A study of Mahabharata with management perspective

Introduction: Mahabharata is the second longest epic in the world, it was narrated thrice by Ved Vyasa to Lord Ganesha, by Vaishampayan to king Janamejaya and by Suta sages to other sages. War of Mahabharat was fought in 3139 B.C. at Kurukshetra. It referred to some astonishing facts like the existence of planets like Uranus and Neptune, use of numbers up to 10 raised to power 16 and -16, descriptions of  devastating weaponry like chemical weapons and various military formations. Mahabharata is a massive treasure for management learning’s. The Great War lasted for 18 days and against all odds Pandavas emerged as victorious.

 A comparison of both powers head to head

·        Kauravas: 
They were in power from last 13 years. Duryodhana was considered as a benevolent king.  They had support of vast resources and Karna went on a world wide mission to conquer kingdoms and amass wealth. They were the sovereigns of the world at that time. They had valiant and supreme warriors like Bhishma (Who cannot die against his own wish), Drona (the ‘guru’ of both Kauravas and Pandavas), Karna (Eldest of Pandvas, who wore the indestructible Kavach-kundal), Krpiacharya, Ashwaththama, Kritvarma etc.

Motivation for war: Duryodhana was bent on war, it was his moment of truth, he was ready to save his kingdom by hook or by crook.

·        Pandavas: 
They were suffering exile from last 13 years. They did not had any kingdom and they were heavily dependent on friends and relatives for power and resources. Yet they also had warriors like Bhim, Arjun, Yudhishthir etc.  

Motivation for war: None of the Pandavas wanted the war; they were even ready to settle the matter for just five villages.

Turning points

  
Karna went on a world-wide campaign to gather resources, but it also created many new enemies which supported Pandavas. Pandvas even in exile gathered resources and weapons e.g. Arjuna performed severe penance to obtain Divyastras.

Kauravas had a central authority system and women were not included in the decision making system i.e. they had one commander controlling their army, while Pandavas delegated the authority to many commanders i.e. they had seven different commanders commanding each of the seven units of their army

As a team Kauravas were horrible: Bhishma had problems with Karana and Shakuni, Karna had a problem with Shakuni, Shakuni’s mission was to destroy Dhritrashtra (father of Duryodhana), Drona, Bhishma, Shalya and Karna had personal affection for Pandavas. So it was a team of culprits. Pandavas had a wonderful blend of warriors; their side was in complete awe of Arjun, Bhim and above all Lord Krishna.
  
Result:

Most of the Kaurava warriors wanted to harm Pandavas so they never attacked with their full might

While Pandavas, under the leadership of Lord Krishna studied and exploited the weakness of each and every foe and thus defeated the Kauravas.

Management style of Ram Vs Management style of Ravan

Dear friends,

It is a well-known fact that Lord Ram won the battle against the mighty Ravan; against all odds and against all troubles. But there are a few questions which arose in my mind when I tried to analyse this fact:

1. Why Ravan (The world conqueror) mightiest of all the kings, having experience of several years of warfare lost against a bunch of monkeys (can you expect them to be disciplined?) lead by a young, inexperienced prince
2. Why all his warriors including Indrajit, Kumbhkaran, Ahiravan, etc did not attacked together?
3. In spite of knowing that Vibhishan is giving away all the secrets to Ram, why he was not targeted frequently during the battle

The answers lie in their management styles:

• As we all know that Ravan was very strict; he always led his team in coercive manner; while Lord Ram was considered as very benevolent, he always led his side with compassion
• Ravan’s side was not passionate about the war, as they never imagined that they can lose the war against untrained and unprofessional “monkeys”; while Ram’s side was very passionate about the war since they had nothing to lose and everything to gain
• Ravan’s forces knew no boundaries, as he had won all the three worlds, and hence he was never bothered to survey his sides’ weaknesses; Ram knew about his sides strengths and weaknesses, he utilized them to the maximum
• Ram’s army had a vision i.e “The Ramrajya”; While Ravan’s army was already experiencing his lordship, and hence they lacked such a motivation
• Ram’s army fought each and every moment with all their might, while Ravan considered it more of a play,  hence he underestimated the enemy and sent his warriors one by one
• Ravan and his people somewhere knew that they were fighting for a wrong cause; While Ram’s war was all about the honor, humanity and dharma

In the light of above points we can easily understand that resources, training and power are useless if your team lacks motivation and sincerity, and hence Ram’s forces which consisted monkeys, bears etc. defeated the mighty forces of Ravan.

Let’s make a committment to fight each and every war of our life for right cause and in right way, so that even we can also create a examples for the generations to come.

Uncle Scrooge: a dream, a brainwave and a venture

This cartoon character needs no foreword; he is the richest duck of the world. Every one of us is awestruck by his money making ability, but Uncle Scrooge has a lot more to offer, in fact I am flabbergasted by his endurance, I admire the way he spends on his family while being coined as a big miser! Have a look at the above picture.

So what can we learn from the world’s richest duck:

1. He left his family in Scotland and moved to USA at the age of 13 years, that was his passion towards his goals
2. He traveled to various parts of the world (including Asia and Africa) in search of opportunities: keep on searching for opportunities and never let pass any
3. Wherever he went, he imbibed and followed the traditions of that place  and also made some loyal friends everywhere
4. He was not considered as a very good employer, but he always looked for the cheapest option, and always supported his employees (Remember Launchpad!)
5. Once he decided to accomplish something, he didn't took rest till the goal is met
6. His policy was: to be smarter than the smart and to be tougher that the tough
7. He always maintained his temper even after losing everything and started once again to be on the summit
8. He was very good at maintaining relations and for all time, identified the right person as per the prerequisite
9. He gave equal importance to the advice from others (even from his nephews)
10. He always kept himself busy with one or the other task
11. The secret behind his wealth was: to save miserly and to invest wisely
12. He never hesitated in taking risks, and never got discouraged after in front of a potential loss
13. He kept himself updated with the latest technology (with the help of Gyro Gearlose)
14. Above all he valued his family more than his own life

Uncle Scrooge has proved that if you have a strong will to be successful and can work hard for it, than no one can stop you.

Finally, I wish success to all of you, may you also keep on adding and multiplying your fortunes. 

Shahid-E-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh

Today he is not just a name, but a complete ideology. A common man of India, who rose to become inspiration of the youth and voice of the nation, his name is enough to amaze the soul of youth. Here are a few incidents from which we can learn to never lose hope:

1. When British Government informed him,’ If you feel that you should be spared from being hanged, then you must apply for mercy.’

He replied “The Government says that we should apply for mercy. But why should we do so? Are we thieves or dacoits or goondas? We are political prisoners in this war for freedom. The blood of complete freedom is circulating in every blood vessel of ours. Whatever bold action we did was for the sake of freedom alone! We may not be worshippers of non-violence; our path may not be devoid of atrocities but is it not true that we are freedom-fighters? If the government has even a fraction of justice left within it, it has to treat us as political prisoners. We will never beg for mercy.” (Even if you are facing death, look straight into the eyes of death)

2. In spite of pressures from family, he sacrificed his life for Motherland (Keep your target at maximum priority) 

3. He changed the name of Hindustan Republican Association to Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (Express you views clearly and loudly)

4. He could have ran away after throwing bomb in the assembly but he let the officers arrest him (Every war asks for sacrifices, do you have guts to do it?)

5. He conducted a 63 days long hunger strike to protest against the terrible jail conditions (Determination and passion are stronger than any other feeling)

6. He actually used the British court as a means to spread his message throughout the nation (Even the biggest strength of enemy can be turned into his biggest weakness)

These are just a minute fraction of the treasure of knowledge which we can extract from them, this list is endless…

I salute to these great souls, who nurtured this land with their own blood, their legends are countless and their glory is never ending.

Jai Hind! 

Management lessons Spain's world cup victory

So who in the world would say that hopes are fruitless!

The team which never won any world cup, the team which lost its’ first game, the team which was comparatively younger than others will lift the trophy! So what is motivational about the journey of Spain in FIFA world cup 2010?

Spain was one of the contenders, but hype was also made about Argentina, Brazil, Germany etc.

When Spain lost its’ first game to Switzerland, expectations went a bit on the lower side, but ultimately they won the world cup.

Here are some management learnings from their memorable performance:

1. They got the first blow, but it acted as an inspiration for them (Setbacks can also be alerts)

2. They relied on classical team game (passes and passes), rather than attacking aggressively or depending on STARS (Together Everyone Achieves More)

3. Each and every player knew his role and contributed to it without taking notice of his personal name and fame (Team goals ahead of personal glamour)

4. They were always cool-headed on the field as well as off the field ( Be cool; not a fool)

5. When their captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas was criticized, he or his team never retaliated with words (Action speaks louder than words)

This is what I have learned from the event of the year, but learnings are never limited, so please share your part of learnings with us and of course your comments are also welcomed (as usual!)

Ten Lessons for achieving success

Friends, though I am not a "icon" or a "management guru"; but still in my span of 24 years (so far) a lot of students and friends have asked the secret of my success (which may not be very significant according to many) so here I am sharing top 10 learnings of my life, (may be it can add some value in your life too):-

1. Expect to win:
Know in your heart that you are a winner

2. Let your expectations show:
Express no doubts, let your competitors and your friends know that you have none

3. Work, practice, work, and practice some more:
Remember practice makes a "person" perfect

4. Dress and act like a winner:
This is a part of keeping yourself in a winning frame of mind and will boost up your confidence

5. Have a sense of drama - don't create it but know it when you see it:
You don't have to seek out publicity, but know how to accept and use it when it comes to you

6. Know that there is always room to grow:
Being the best does not mean you can't be even better

7. Hang with the winners:
They understand the pressures and situations in which you will find yourself

8. Put yourself in situations where you are not known as a success:
May be difficult, but this helps you to stay real

9. Value and protect your free time and do what you enjoy:
The discipline of being a winner needs a safety valve from time to time

10. Remember those who need help:
Somewhere, someone helped you - be willing to give back

I am thankful to all of you for providing your valuable time, it really "Motivates" me to write more!!!

Secret of a Champion!!!

This person need no introduction, he is the heartbeat of 100 million people, they breath when he enters the cricket field and they stop breathing if he gets out.

Sachin Tendulkar, the living legend, has almost every batting record on his name, is one of the highest earning player in the world of Cricket, serving the Indian Cricket Team from last 20 years, and still the same consistent performer.

How (the hell!!!) can any one on the earth manage to do that!!!

Under the pressure of millions of cricket fans, under the 'aging' factor (36 years), criticism of Indian media, pressure of the game (itself)???

In my opinion there are some qualities which defines this character's abilities:

1. Hard-work: He (even today) practices for at least 7 hours daily
2. Concentration: He never lose his focus, never gets distracted in the "word-war" with other players
3. Determination: It is said many times by his teammates and coaches, that even in the worst situation, he speaks "I can do it!!!"
4. Passion: In his own words, "Cricket is my life, I love it, I enjoy it, I live it!!!"
5. Endurance: In spite of many injuries, he continued his journey (even in pain)
6. Skill: It came from the vast experience of 20 years, he is 90% accurate in judging the opposition's moves
7. Confidence: He always carry a smile on the field, his body language is enough to demoralize the opposition
8. Dedication: He always gives his 100% in every role he plays both on and off the field

But what is the real difference, almost all of these qualities are possessed by many other "Good" players, so what is the quality which makes him a "Great" player???

The answer lies in the following example:

Before every tour, he touch the feet of his elders, and his coach Mr. Ramakant Achekar!!!

Yes, Humility is the factor which differentiate him from others:

• Many times when Empire did not gave him out, he started walking out of the field, if he realized that he was out
• He never say that he is the master of the game, he always say "I am a servant" (of the game)
• Cricket is not just a game for him, but it is a means of serving his nation
• He never indulges himself with any controversy
• His humble behavior never lets you realize, that he is the Mega-star of millions

I must admit, that like every Indian, I also say "Cricket is my religion, and Sachin is my God".

Now we all have realized that what qualities have made Sachin Tendulkar, the God of Cricket, we all now know the secret!!!