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This is a book that those who hate the PM should read. It may help that it’s not really a book about Modi, not from the hagiography factory that is.
It’s actually sort of an academic treatise - in DIY form - about a new framework for global leadership whose time has come. It’s been called a book on “Indic” leadership - while that is true, I certainly think it goes beyond geographies and timeframes.
So this is a book I have been waiting for since my early 20s and let me explain why. Some of us have always been uncomfortable with standard, stereotypical definitions of leadership, the dynamic, charismatic alpha male thing. We always thought there was something more, perhaps more significant, something deeper, to it.
Dr R Balasubramaniam, a scholar and activist with decades of working with tribals, and someone who’s also taught leadership at Cornell, blows apart this stereotype with his scholarly understanding and many decades of practice of both Western and Indian/Indian models, and leaves us the richer for it.
While the subject or in a sense the sutradhar of the book is the prime minister, he is used sparingly, to illustrate concepts and frameworks - the book would be relevant even without the PM, but his inclusion brings the nuances alive.
Sewa concept
At the heart of the book is the application of SEWA to leadership. Sewa, a central tenet in many Indian spiritual and philosophical traditions, more recently in the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, plays a crucial role in shaping the kind of leadership that Dr. Balasubramaniam advocates.
As opposed to the emphasis on ‘’being a leader” in the Western framework, where power and authority, political leadership and ensuring followers follow are the key drivers.
I think a lot of this western framework does not work and is way past its Use By date. I’d say a majority of the world’s major problems in the last 100 years, from the great wars to global terrorism to environmental degradation to the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, all come from this partly broken framework.
There are things that work of course - Dr Balasubramaniam is quick to acknowledge the great scientific achievements of the West for example - so the larger point of this book is creating a new leadership paradigm, which incorporates the best of Western and Indian leadership principles - philosophies is a better word.
The other good thing about this book is it’s (thankfully) written by an academic. There are multiple references and cross references which sets one off on multiple little learning journeys. Sri Aurobindo rubs shoulders with Thomas Carlyle, Warren Bennis bumps into Chanakya, Ramanujacharya says hello to Jurgen Habermas, and so on. You get the drift.
A smorgasbord
It’s a delectable smorgasbord of micro learning experiences, and I found myself googling and/or YouTubing the unfamiliar names. I actually picked up some of the authors mentioned in the book, online.
As a marketing/communications professional, one aspect covered in the book I found very interesting was the Indian communication philosophy ‘Sadharanikaran’, linked to sahridayata, commonality or oneness. Communicating parties become sahridayas when both senders and receivers accomplish the process of sadharanikaran for attaining sahridayata. What an interesting concept!
The author’s expertise in leadership, working with the Soliga tribals of Karnataka to privileged Cornellians and later Indian civil servants puts him in a unique position of drawing a vast, globally relevant picture of leadership.
I am keen to see this book disseminated, discussed, debated and hopefully practiced by a new generation of leaders driving new hopes and dreams, especially in the global South.
The broad outlines of Indic leadership (I’ve avoided the Sanskrit terms):
Inner Leadership: True leadership is about recognizing one’s inner strengths, values, and motivations, and aligning them with the broader purpose of serving society. Seva, as pointed out earlier.
Empathy: A leader with “power within” leads with empathy and compassion. Understanding the needs and emotions of others is a significant aspect of this concept.
Moral Authority: Unlike conventional power based on position or title, “power within” is about moral authority earned through trust, credibility, and the consistent practice of ethical principles.
Self-Reflection: Regular self-reflection is dynamic, ever-evolving and involves questioning one’s actions, motives, and the impact on has on society.
Empowering Others: True power is leadership that enables and uplifts others, helping them find their own “power within.”
(The reviewer is a digital marketer with an analog ad agency past)
Check out the book on Amazon.
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