesson:
• Look for the organization goals.
• Look for the Bigger & Harmonious picture.
• Put yourself egos aside.
• Align your goals towards the organization goals.
9. Steadiness of Mind:
Krishna tells Gita in the midst of battle field.
Management Lessons:
• One should practice steadiness of Mind him by yoga.
• Life is like Mahabharata where in we have battles being fought daily in the mind.
• With steadiness of mind one can calm the emotions and increase his “ VIVEKA”
or BUDDHI.
