Pursue knowledge and wealth while minimizing distractions. Learning, discipline and wealth are obtained through hard work. Those who are knowledgeable, humble and proficient in their fields should be honored and rewarded.
In raja dharma (kshatriya dharma), dharma of a leader, dharma, artha and karma are all included, and it is clear that moksha is also inherent in Raja dharma. Raja dharma acts as the foundation upon which other forms of dharma rest. All forms of renunciation are encompassed within raja dharma. Raja dharma encompasses all spheres of knowledge, teaching with wisdom, fairness and compassion. Dharma shastra (culture of the organization) provides the framework and guidelines for leadership, ensuring that decisions align with moral and ethical standards. Renunciation refers to the leaders’ willingness to detach themselves from personal gain, ambition and ego for the greater good. This selflessness fuels the progress of the boat (raja dharma) and keeps it aligned with the principles of dharma. Leadership, when carried out with a sense of duty, selflessness and commitment to the welfare of the organization, can be a profoundly spiritual endeavor.
By overcoming the six enemies – sensual gratification, anger, greed, attachment, egotism and possessiveness – Leader’s intellect becomes expansive. They are regarded as supremene among intellectuals in the field of raja dharma.
A leader should embody good conduct, self-control, compassion and dharmic principles, and is someone who has mastered their passion and senses while displaying a pleasing personality, is a generous being and never loses prosperity.
Just as the radiant spring sun is neither too cool nor too hot, the leader should neither be too soft nor too harsh.
A leader should be intelligent and self-sacrificing, capable of discerning the shortcomings of foes, smart, understanding justice and injustice for all, prompt in work, with controlled anger, a deep thinker, gentle, industrious, committed to duty and shunning of self-praise.
A leader must first conquer his own mind and then win over his direct reports. Without gaining control over his mind and authority over his direct reports, he cannot triumph over his enemies.
To be an effective leader, you need to:
- Act in accordance with dharma, avoiding bitterness.
- Be kind towards others.
- Grow revenue and profits for the organization without resorting to cruelty.
- Be disciplined.
- Speak with cordiality, devoid of weakness.
- Demonstrate bravery without boasting and cruelty.
- Donate generously, but not to the undeserving.
- Do not make friends with the wicked.
- Be friendly with supporters.
- Employ only trustworthy as spies.
- Never inflict punishment on anyone without diligently investigating the offence.
- Keep secrets.
- Do not give money to the greedy.
- Do not trust those who have harmed you.
- Protect your spouse, without jealousy.
- Do not harbor animosity towards others.
- Refrain from pursuing excessive pleasure.
- Eat healthy and exercise.
- Avoid indiscipline and show humility towards esteemed persons.
- Worship without ego.
- Pursue prosperity without resorting to forbidden means.
- Be flexible and affectionate.
- Do not overlook opportunities or lack knowledge.
- Refrain from offering false reassurance to anyone.
- While showing kindness to someone, avoid placing blame.
- After destroying enemies, do not mourn.
- Do not suddenly become angry.
- Be soft, but never towards offenders.
- Embody both competence and humility.
- Effective communication is valuable.
- Rely on direct reports for strategic navigation through challenges, crises and opportunities for growth.
- Astute direct reports ensure the confidentiality of organization secrets.
- Hire those who are trustworthy, dependable, have overcome their ego and anger, are devoid of pride and jealousy.
- Demonstrate tolerance towards diverse perspectives.
- Be aware of the competition. Nothing should be hidden regarding the activities of the competition. Be aware of what the competition has done, is doing or intends to do.
- Discourage unproductive activities and superfluous luxury.
- Reward employees who demonstrate exceptional merit in their accomplishments.
- Protect the family of employees, who encounter trouble while serving the organization.
- Increase the salary, as soon as an employee demonstrates the merit.
Disqualifying qualities for a Leader
- Someone who severely punishes their people and refuses to forgive them, steals or punishes those who criticize them.
- Someone who doesn’t learn humility first and tries to teach his people about humility.
- Even a highly capable leader, lacking humility, may lose their rightful authority over the people.
- Disagreement among his direct reports and their alignment with enemies.
- Someone who lacks qualifications, knowledge and wisdom, yet boastful.
- Someone who torments the righteous.
Parents excel in guiding their children towards excellence. Similarly, the organization should be proficient and capable of nurturing excellence among its employees. The organization should emulate a caring mother who forgives her children’s minor mistakes and nurtures them. The organization should provide an annual bonus equivalent to one-eighth of the employee’s wages. If the employee completed additional work, they should be entitled to an additional one-eighth of their wages as a reward for their diligence.
The organization should prioritize a single learned and knowledgeable individual over thousands of illiterate fools. The complexities, challenges and demands of leading a large organization become excessively burdensome for individuals lacking the necessary toughness, assertiveness or resilience.
It is appropriate for a good leader to always accumulate wealth for the organization and to maintain enough cash buffers.
Source: The Hindu Manifesto, Swami Vigyananand. References to a state or replaced with references to an organization, as running a large organization is more complex than running nations which existed 2500 years ago.