Management Gita: Purpose Over Power

न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च । किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ॥ १-३२॥
na kāṅkṣe vijayaṃ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṃ sukhāni ca
kiṃ no rājyena govinda kiṃ bhogairjīvitena vā 1-32

Spiritual Context

Arjuna rejects victory, kingdom, and pleasures, questioning their worth if gained through destruction.

Management Context

This highlights value alignment, purpose-driven leadership, and motivational clarity. Arjuna prioritizes meaning over material success, a lesson for purpose-focused management.

Insights

Purpose drives sustainable success (Pink, 2009). This aligns with authentic leadership rooted in values (Avolio & Gardner, 2005).

Applications

Leaders can define organizational purpose or vision statements to align teams beyond profit (Collins & Porras, 1994).

References

Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315–338.
Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. (1994). Built to last. HarperBusiness.
Pink, D. H. (2009). Drive. Riverhead Books.

This excerpt is taken from Management Gita, authored by Sunil Khandbahale