Management Gita: Seeing Through the Fog

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच – धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः । मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥ १-१॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca – dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kimakurvata sañjaya 1-1

Spiritual Context

Dhritarashtra, blind and anxious, asks Sanjaya about the actions of both his sons (Kauravas) and the Pandavas as they gather on the battlefield, a place of dharma (duty) and conflict. This reflects his uncertainty and dependence on external reporting.

Management Context

This verse highlights the importance of situational awareness and information gathering in leadership. Dhritarashtra’s question underscores a leader’s need to understand the dynamics of their team and competitors before making decisions, despite personal biases or limitations (his blindness symbolizing ignorance or lack of clarity).

Insights

Leaders must seek clarity amid complexity, relying on reliable sources (like Sanjaya) for unbiased insights (Mintzberg, 1973). This mirrors modern management’s emphasis on data-driven decision-making and environmental scanning (Porter, 1985).

Applications

Managers can apply this by conducting SWOT analyses or stakeholder assessments to understand organizational strengths, weaknesses, and external threats before acting (Johnson et al., 2017).

References

Johnson, G., Whittington, R., Scholes, K., Angwin, D., & Regnér, P. (2017). Exploring strategy: Text and cases (11th ed.). Pearson.
Mintzberg, H. (1973). The nature of managerial work. Harper & Row.
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press.

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