I received Gita for the CEO from a friend, and it turned out to be a page-turner packed with wisdom! The book draws lessons from the Bhagavad Gita, presenting them in a modern corporate context to address leadership, decision-making, and personal growth.
Ten Sutras from Bhagavad Gita for Leadership Excellence
- Be adaptable: Don’t hold on to the things that hold us back. Embrace the learning opportunities present in every situation. In contemporary times, adaptability is even more critical as technology accelerates change in the world around us.
- Be visionary: Don’t let what we want now come in the way of what we truly aspire to achieve. Go beyond stereotyped definitions of success that choke human potential, and tap into the full range of abilities at our command. Remember, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
- Be bold: Even if we have to live with fear, we don’t have to live in fear. Too much fear makes us spineless and paralyzed, while too little fear makes us foolhardy and reckless. Fear subordinated to a higher vision fosters courage and purpose, which is what we should strive for.
- Be mindful: Identify our emotions; don’t identify with them. Observe the moods and impulses that could sabotage our plans, and explore ways to discipline the mind. Mindfulness involves three steps:
- Awareness: Being conscious of our situations, bodily sensations, and emotions.
- Purposefulness: Clearly understanding what truly matters to us.
- Thoughtfulness: Objectively evaluating and understanding external and internal events.
- Take responsibility: Our actions matter, even when they don’t seem to. Karma reflects the sum total of our past actions, good and bad. A portion of this karma combines with our present actions to shape outcomes. The Mahabharata condemns using destiny as an excuse for passivity. While we are the makers of our destiny, we are not its masters, as outcomes depend on factors beyond our control.
- Watch our words: Be empathetic and emphatic; communicate with words that are sensitive and sensible. Use the power of words to build bridges, not walls.
- Don’t lose perspective: Even when life determines our problems, we determine their size. Three insights to keep perspective:
- Be stoic without eternalizing problems.
- Leverage the power of humility.
- Tap into tolerance to stay on track.
- Be grateful: What we have is God’s gift to us; what we do with it is our gift to God. Even if we can’t be grateful for all situations, we can be grateful in all situations. Leaders can work with motivations such as fear, desire, duty, or love. Love is the highest motivation, where one is deeply fascinated by their work and considers it a form of worship.
- Prioritize self-care: We are our first asset and should rejuvenate ourselves by connecting with the infinite reservoir of strength within. Negative emotions like irritation, frustration, and envy can block us from effectively using our intelligence. We can overcome them and reconnect with our potential by:
- Strengthening conviction through association: Learn and remain optimistic by associating with a guru, coach, or friends who create a positive environment.
- Sharpening intelligence with books: In an age of information overload, reading helps separate the essential from the peripheral.
- Sonic spirituality: Meditation and connecting with our inner self foster resilience and clarity.
- Be resilient: Hold your plans lightly and your purpose tightly. Never lose heart. Stay focused on a higher vision and purpose.
Yoga: Connecting with Higher Consciousness
The book also discusses yoga, which means “to connect.” It is a system designed to connect human consciousness with divine consciousness. The Bhagavad Gita outlines four types of yoga:
- Karma-yoga: Connecting through action.
- Jnana-yoga: Connecting through knowledge.
- Dhyana-yoga: Connecting through meditation.
- Bhakti-yoga: Connecting through devotion.
While yoga is often equated with meditation, that is just one aspect, represented by dhyana-yoga.
Gita for the CEO offers timeless wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita, reimagined for the modern corporate leader. Through ten actionable principles and the concept of yoga, the book inspires readers to lead with adaptability, mindfulness, gratitude, and resilience. It emphasizes a balance between achieving external success and cultivating inner strength, providing leaders with a roadmap for personal and professional excellence.