An encounter with a wise man

I recently visited an ISKCON temple along with my friend and I had a very interesting encounter with a wise man. We were having the Prasad after the darshan when I spotted a person who seemed to radiate positive energy. Generally, I don’t talk to strangers but an interaction with this person seemed imminent.

‘How did you find this temple?’ was the first question I asked. ‘It was good but there are certain things that I can’t comprehend. First of all, there are signboards all over the place which say that chanting the Lord’s name for so and so times will help you in overcoming the challenges of the Kalyug. I’m perplexed looking at these signboards. I understand that chanting the Lord’s name will help in building your courage and faith but it is an individual’s responsibility to go face to face with the challenges and come out at the top. That’s the essence of Karma. I felt that the element of faith could have been better explained to the masses. What do you think about it?’

I replied ‘I couldn’t agree more with what you just said. I think they have put up these boards as people look for an idol, for a god that can come to their rescue when the times are tough. In these situations, it becomes difficult to grasp the real meaning of faith and courage. So I would say that these boards may be a source of strength for a lot of people and that’s why these boards are up.’

The man seemed to like my answer and he continued ‘I like how you are trying to balance the scenario.’

I then moved on to the topic of the temple’s aesthetics. I said ‘No doubt the temple is beautiful but a lot of money has been invested into building this place. I felt the money should have been invested elsewhere maybe building educational institutions or healthcare facilities.’

The man replied ‘You seem to have a kind intention of trying to help people with monetary means. However, what you’re thinking is an ideal scenario, and the world as you must be knowing is imperfect. While people should be spending some time in a peaceful environment getting away from their countless thoughts they fail to do us. So the temple provides an abode for the people to pray in silence moving away from their thoughts and focusing on the lord. This is true for people of all religions. But I do agree that temples should be simplistic and not too glitzy as that defeats the purpose of humble living.’ I was amazed by this insight.

He then moved to a thought that I was holding in my mind. ‘I think we both will agree on the point that it is unnecessary to sell Lord’s posters and idols at an exorbitant price. There are many places in this temple where we read about how a materialistic lifestyle cannot lead to a happy life and then there are posters so heavily priced that force you to have materialistic gains. That seems to contradict the very philosophy of moving from a materialistic to a spiritual lifestyle.’

It was turning out to be a fruitful conversation when I asked this person his name.

He said ‘My name is Krishna…’

Guidelines for a leadership position

January 2020: I was promoted to the role of an Apprentice Leader at Mu Sigma. Apprentice leader can be thought of as a Data Science Manager where we have to continuously strive to improve the quality of the team that will be conducive for its growth. Transitioning into a manager role was certainly challenging. In addition to solving technical problems, there were new responsibilities such as collaborating with multiple people, ensuring that your team is motivated and inspired.

I have listed down a few guidelines (and not rules) that I felt are important to be successful in a leadership position.  

1. Willingness to take up challenging tasks: I will be doing a lot of work that I haven’t done before and I will be pushed out of the comfort zone. I need to be prepared for this. In order to get results for these tasks, the points below will be of utmost importance
2. Time management: The importance of time management can never be stated enough. When there are busy days, having a to-do list and a schedule will be very effective. Also, it is important to be in the present and not think about other issues at that point in time. Context switching is a skill that comes in handy in management
3. Not getting affected by environment and people: Be ready to listen to opinions that are not aligned with my opinions. Be ready to be criticized and not get pissed off when people show a lack of understanding. In such cases, if I feel that I have a strong point that can show a different perspective based on my observations, then make sure it is being articulated in a calm and composed manner without insulting or criticizing the other person. Also getting angry is natural but wasting a considerable amount of time because of the anger is not worth it
4. Be strong and decisive: The ability to take timely and tough decisions are indispensable in a leader’s toolkit. Additionally, I need to be impartial and unbiased while making decisions. It is difficult but it is what the role demands
5. Be a powerful narrator: Many a time it will be necessary to promote the work being done or to present an impactful project. In such cases, it is essential for me to have the necessary storytelling skills with a powerful narrative. The message has to be loud and clear when discussing something critical
6. Be persistent in your initiatives: No matter how lofty any idea is, it will not survive the test of the time if the leader is not being persistent with it. Does that mean the leader should never change any plan? No that’s not true. If the data shows that the plan is not working out then the leader should be the first one to quickly change the plan and take learnings from the failure
7. Be willing to change beliefs and personality depending on the circumstances: I have faced this issue many times owing to my previous role. Now that I have been promoted I should grab this opportunity and hone my leadership skills
8. Understand when you are getting stressed and relax: Generally stress leads to stiffening of the body. It is easy to be observe that. In such cases, taking a deep breath relaxes our muscles. The brain -- by observing that the tension no longer exists in the muscles -- will be free of stress and will lead to positive reinforcement of a good mood
9. Be ready to seek help and talk to people: Talking to people gives us a new perspective and also leads to an improvement in our networking skills. Asking for help when stuck in a problem is also equally important
10. Consistency: This is a crucial dimension as I have seen that consistency leads to incredible results. Consistency in sleeping time especially on Weekdays is key to get a good rest and waking up fresh. Consistency in going to gym builds up the momentum and develops a good physique. Consistency in preparing breakfast leads to a healthy diet and good digestion. Consistency in planning the day right after going to the office gives a direction for the rest of the day

While these 10 principles are being followed, it is also necessary to take a break and reward yourself.