Management Lesson: 1
Try to tap new opportunities instead of simply focusing on killing your competition. If your competition
dies, there is only a smaller growth in your business because there would be another one in a short
while. Instead, if you go for newer opportunities, you may have added strength to your business.
Management Lesson: 2
While working on a big project, it is good to extend to other people who can contribute in whatever way
or portions. The more allies you have working for the achievement of your target, the more chances you
have.
Management Lesson: 3
Share your responsibilities when you have a huge target. It is good to have different people looking after
different departments and answerable for their own tasks. If you have only one person making all the
decisions, things could turn messy.
Management Lesson: 4
It's important to have a good team that gels nicely. More importantly, all the team members should be
given due consideration while making decisions. Individual goals are good but team goals can be met if
everybody contributes his/her lot.
Management Lesson: 5
Align individual goals and skills to the group. It will help you get maximum output because every
individual is pumped to fulfill his/her personal goal, which in turn is fulfilling the common goal.
Management Lesson: 6
If the people in the team are not committed to lay aside personal preferences, the team won't work.
Make sure the common goal is achieved even if it means keeping the personal goals pending.
Management Lesson: 7
Put the right people at the right places. If the managers or team leaders are not able to inspire or provide
directions, the team won't function effectively. This is surely one of the most important aspect of any
management team.
Management Lesson: 8
It's important to tap the potential of your better half. Masculine traits of aggression and dominance
should be balanced with harmony and sustenance.
NIDHI GUPTA
SEP 3, 2018 12:39 IST
What Mahabharta can teach you about Management?
Mahabharata is one of the oldest and greatest epics of Hindu mythology that the world has ever
witnessed. It revolves around the varied emotions and family relation that resulted in the
battle among the Kauravas and Pandavas for conquering the throne of Hastinapura. With
100,000 verses, it is the longest epic poem ever written and had been composed in the 4th
century BCE or earlier, which is astonishing and speaks volume of this epic.
The epic also holds great moral and ethical value that can inspire and teaches the youth of our
generation to move in the righteous direction to achieve their goals. The epic is filled with
numerous incidents that can enrich and improvise the way in which people and organization
function. Through this article, we aim to share with you those strategic incidents and tales that
you can be implemented in your life and you could climb the ladder of success and prosperity.
5 Management Lessons from Mahabharta for MBA Aspirants/Graduates
Lesson 1: Strategy and Leadership
What is popularly seen as per the Mahabharta is Krishna emerging as a renowned strategist. In
the battle Krishna ensues that he virtually leads the 7 divisions of Pandavas’ army to a decisive
win against the 11 divisions of Kauravs’ army. It was Krishna who taught the skills of preparing
the right strategy before venturing in the battlefield. He with his discourses kept on motivating
Arjuna that he has to take on the role of the ‘Leader’ and fight against Kauravas.
In modern era, Stephen Covey also mentions in his book that “as a professional, you must
pay heed to your ‘inner voice’”. While proposing the whole person paradigm, he focuses on
the four dimensions of a person – spirit, body, heart and mind. The one who listens to the
voice of his/her conscience often excels in strategizing and pioneering leadership skills.
Lesson 2: Team Spirit
This aspect is the pillar of the Mahabharta. Kauravas could not muster up the complete support
that was necessary for winning the battle. All the great generals of Kauravas, including Bheesma,
Drona, Karna crusaded individual fights on the battlefield. However, Pandavas weaved one team
that was directed by a single goal. All participated in decision making process and contributed
their skills leading to a synergic effect.
In contemporary era, MBA aspirants are taught management lessons on ‘Synergy’ and ‘Esprit de
corps’. This principle is one of Henri Fayol's 14 administrative principles that emphasizes on
maintaining the group cohesion in the organization.
Lesson 3: Use the right model at the right time
In the days of the Kurukshetra war Krishna let Ghatotkach die so that Karna would not be able
to use his Shakti astra to kill Arjuna. Krishna let Abhimanyu die in violation of all laws decided
for the war so that even the Pandavas could break the laws to kill Duryodhana, Karna and Drona.
Ethically these moves were wrong, but they were necessary to win the terminal goal of the battle.
In the strategic management also organizations are aware about various models, but
depending upon the nature of the economic downturn and boom, the model is chosen and
implemented to churn out the market share.
6 Tricky Pictures to test your Intelligence
Lesson 4: Passion is the best teacher
Another prominent story about the devotion of 'Eklavya' the royal guru 'Dronacharya' is a
milestone to achieve for MBA aspirants. Eklavya was passionate about learning the art of
archery, but his potential guru 'Dronacharya' refused to teach him the skills. Therefore, he hid
behind trees and watched him teach the art of archery to Pandavas and Kauravas. It is his passion
that he learnt all the techniques of archery just by observing from far away without a teacher
actually teaching him. Not just that, he becomes so good at it that Drona feels, he is actually better
than (or at par with) Arjuna.
Hence, if you want to excel in a career of your choice then ignore the impediments and work
industriously to achieve your goals. In the field of management, your Passion to succeed counts
both academically and practically as well. Your commitment to fulfill the deadlines, your agility
to learn new skills and flexibility in adjusting to the ever changing dynamic conditions of the
business are required to sail through the waves of challenges. Therefore, remain passion-driven
to succeed or else you will perish.
Lesson 5: Excellence in Governance
When Indrapastha (City of Indra) was built, Pandavas ruled in a fair and just manner. They did
not drift from the path of righteousness. There administration and management won the love
and affection of their subjects. They ruled for thirty-six years on this path before falling prey to
an unfair game of dice. It was this excellence in governance that eventually got lost and led to a
heinous battle in Kurukshetra.
At present, Excellence in governance is a vital condition for a business leader to command
respect in the marketplace and among their employees. It is vital for maintaining a healthy
culture in the organizations and vent off the malice of office politics and other emanating
aspects that breeds negativity. The HR department can ensure that certain initiatives taken by
organization to ensure a culture of excellence in governance. The Tata Group, Google India,
Intel, Wipro are some organizations that offer best environment and place to work for their
employees.
The above mentioned 5 management lessons from the Mahabharta have summed up that in
order to attain success in your goals and aspirations, you need to plan a direction and not
deviate from it. Another crucial factor that can be understood from the holy epic is that if you
chose management as a career, then it is not just your academic knowledge that will be
responsible for your growth but also your people and time management skills that will play a
significant role.
In this article, I have discussed few of the lessons which every MBA grad can derive
from Mahabharata by analyzing its events and characters.
1. Importance of Networking and Relationship
Management
Much before the war was fought, Pandavas were hugely outnumbered by Kauravas
in terms of the military might. But they built their network with the like-minded
kings. They maintained good relationship with their existing friends and
developed new alliances. In professional life too, an MBA grad must build his
network and manage relationship with them. After the MBA, most of you will be
focused on building your career path in the organization. But you must never lose
sight of the role played by your peers of b-school and alumni network. In
workplace, you should reach out to as many people as possible. You never know
when your network might come to your rescue when need arises. In the function
of sales and marketing, bigger your network is and better your relationships are,
you stand a better chance to strike good deals. In today’s world, social media
platforms like LinkedIn must be leveraged to build your network.
2. Nurture a pool of Leaders in your Team
Either today or tomorrow, you will be entrusted with greater responsibilities in an
organization. This means that as a good manager and leader, you must assume the
role of a mentor. It is always good to have a pool of leaders in your team who can
take up diverse responsibilities when time comes. A good leader or manager always
provides direction to his team members, and is a source of constant motivation to
others. Only then the team functions effectively. Being a manager, you must build
this culture in your team, irrespective of leading a smaller big team.
In the Mahabharata, army of Kauravas was led by just one general – Bhisma. This
followed one-man leadership hierarchy pattern. On the other hand, Pandavas were
led by multiple leaders, owning up different battalions of the army and its
operations at different periods of the war. This multi-leader strategy proved more
effective in winning the war. Similarly, in an organization context, every function
or department must develop second line of leaders, which is often termed as
succession planning.
3. It’s about Team Play with Common Objectives
An aspiring MBA grad must understand that he alone cannot shoulder the
complete responsibilities of the team, forget achieving the goal. It is the team spirit
which wins the war or competition. Kauravas lacked team spirit completely. Every
important member in their team had his own personal motives and aspirations
with no common objective as a team. Only Duryodhana was in favor of war. Most
of the warriors were against the war. But Pandavas were knitted together with one
common goal – to win the war and earn back their kingdom – rather than just
showcasing their individual prowess.
When a team is confronted with a bigger objective or target, everyone in the team
must share the responsibility, and be accountable. Rather than having a
centralized decision-making process, the manager must consult peers and other
leaders in his team and allocate responsibilities to them. This allows others also to
showcase their skills, which is good for the organization in long-term. This leads to
maximum contribution from every team member.
4. Seek Mentors in your Career
Even the best managers need mentors who can guide them in time of crisis. Why
only crisis, these mentors from their own experience can provide words of wisdom
to MBA grads while taking everyday decisions in the workplace. An MBA grad must
always look for a mentor in the workplace. It could be a senior manager from
within the same organization or another organization. In the b-school, his or her
teacher and professor can play this role.
In the great war of Mahabharata, even though Krishna never fought the war, he
was the key strategist for the Pandavas, who guided them at each important step
of the war. In the workplace, a mentor shows the path, which itself is sufficient for
a good manager to understand and make a decision. Having a good mentor is
important to grow up professionally. No matter how talented you are, one must
seek mentorship. Arjuna, the best warrior in the epic with all kinds of weaponry in
his arsenal, also required a mentor in the form of Krishna.
5. Choose your Resources Wisely
This is so true for HR students and in the case of recruiting managers in an
organization. As a manager, irrespective of whether you are in the recruiting team
or not, at some point of work life, you will have the opportunity to recruit new team
members. At the top level in an organization, board members choose CEOs and
CXOs. One must plan properly for the kind of skilled workforce required in the
organization. Then engage the right people at the right places. A good manager is
one who has an eye for talent. It is up to the acumen of the manager to spot the
hidden talent in his team members and provide them opportunities to grow.
In Mahabharata, both Pandavas and Kauravas had the option to choose Krishna
for their team. But displaying complete lack of vision and acumen, Kauravas
selected Krishna’s army, and hence lost the war. Whereas Yudhishthira made a
wise decision and opted for Krishna, who ultimately played a strategic role in their
win. This also shows that even one resource can make a difference in an
organization. Hence, a manager must never underestimate the power of one.
In conclusion, I must say that Mahabharata is a great source of knowledge and
management lessons, which must be well understood and assimilated by every
MBA grad.
