!
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Leadership my way is to stand
behind the people I am leading”.

Attributes of a leader:
• Level-headed (Samatvam Yoga Uchyate); Listener
• Efficient (Yogaha Karmasu Kaushalam); Energetic
• Aware (sensitivity: taralata – quality of a yogi); Agile
• Daring (courage: dhairya – quality of a yogi); Durable
• Exemplary (Only way to lead is by example)
• Righteous (dharma: Do The Right Thing!)
L for level-headed: Samatvam Yoga Uchyate: “Evenness of Mind
is Yoga,” thus says Krishna to Arjuna in Bhagwad Geeta. The true
test of leadership comes during crisis. How to remain even-keeled
despite the chaos and panic is very important so rational decisions
are taken. Yogic practices of Praanayaama, Shavasana and Dhyana
are very practical tools to help us build and enhance levelheadedness.
Consistent practice trains the body and mind to
function efficiently despite the adverse situation. As we increase
our ability to listen to our own body and mind well, listening to the
masses becomes easier. There is a reason why we have two ears
and one mouth. We should listen twice as much we speak!
E for efficient: Yogaha Karmasu Kaushalam: Another quote
from Bhagwad Geeta defines Yoga as “efficiency in action.”
Efficiency is an important attribute of a leader. Someone has said,
Managers do the things right whereas leaders do the right thing! It
is not about doing ten given tasks but is about optimizing and
doing them in just five. Efficiency comes through careful analysis
and action. Yoga makes your body and mind more efficient so the
energy is conserved and used efficiently towards the crisis in hand.
We are all focused on making our cars, houses, environments more
efficient, we forget to restore the efficiency of our own body and
the mind. Health-care can be made more efficient if proper Yoga
practice is prescribed and practiced.
A for Aware: (Sensitivity - Taralata – quality of a yogi) Leaders
are expected to solve the problems and intervene in crisis. If we are
aware of the root of the problem at hand, solving it becomes
easier! Developing awareness is how we get to the root of any
problem. We are a very busy society with no time for selfawareness.
Yoga helps tremendously increasing the sensitivity of
our body and mind so we are aware of when it is sick, hungry, tired,
and so on. A leader with heightened sense of awareness can do
wonders for the society. Pre-emptive actions can be taken before
crisis is developed and escalated at all levels. After all, an ounce of
prevention is better than a pound of cure, is it not?
D for Daring: (Courage - Dhairya – quality of a yogi) A good
leader should dare to do the right thing which not necessarily is the
most popular( thing to do.) To stand up against a bully – whether
the bully is an individual, a community or a nation, - tremendous
courage is required. Yoga practice makes your body and mind
strong so it does not fall prey to internal and external bullies. Weak
mind succumbs to bad temptations. Weak body succumbs to
diseases. Yoga makes you strong, at the same time keeps you soft
so courage and compassion can co-exist! Practice of
Praanaayaama is how you conquer Anxiety. FDR has said, Fear
has fear to fear itself. This statement can be experienced with
consistent practice of Praanaayaama. Practice of Asanas can make
the body so strong that you conquer disease!
E for Exemplary: (Only way to lead is by Example) Leadership is
not just talking about these attributes but putting them into action!
Leading by example is the only way to lead. To motivate the
masses to lead a life full of purpose, energy and vitality, leader
needs to exhibit those qualities through his or her actions. Yoga is
one therapy where the therapist must be experiencing the therapy
that is being prescribed to the patient. Consistent Yoga practice
helps you be energetic and then that energy can be used efficiently
for the betterment of the society at large. Many a times, leaders do
exhibit a lot of energy directed towards wrong things, or at the
expense of relationships or health. Yoga helps you have the cake
and eat it too!
R for Righteous: (Dharmam Chara – Do the Right Thing) After
defining leadership in the context of Yoga, we come to the punch
line. All the above attributes culminate into doing the right thing!
Talking about doing the right thing has to end in doing the right
thing! Leaders through their level-headedness, efficient approach,
awareness of society’s needs, daring to stand up for the just cause,
leading by example need to do the right thing in the context of the
situation! Right is relative. Yoga practice keeps your rationality
and intuition alive. Leaders need to lead using their head and heart
given the context of a crisis.
Dharmam Chara (live righteously) is nothing but saying – do the
right thing! Dharma is a universal principle of holding the society
together.
Summary: In this article, we have shown an inseparable link
between Yoga and Leadership that is universally applicable to all
times. Putting the Yogic principles and practices to use can help us
all tremendously at all levels – from an individual to a nation, to
the entire world! Vasudaiva Kutumbakam - the whole world is a
family - can then become a reality when every person in the world
thinks and acts with these leadership attributes. We would like to
see Yoga practices added in our primary, secondary, high-school
and college curriculums to bring physical, emotional, social and
spiritual harmony. Corporate leadership and management training
needs to adopt the Yogic practices to make sure the all the
attributes mentioned above are addressed. Once we lay a strong
foundation, the new, emerging leaders can lead the way for a
bright future for the society with thriving global health, global
economy and the entire ecosystem!
Well, practice, practice and practice! Thanks for l(r)eading!
Let there be harmony, health, and happiness to everyone in this
world!