In Hindu mythology, there are two great epics. The first one is Ramayana and the other one is Mahabharata. Both are extremely interesting, engaging and highly inspiring. If you look at the crux of their stories; both talk about victory of good on evil.
In one story Lord Ram led his army to defeat Ravana in his land, while in the second Lord Krishna oversaw Pandavas defeating huge army of Kauravas in the battle at Kurukshetra.
In Ramayana, Lord Ram was the best warrior of his side. He led his army from the front. Strategized & directed people of different species, sizes and capabilities to carry out things which would meet the objectives. The people were happy to follow orders & wanted to get all the appreciation for being the best executors. Lord Ram set direction & also guided people what to do during difficult times. Ultimately they won the war & the final outcome was achieved.
On the other hand, Lord Krishna told Arjuna ‘I won’t fight the battle. I won’t pick up any weapon; I would only be there on your chariot as a charioteer’. And he did what he said. He never picked up the weapon & he never fought. Yet, Pandavas won the war & final outcome was achieved.
So, what was different? It was their managerial style & it was also the type of people who were being led!!! Lord Ram was leading an army of ‘MONKEYS’ who were not skilled fighters, they also did not know how to strategize big wars, so & they were constantly looking for directions. While on other hand, Lord Krishna was leading Arjuna who was one of the best archers of his time. Most skilled in his craft!!!
While Lord Ram’s role was to show it & lead from the front, Krishna played the role of a coach whose job was to remove cobwebs from his protégée’s mind. Krishna couldn’t teach Arjuna archery but he could definitely help him see things from a very different perspective.
Here are some of the basic differences in two styles:
Lord Ram: A skilled warrior, led monkeys i.e. semi-skilled people, was emotional, gave precise roles & instructions, and motivated the army to fight for his cause.
Lord Krishna: Worked with best professionals, provided strategic clarity, allowed team members to take lead, fight for the cause of the team, did not depict his true emotions.
Look at your team / family & reflect what type of leader/parent you are? Someone who keeps answering / solving problems for people / kids or the one who asks relevant questions to their people / kids so that, they can find their own solution.
Are you someone who tells / directs all the time or someone who clarifies doubts & allows their people / kids to find their own ways?
Are you someone who feels you have monkeys in the team & that’s why you deal with them in certain ways Or you have the brightest experts in their area getting stuck with issues?
Younger generation doesn’t want you to tell or show how things are done, they want to know the meaning of their task and how it makes a difference in this world.
They are Arjuna who don’t necessarily seek more skill / knowledge but they need someone to clarify the cobwebs in their mind, if u still apply Lord Ram’s style on them, u are bound to fail as a manager.
On the other hand if there are people who aren’t skilled enough but rely on your expertise to sail you through Lord Krishna’s style may fail.
Isn’t it good for us to reflect & think what managerial style will bring the best result for you and your team/family?
What role should you play of leading or directing? Is it Lord Ram or Lord Krishna?
The Managing Leader vs. the Coaching Leader!
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Nice Post