My experiences about Cranfield MBA ..... and beyond

Friday, March 28, 2008

Lesson from Mahabharata!

For the benefit of wider audience, "Mahabharata" is a Sanskrit epic from ancient India.

Over the weekends, when I get time, I have been watching the tele-series on Mahabharata and in one of the episodes, a dialogue hit me very hard. It was about Luck and Karma (deed).

So often, we hear statements such as "s/he was extremely lucky to have succeeded!" or something on similar lines. But what I heard in this fantastic epic was a whole new angle - simply put the message was "Luck does not interfere in the path of your Karma!". In my view, this philosophy goes much beyond the adage we grow up with - "Fortune favours the brave!"

If I try to put this in the context of what managers do in organisations, I see an easily available "crutch" being removed from the "excuses ammunition". Whether it is a person or an organisation, the entity is controlling its Karma and should not use Luck to justify the outcome, if it is adverse. (after all, we hardly hear an organisation or a manager giving credit to luck for their success).

Think about it! And read / watch the epic for understanding philosophies that can change lives.