FOLLOWERSHIP TRAITS FROM HANUMAN CHALISA
Every year on HanumanJayanti I am reminded of this amusing contrast.
In a “LEADERSHIP” obsessed world of business “FOLLOWERSHIP” gets the raw end of the stick & is in fact a conspicuous underdog. The world is overstuffed with leadership advise, leadership coaches, leadership institutes. Its a thriving leadership industry out there. But “followership”? It’s a barren desert. And yet every leader yearns for that one subordinate who has the right followership qualities & can be groomed.
It is my belief that all great leaders were good followers in their time. Biographies of personalities from politics, business, sports & arts offer that hint. Being a diligent follower allows you to absorb what the intellect can’t comprehend because of lack of experience, expertise or maturity. Can’t imagine SachinTendulkar ever being a difficult 12th man sulking to deliver water to on field batters.
So, what are ideal followership traits? Ours is perhaps the only culture where even followership is deified & personified in Lord Hanuman & I thought the HanumanChalisa could be a good starting point to explore.
For those uninitiated, Lord Hanuman, is an important deity from the vast pantheon of Hindu Gods, known for his unflinching devotion to Lord Ram besides his other glorious traits. Revered across the Indian subcontinent & regions even beyond, he is worshipped for good luck, power & all round benevolence. Hanuman Chalisa is a popular devotional hymn dedicated to him.
I tried to cull out some learning’s from the 40 odd couplets & thought they made interesting followership sense from an organizational point of view. Some of you may find them interesting:
Unflinching & untiring faith in your job: प्रभु चरित्र सुनिबे को रसिया ।
Enthusiasm & Eagerness to accomplish tasks: राम काज करने को आतुर ।
Dependable resource for your leader: तिनके काज सकल तुम साजा ।
Impossible is nothing attitude: …जोजन पर भानु … लिल्यो ताही मधुर फल जानु ।
Solution of last resort for your leader: लाय सजीवन लखन जियाये।
Helpful & secure demeanor: तुम उपकार सुग्रीवहिं क़ीन्हा ।
Task adaptability: सूक्ष्म रूप धरी सियाहिं दिखावा । बिकट रूप धारी लंक जरावा।
Righteous advise to all: तुम्हरो मंत्र विभीषण माना ।
Discretion to judge the right & wrong for your organization: कुमति निवार सुमति के संगी ।
Always being presentable: कंचन बरन बिराज सुबेसा … ।
Intellectual sharpness: विद्यावान ग़ुनी अति चातुर।
Physically fit: राम दूत अतुलित बलधमा।
Those who know will find it interesting to cross refer couplet to the incidents in Ramayana & find meaning. Of course these are only few. Tomes have been written that may offer more followership insights as you go granular.
In the end wish you all, especially youngsters, to be great followers and transition to becoming great leaders in future !
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