Managing by the Bhagavad Gita

Drawing upon the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, a philosophical-spiritual world classic, this professional book highlights the spiritual and moral dimensions of management using an inside-out leadership development approach. It interprets the Bhagavad Gita's teachings on understanding the personality types and psychological makeup of managers and employees, self-knowledge and self-mastery, and the leadership concepts of vision, motivation, and empowerment. This book covers topics such as training of the mind, ethical leadership, communication, stress management, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Collectively, the enclosed contributions provide managers with an enhanced outlook on management functions such as leading, planning, organizing, and controlling in today's organizations, particularly organizations that are run by knowledge workers. This book is therefore applicable to all managers, from first-line to CEOs, in their management and leadership roles in organizations. Management research in the 20 th century has mainly focused on the industrial paradigm characterized by a hierarchical structure of authority and responsibility with an individualistic focus on the personality of the manager-one person directing other people for materialistic, utilitarian ends. However, this traditional paradigm cannot solve many of the problems that confront leaders and mangers today. Recent studies have shown that values traditionally associated with spirituality-such as integrity, honesty, trust, kindness, caring, fairness, and humility-have a demonstrable effect on managerial effectiveness and success. This brings back need for the time-tested management style and wisdom from the wisdom of the past. Although traditionally interpreted as a religious-spiritual text, the Bhagavad Gita encompasses great practical management lessons that can be very relevant to decision making in today's corporate boardrooms. Its message fosters the holistic development of human personality in all its dimensions-physical, psychological, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Applying the text of the Bhagavad Gita to the context of management, this book addresses the greatest management dilemma: What is the right thing to do in a given situation? It views the manager as an "enlightened sage" who operates from higher stance of being anchored in authentic self, guided by self-knowledge and self-mastery. It shows why managers need to be aware of the self and the surroundings, why mind matters most in self-management, why managers need right knowledge and right intention, and how character is the key ingredient of effective management and leadership.