Dharmic Leader in Modern Times

Lessons from Nature

- Devdutt Pattanaik

Western leadership models are military in nature. Command and control. It's about tracking tasks and achieving targets. Indian leadership models were about people - reminding them that the purpose of life is not to eat, but to feed. To feed is Dharma. He who enables feeding is a Dharmic Leader.

All of us have the capacity to feed and be fed.

Those who feed first are the 'Yajaman. Those who reciprocate are the 'Devata'. It is the hungry, frightened, crumpled mind that creates notions of superiority and inferiority.

This crumpled mind is i, the ego. Yoga enables uncrumpling. The uncrumpled mind is Atma, the soul, which is infinite, and so is able to empathise with the hunger and insecurities of those around. The Dharmic leader, therefore, values Yoga.

Yoga enables us to exchange properly, focus on other people's hunger rather than simply our own. When we do Yagna without Yoga, we are unable to empathise. Empathy is key to becoming a Yajaman. A Yajaman can see that Ravana is not a villain; he is anxious, controlled by Aham, hence his need to dominate everyone around him. Ram has no such anxiety.

He is relaxed. He is no victim or hero; he is in touch with his Atma.