VEDIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP INDIAN MANAGEMENT AND VEDIC LEADERSHIP From time immemorial, vedic scriptures and Upanishads have inspired people to acquire knowledge and wisdom about management principles and practices. Great spiritual leaders like Adisankara believed to be the reincarnation of Lord Shiva, Shri Krishna, the reincarnation of Lord Mahavishnu ,Lord Buddha, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa have  spoken of the infinite realities of life . The Philosophy of Unlearning: It is really amazing to know that these teachings though popular for their philosophical perspective also are a source of inspiration for management philosophy. These scriptures are excellent guides for attaining focus and help us to unlearn old school of thought and rejuvenate us with proper perspective and approach. Inspiration from Bhagavat Gita: Most of us would have heard about this quote from the Bhagavat Gita- “Do your duty without expectations”- “The fruits of which will be reaped automatically.” I used to wonder if this is possible, but all business men and entrepreneurs will definitely go by this since it proves to be the highest business philosophy too. Businesses thrive when done with a perfect vision , backed up by strong policies and ethical procedures. Adisankara: Adhi sankara has already paved the way for “Equality among the masses” when he realized and reiterated that people cannot be and should not be discriminated based on their caste and creed. His life span was very short-he was hardly 32 years when he left this world, but his preachings are there to stay forever. He was definitely a natural leader in presenting his views with clarity that serve as an eternal guide for mankind. Lord Krishna – A Magnificient Leader: Leaders ought to be natural and inspire people to follow them willingly. Lord Krishna was such a magnificient leader of Dwabara yuga who was a mentor for the Pancha pandavas and Gauravas too. The sad part of the story was Gauravas were not willing or not wise enough to utilise the services of Lord Krishna. We miss many viable business opportunities by oversight like Duryodana, the leader of Gauravas- he was a great warrior but not a good listener. “To be heard, you have to first listen,” I think this is the first step in the process of management Progress is impossible without change and those who are not willing to change cannot change anything. How true these words of George Bernardshaw are! Leaders of next century need to have better adaptive capabilities, cross-functional expertise, a positive attitude towards unlearning and re learning and also develop leadership of various levels of organization. What do Vedic Scriptures say? Coming back to vedic scriptures, they direct the mankind towards purifying the mind so that it becomes the hot seat of infinite energy leading to higher levels of strategic thinking and performance. The problem with us is that we always tend to correlate spirituality with renunciation of worldly life- It is not that; making the energy chakras inside our body live and active is the saarams ( essence) taking us to a heightened level in terms of thinking and action. To be a good leader your health should be fine in three key areas 1. Mental health Intelligence and creativity at its best Increased self-actualisation and self-confidence Greater ability to focus Higher levels of moral judgement Reduced anxiety and depression 2. Physical health Reduced need (or no need) for seeing the doctor for treatment Decreased risk factor for disease Reduction of high blood pressure Decreased alcohol consumption and drug abuse Stress reduction Prevention of ageing and increased longevity Note: It has been scientifically proved that by reciting GAYATHRI MANTRA and performing Sandhya vandanam, which is a natural yoga or pranayama method, your life...

The basic factors that influence policy formulation are 1. The objectives of a business firm 2. Its management structure 3. Economic and financial resources available to it at a particular point of time 4. Attitudes, social values and norms of the top management 5. Fiscal and monetary policies of the government 6. Policies of sister concerns and business associations 7. Government regulations and control measures 8. Public opinion and expectations from business etc. You can never evade your responsibility towards the society and your policies must incorporate statements that reflect your interest in the welfare of the society. In corporate business environment, where voluminous business activity is carried on, corporations have very well understood the fact that, acquisition and utilization of resources from the society has to be repaid in the form of contributions to societal welfare. Otherwise their image might get tarnished. Moral and ethical values of a society also influence the mind set of business persons. In countries like India, where people ardently follow traditions and customs, a business person hailing from such a family will definitely try to maintain minimum ethical standards both in personal as well as business environments. Policy Aspects: Business policies cover all the functional areas such as production, marketing, personnel and finance aspects. Major policies pertaining to overall objectives, procedures and control affect the organization as a whole. Minor policies on the other hand, cover relationship in a segment of an organization, with considerable emphasis on details and procedures. Such policies are an outgrowth of major policies and preserve their unity of purpose. They meet the day-to-day requirements of the departments and are generally decided at the sectional and departmental levels. Various Corporate Policies: Strategic business policies cover aspects such as product-mix, promotion-mix, market-mix, administrative policies etc.; HR policies cover a wide range of aspects such as pay, promotions, recruitment, selection, induction, training and development, pension, disciplinary action, quality of work life and so on. So, to attain clear-cut objectives, firms need related business policies, in the absence of which, the firm may lose grip and direction in the overall management of the...