Geethartha Chinthane 36: Gita’s ethics for modern management

In a drama competition, should the actor portraying a messenger behave like a messenger and not like a king? Once, in such a competition, someone was awarded the first prize, even though there were rumours that he hadn’t actively participated. The play was about Emperor Ashoka’s enlightenment. There was a scene where Ashoka delivers a half-hour monologue after witnessing the dead bodies on the battlefield, lamenting his mistakes. Several actors portrayed the dead bodies lying on the stage. Among them, one actor, who remained absolutely still, was awarded the first prize. The other ‘dead bodies’ couldn’t stay completely motionless and moved slightly.

The actor who won the prize did so because he performed exactly like a lifeless body, without any movement at all. The prize wasn’t awarded based on whether someone played the role of the king or a common man, but on how well they performed their role. The important question was, “Did they perform their role appropriately?”

This principle is at the heart of modern management systems. Getting employees to perform their duties with dedication is the essence of management. The key measure of an organization’s success is whether its staff members carry out their responsibilities diligently.

~ Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji of Paryaya Sri Puthige Sri Krishna Matha

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