What a 15th-Century Mystic Taught Us About Modern Leadership: Kabir’s Lessons for Today’s Entrepreneurs
Complexities of corporate settings can often impact team members’ competencies and leaders’ behaviours. Spirituality has become a go-to for many to help work-life balance. Studies have found that to resolve and facilitate solutions in organisational behaviour and leadership development, the couplets of the mystic poet, Kabir can provide the right direction with simplicity and enable a universal connection.
Kabir said, “What is the point of being a date tree when you cannot provide shade or the fruits that are out of reach to a weary traveller.”
Connect: Many times, a leader who isn’t available to do their job or listen to their team can be of no use to his/her organisation, despite having the position and power to do so. Being approachable is the key for the organisation to grow and reach the path of success.
Kabir said, “Slow and steady should be your pace, the virtue of patience will yield fruit, and not just the gardener’s watering of the plant.
Connect: A leader must allow their team to learn and grow to produce the required results. This cannot happen overnight even with all the expertise, as time will allow them to develop and enable the organisation to progress as well. Immediate result expectations can lead to disaster. Empowering your team to achieve goals can enable the organisation to achieve the desired outcomes.
Kabir said, “Try to lose your ego and let it also not reflect in your speech. Your speech should convey meaning and a sense of calm to others.”
Connect: The onus of the speaker lies in making the other person comfortable while communicating. Often, leaving our attention-seeking self behind and allowing others to express themselves is how a good leader would do. Allowing others to express themselves better by putting them at ease and not making it about ourselves will genuinely help reach out to people.
Kabir said, “What rightfully is ours needs to be recognised and rewarded without having us beg for it time and again.”
Connect: Those working need recognition and their dues paid on time. Delay and neglect can hamper their performance and organisational behaviour. Making them repeatedly ask for their well-deserved rewards can make them indifferent and retaining good human resources becomes challenging.
Kabir said, “When you face everyone, you need to create a space wherein you can’t create true friends or bitter enemies.”
Connect: Those who lead the organization must build trust without favouring anyone or creating a rift. Having understood their main responsibility, a leader must ensure that all the people have a common goal and enable the organisation to succeed.
Kabir said, “Being all-knowing in terms of knowledge and books doesn’t suffice to become a good leader when you don’t have compassion and concern for fellow workers.”
Connect: Wisdom and expertise may help to a certain extent, but there is a certain level of humanity and empathy for all your team members. Building a connection that needs to last for years enables you to extract the best work.
Takeaway
Kabir’s couplets summarise the essence of life and impact how we behave and get along with others. Emphasizing strengths, weaknesses as well as biases in each phrase and line, he has rightfully pointed out the human foibles. The relatability of his words in key themes of leadership allows many to learn how they can become valuable to the organization and contribute effectively.