Life Coaching Series
Everyone
has to fight their own battles in life. But, there’s something greater that
occurs within ourselves. We are always at war with ourselves. This war within
is more important than the petty battles we see outside. Whether you
acknowledge it or not, it is happening within you right now. There’s a lot that
goes on in our heads which goes almost unnoticed. It is this lack of awareness
that is the root cause of most of our internal schisms as well as interpersonal
conflicts.
The great
epic “Mahabharata” has a lot to offer for the inquisitive mind. Vidur is one of
the most overlooked and sidelined characters of the Mahabharata in the psyche
of the public. For starters, Vidur’s main role was that of an Advisor, Minister
and Treasurer of the state of Hastinapur. He was the wisest of the three
brothers viz. Dhritarashtra, Pandu and himself. He is considered as a
reincarnation of Lord Yama – God of Death! He is said to have written the “Vidur
Neeti” (Aphorims of Vidur) – a treatise on statecraft; which is a first of it’s
kind in ancient Indian history.
1. Always keep a low profile: Though of royal lineage, Vidura was
born of a maid servant and hence denied the opportunity of becoming the King of
Hastinapur. He was raised by Bhishma along with his brothers and had no airs
about himself being the wisest of all. Leaders who do not carry their weight
around are the most successful in the long run.
2. Ethical conduct precedes everything else: Dhritarashtra had the strength of
10,000 elephants while Pandu was a master archer. Vidur excelled in Dharma
shastras i.e. Ethics and principles. There are many instances in his life where
he displayed exemplary characteristics amidst turmoil. Great leaders never
compromise on ethics and that is what contributes to goodwill, trust and brand
value.
3. Stay away from partisanship: When time came for coronation of an
eligible King, Vidur knew that he would be ineligible as per the prevalent
norms. Being the Chief Advisor his vote was decisive and he could have easily
sided with Dhritarashtra who was blind and planned to rule with a remote
control. Instead of behaving like a kingmaker, he voted for Pandu in all
righteousness for the sake of the country. A leader must always be impartial
and must not lean towards a particular team or department or employee just for
the sake of selfish interests.
4. Always prefer equity over equality: When the time was ripe for
marriage, he chose to marry the daughter of King Devaka, who too was born out
of a Kshudra (no reference to casteism here) mother. Here too, he could have
preferred to marry a princess of royal birth but chose someone lower than his
status. This indicates his decision-making abilities and weighing choices for a
win-win situation, that are essential for a good leader. Leaders must seek equity over equality both in competition and partnerships.
5. Practice critical thinking: At the birth of Duryodhana, when
asked by Dhritarashtra about inheritance since Pandu’s son Yudhishthira was
elder to his own son; Vidura observed certain omens and declared that the new-born
be killed as he may bring calamity upon the kingdom. In a corporate setup, at
the launch of a new project one needs to perform thorough risk assessment and
at times abandon certain projects that might become the “invisible elephant in
the room” in the future. The leader must also possess acute perceptive faculties
to capture what others are missing to be able to foresee the outcome clearly
beforehand.
6. Do not plan if you do not wish to
execute: When
Duryodhana invited Pandavas to stay at the “Lakshagraha” (palace made from flammable
materials) with a plot to burn them all at once into ashes; Vidura sensed the
ploy. He warned Yudhishthira about it and also arranged for a miner to dig an
underground tunnel for them to escape safely. As and Advisor, his job was over
after warning the Pandavas about the impending danger, but he went ahead with
the objective of rescuing them. Leaders these days are primarily responsible
for planning and shift the responsibility of execution to the lower rung; which
is not a very good example. If you are planning, you must be prepared to
execute. In other words, the best leader is the one who can navigate as well as
steer simultaneously. Most leaders are either good at planning or execution and
it is a rare view to see one who is good at both.
7. Do not be a sheeple: Vidura was the only character who
vehemently opposed the gambling game knowing that it would lead to distress and
openly objected to the insult of Draupadi in the court. Leaders need to voice
their concerns to the whole team including the top management and must not remain
silent when wrong decisions are being taken that are detrimental to the greater
good of the organization.
8. Do not fear personal loss: Vidura advised Dhritarashtra to
divide the kingdom between Kauravas and Pandavas to avoid an impending war; for
which he was banished by the king. Eventually, Dhritarashtra realizes his
mistake and invites Vidura back to the kingdom as the Prime Minister. Leaders
often are unwilling to state facts as they are fearing undesired repercussions from
the top management; which eventually leads to downfall of the organization.
Genuine feedback may receive criticism initially but one is rewarded
eventually.
9. Do not engage in conflict: Vidura gladly accommodates Krishna
when he rejects Duryodhana’s offer of hospitality. Vidura was not bound to do
so and could have added fuel to fire just before the beginning of the war. Leaders
must try to avoid conflict at all costs even if it means going a second mile.
10. Do not compromise: Vidura makes one last attempt to
instill sense into Duryodhana after he rejects Krishna’s peace mission.
Duryodhana rebukes Vidura and insults him which makes Vidura leave the kingdom
immediately for a pilgrimage. Resourceful leaders must not compromise on
objectives and not partake in wasteful expenditure at any cost.
As can be seen from the above that Vidur is the only character in the Mahabharata, who expelled all his duties efficiently while avoiding conflicts at every stage.
To know
more and participate in my life coaching sessions like this one – “Be WISE
Program” TM (Wisdom is always within; Insights is not what you alone see; Seity
is all around you; Engineering of the self); click on the contact link
provided here.
