Are you a Managing Leader or a Coaching Leader! Lord Ram or Lord Krishna ?

By | Narendra Ambwani | Helping CEO/CXO Excel

In Hindu mythology there are two great epics. One is Ramayan and other is Mahabharata. The central story of both these epics is around victory of good on evil. In one story Lord Ram leads his army to defeat Ravan. While in the second Lord Krishna oversees Pandavas defeat Kauravas in the battle.

In Ramayan, Lord Ram is the best yodhaa of his side. He leads his army from the front. Strategizes & directs different people to do things which will meet the objectives. His people are happy to follow orders & get all the appreciation for being good executors. Lord Ram sets direction & also tells people what exactly what to do and how to do it. In the end Lord Ram defeats Ravan in the battle.

On the other hand Lord Krishna told Arjuna, that he won’t fight the battle. He won’t pick up any weapon; He would only be there on the chariot as a charioteer. And he did what he said. He never picked up the weapon & he never fought.

Still, Pandavas won the war & final outcome was achieved.

So, what was different? It was their leadership style based on the skills of the people being led.

Lord Ram was leading an army of less unskilled fighters and they were looking for direction from the leader. While on other hand, Lord Krishna was leading Arjuna who was one of the best warrior of his time. While Lord Ram’s role was to show it & lead from the front, Krishna played the role of a coach whose job was to remove cobwebs from his protégée’s mind. Krishna couldn’t teach Arjuna archery but he could definitely helped him see things from the right perspective.

Here are some of the basic differences in two leadership styles:

Lord Ram- A skilled warrior, led less unskilled army , gave precise instructions, and motivated his army to fight for his cause.

Lord Krishna: worked with the top professional warriors , so he provided strategic clarity, allowed his team members to take lead, fight for the cause of the team.

Look at your team & reflect what type of leader is required, One who keeps answering/solving problems for people Or the one who asks right questions from their people so that they can find their own solution and learn.

Are you someone who tells/directs all the time Or

Someone who clarifies doubts & allows their people to find their own ways.

Are you someone who has unskilled workers in the team Or has the brightest experts in their area getting stuck with issues? 

Younger professionals of today , do not want you to tell or show how things are done, they want to know the meaning of their task and how it makes a difference to your organization. 

They are Arjuna’s who don’t necessarily seek more skill/knowledge but they need someone to clarify the cobwebs in their mind, if you still apply Lord Ram’s style on them, you are likely to fail as a leader. 

On the other hand if there are people who aren’t skilled enough but rely on your expertise to sail you through, then Lord Ram’s style is appropriate.

Isn’t it good for us to reflect & think what leadership style will bring the best result for us and our teams ?

Is it Lord Ram style or Lord Krishna style ?

( Original credit to an executive coach friend )