Analogies drawn from Ithihas to the contemporary leadership styles and management

1. MYTHOLOGICAL
MANAGEMENT
An attempt to learn management through mythology

2. Management and Mythology
• Management: is a process of planning, organizing,
controlling and directing an organizations resources
in order to achieve its defined objectives.
• Mythology: The collection of myths, stories, beliefs
of a particular region, religion and their culture.
• However meaning of myth here changes to
somebody’s truth than nobody’s truth or fiction.
• Everybody’s truth is a fact with concrete evidence
and experiment.
• Belief is the mother of all creation and innovation
• This is Indian Mythology and not relevant to one
section of the society.

3. Brahma
Creator of the world.
Not worshiped, Hardly any temples of his own
Why?
1. Lost his originality and purpose of his job
2.It is very easy to create something. Highly difficult to preserve, maintain, organise and
ensure development.
He has four faces so that he can see everywhere and wants to have a control over everything.
Here is why Vishnu comes into picture

4. Vishnu
Embodiment of Leadership,
Calm, Composed and Secure always empathetic.
Hence Wealth chases him and not vice versa
Each of his avatars or incarnations exhibit various leadership traits at different points.
Respected because he is responsible for preserving and maintaining the world
GOD means Generator, Organiser and Destroyer.
His portrayal of being blue is not right it is actually black. We are Racists (on a lighter note)

5. Vishnu and organization

6. Vishnu himself as an
organization
Brahmanosymukham Aasitth!: Top Management
•Brah means to expand; Man means mind
Top
Baahurajanyakrutha: Middle Level Management
•Security research team & finance team
Middle
Ooruthadsyah yad vyashyaha: Middle Level Mgt
•Marketing team and Sales team
Middle
Padbyagumshudro ajayatha: Lower Level Mgt
•The very important workers who implement the orders of the above and make your organization run smoothly.
Level

7. Embodiment of Leadership
Conch is to make timely announcements and indicates communication.
Sudarshana Chakra indicates punishment meaning doesn't hesitate to
punish anyone violating righteousness and causing trouble to mankind.
Lotus flower indicates motivation, peace, harmony, happiness etc.
Mace indicates timely review of work and warning if there is any deviation
All his incarnations had definite purposes and exhibit some leadership
qualities

8. Vishnu’s Incarnations
◻ Matsya- Recruitment, Training,Direction, guide,
delegation.
Story of Manu
◻ Kurma- Balance, stability and pressure handling
Dev and Asur Harmony for development and growth
◻ Varaha- Discover new ways to solve issues
Instil faith in system a leader doesn't hesitate to even
become a swine
◻ Vamana- Growth, restore confidence in employees
Motivate and grow when no one expects you to do so
◻ Narasimha- Aggression with compassion
Punish the bad and aid , motivate and guide the good

9. Market Segmentation in
Mahabharata
Bridge of Arrows by Arjuna for Kunti’s Sacrifice
Arjuna’s rendezvous with Hanuman
Pride in Arjun about his product having worked & being
successful in one market
His disbelief that it would work anywhere without having made
any research about a new market.
Failure in New Market.

10. Going Concern Concept in
Ramayan
Climax of Ramayan is not the War.
Story where Ram is about to leave to the heavenly abode
and final teaching to Laxman
Moral of that story is Men may come and men may go but
the organization is here to stay
Uncanny relevance to the modern day going concern
concept or continuity concept at the very end of Ramayan.

11. Some interesting Stories
Drona is the first test tube baby in the world.
Duryodhana and his brothers were test tube babies as well.
Real meaning of Charity- Karna the benevolent one.
Simplicity in Karna
Story of Bhagirath
Greatness of Maharishi Veda Vyasa
Arjun’s four wives and kids
Mahabharat actual climax: Pandavas in Hell, Kauravas in Heaven.
Arundati the star: Story

12. Some more Interesting stories
Lakshman did not sleep for 14 years in the
forest.
Previous Births of: Arjun, Dhristadryumna,
Shantanu, Bhishma, Abhimanyu,
Temples for Duryodhan in Poruvazhi Peruviruthy
Malanada Temple in Kollam District

13. Continuation of vishnu’s Avatars
◻ Parashurama- Aggression, Reviewer, A punisher
Belives in the philosophy thatPunishment is the solution
Hence not worshipped
◻ Rama- Rule follower, upholds principles and
Empethetic, A King Always thinking about the
organization even at the cost of ones own personal life
◻ Krishna- A perfect King maker, A perfect decision
taker, Guide and doenot hesitate to even run away
when situation demands, pragmatic leader
◻ Balarama- Combination of Narasimha and
Parashurama.
◻ Kalki- System killer to restore faith.

14. Retirement and Knowledge
Transfer
Vaitharini Nadhi in Swarga
Your ancestor will be allowed to cross this river and
reach the gates of heaven only when you have a
kid on the earth.
Which means once an employee is retiring, he is
obliged to transfer his knowledge to the new
employee for the benefit of the firm.

15. Resource Management through Mahabharata
War
Resource during war is the army so who had what and
howmuch:
Kauravas : 11 Akshouhini Sainya
Pandavas : 7 Akshouhini Sainya
1 Akshouhini = 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610
horses and 109,350 foot-soldiers (in a ratio of 1:1:3:5).

16. How did they Manage
Kauravas : Centralized power system. The greatest empire of the time. But not
many powerful allies, except from old relations from far off places like
Gandhara(Shakuni), Sindhu(Jayadrath) and Kambodia(Camboja -
Bhagadutt)
Pandavas : No wealth. No power of their own. But powerful allies all over India.
◻ Panchala through Marriage with Darupadi.
◻ Dwarka through marriage with Arjuna and Subhadra.
◻ Magadh through marriage of Shadeva and Vijaya.
◻ Chedi through marriage of Nakula and Karenmayi.
◻ Kasi through marriage of Bhima and Balandhara.
◻ Kekaya through marriage of Yudhisthira and Devika.
◻ Matsya through marriage of Abhimanyu and Uttara.
◻ The Rakshasas through marriage of Bhima and Hidimba.
◻ The Nagas through marriage of Arjuna and Uloopi.
Make Powerful Allies.

17. Individual Goals and Organizational Development
Kauravas : No team spirit. They all fought their individual
wars.
◻ Bhishma : For his Vow to protect the throne
Hastinapur. Would not kill or capture the enemy.
◻ Drona and Kripa : They owed allegiance to the throne.
◻ Shalya : Simply cheated by Duryodhana to be there.
Was originally a Pandava ally.
◻ Karna : To prove his mantle against Arjuna and
promised to kill only him. Friendship for Duryodhana.
They were at loggerheads with each other. Bhishma
and Karna. Bhisma and Shakuni. Karna nd Shakuni.
Karna and Shalya. Shalya and Bhishma. It was like a
bees, hornets and mosquitoes put together in a jar.
Individual interest without team spirit and devoid of
organizational interest will lead to failure

18. Pandavas :
◻ One team.
◻ One Goal.
◻ As men, they all had huge respect for Krishna and
Yudhisthira.
◻ While as warriors they were in complete awe of
Bhima and Arjuna.
◻ Most of them were close relatives – cousins, brother-
in laws, father-in-laws. More than that they all were
part of the decision-making process.
It was their “common” war.
Only that organization is successful which has
individuals who grow personally and also ensure
organizational development
Clarity in vision
contd

19. Delegation of Power Pandavas
Arjun
Finance
Department
Abhimanyu
Research
Team
Satyaki
Public Relations
Dhrishtadrumn
ya Operations
Head
Bhima
Marketing
Department
Shikhandi
Sales
Team
Drupada
Production
Department
Yudhistir
Owner/CEO
Krishna
COO

20. In a nut shell
Be a Leader like Vishnu, Not Brahma or Indra who chase wealth and power however
for the earlier it chases him.
Learn to be a King like Rama, King maker like Krishna
Learn to be Aggressive like Narasimha and sometimes even destroy like Shiva
because even that takes certain amount of courage.
In an organization it is important to organize your scarce resources and utilize it
optimally for success
Individual goals should always be linked to the organizational development only then
both achieve success
Share your responsibilities, Find the right personnel to share it.
Harmony between Good and Bad leads to development else it leads to destruction