“Brilliantly argued, original and accessible, this book presents a radical and nuanced approach to management, business and leadership in an increasingly polarised world.” – The Hindu “The approach is clear The content is well-researched and solid and there is nothing which is out of place The integration of mythology and the workplace is seamless and brilliantly executed.” – IBN Live “The book will leave you with a thought, which will germinate into a change in behavior.” – First City About the Book In this landmark book, bestselling author, leadership coach and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik shows how, despite its veneer of objectivity, modern management is rooted in Western beliefs and obsessed with accomplishing rigid objectives and increasing shareholder value By contrast, the Indian way of doing businessas apparent in Indian mythology, but no longer seen in practice accommodates subjectivity and diversity, and offers an inclusive, more empathetic way of achieving success Great value is placed on darshan, that is, on how we see the world and our relationship with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth Business Sutra uses stories, symbols and rituals drawn from Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology to understand a wide variety of business situations that range from running a successful tea stall to nurturing talent in a large multinational corporation At the heart of the book is a compelling premise: if we believe that wealth needs to be chased, the workplace becomes a rana-bhoomia battleground of investors, regulators, employers, employees, vendors, competitors and customers; if we believe that wealth needs to be attracted, the workplace becomes a ranga-bhoomia playground where everyone is happy Brilliantly argued, original and thoroughly accessible, Business Sutra presents a radical and nuanced approach to management, business and leadership in a diverse, fast-changing, and increasingly polarized world About the Author Devdutt Pattanaik has written over twenty-five books and 400 articles on Indian mythology for everyone from adults to children Since 2007, he has been explaining the relationship between mythology and management through his column in the Economic Times; the talk he gave at the TED India conference in 2009; and the show Business Sutra which ran successfully on CNBC-TV18 in 2010, besides numerous other lectures at Indian universities and management institutes Trained to be a doctor, he spent fifteen years in the healthcare (Apollo Health Street) and pharmaceutical (Sanofi Aventis) industries and worked briefly with Ernst & Young as a business adviser before he turned his passion into a vocation and joined the think tank of the Future Group as its Chief Belief Officer ALEPH BOOK COMPANY An independent publishing firm promoted by Rupa Publications India This digital edition published in 2013 First published in India in 2013 by Aleph Book Company 7/16 Ansari Road, Daryaganj New Delhi 110 002 Copyright © Devdutt Pattanaik 2013 No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, print reproduction, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Aleph Book Company Any unauthorized distribution of this e-book may be considered a direct infringement of copyright and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly e-ISBN: 978-93-83064-30-4 All rights reserved This e-book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form or cover other than that in which it is published For Kishore Biyani Business Sutra Vocabulary With new words are created new worlds, as they are vehicles of new ideas They enable the process of expanding the mind Index of Sutras Human hunger is unique Imagination expands human hunger Only humans can exchange Every devata seeks a high return on investment Conflict is inherent in exchange Imagination can help humans outgrow hunger Human hunger for the intangible is often overlooked There are three types of food that can be exchanged during a yagna We have to make room for the Other Yagna can be a tool for personal growth, if we allow it to be He who takes a call is a karta Every one is a potential karta A karta who allows and enables others to take a call is a yajaman A yajaman has the power to take and give life The size of the contribution does not matter All calls are subjective All decisions are contextual Not everyone can handle the burden of uncertainty Every decision has a consequence Decisions are good or bad only in hindsight Decisions are often rationalized in hindsight If the decision is bad, the yajaman alone is responsible If the decision is good, the yajaman is the beneficiary Business is violent Violence is not always apparent Mental violence is also violence Violence creates winners and losers Violence is culturally unacceptable if taking is not accompanied by giving Violence becomes culturally acceptable when we take because no one gives Exploitation is violence Hoarding is violence Hunger is insatiable Regeneration ensures sustainable wealth Restraint ensures regeneration Restraint is violent Business is seduction He who satisfies hunger becomes desirable Many devatas need to be seduced Every devata has a devata of his own Every devata's hunger is unique Every devata matters depending on the context Not all devatas are equal Seducing multiple devatas is very demanding Seduction needs to satisfy both parties Sometimes, the yajaman also needs to be seduced The organization is ultimately a set of people Every organization is a churn If strategy is the force, then tactic is the counter-force If creativity is the force, then process is the counter-force If ambition is the force, then contentment is the counterforce If hindsight is the force, then foresight is the counterforce Upstream forces need to be balanced by downstream forces Balance is the key to avoid a tug of war The impact of an organizational decision varies depending on the source In a shifting world, organizations need to be organisms In an organism, individual potential and context are taken into consideration Organisms thrive when the yajaman is flexible Every devata imagines himself differently from natural reality Only another human being can endorse the mental image We defend our mental image at any cost We are terrified of how strangers will evaluate us Praise empowers us Insults disempower us Comparison grants us value We seek hierarchies that favour us We would rather be unique than equal Culture provides only a temporary framework for our social body We see things not thoughts Things help us position ourselves Things are surrogate markers of our value Thoughts can be coded into things We assume we are what we have We expect things to transform us The loss of possessions reveals who we really are Like things, talent and loyalty can also make us feel secure A transaction is about things, not thoughts A relationship is about thoughts, not things There are no thieves in the jungle Without rules there is territory, not property Rules domesticate the human-animal Domestication can be voluntary and involuntary We dislike those who are indifferent to rules Rules can be oppressive Rules create underdogs and outsiders Rules create mimics and pretenders We want to live by our own rules Innovation is not possible unless rules are broken We respect those who uphold rules Rules need not determine our value When the world changes, our social body dies We want organizations to secure our social body We resist anything that is new We want to control change Insecurity turns us into villains Our stability prevents other people's growth We would rather change the world than ourselves When the context changes, we have to change Unless we change, we cannot grow We will always resist change Adapting to change is not growth The gaze can be cruel or caring Everyone seeks a caring gaze We want to be seen as we imagine ourselves A cruel gaze focuses on our compliance rather than our capability Unseen, we are compelled to fend for ourselves We refuse to see ourselves as villains We use work as a beacon to get attention Our goals justify our lack of a caring gaze Fear isolates us while imagination connects us We often forget that others see the world differently How we see others reveals who we are How others see us reveals who we are The Other reveals the power of our gaze The Other reveals our insensitivity The Other reveals our inadequacy The Other reveals our blindness Growth happens when the mind expands Growth is about pursuing thoughts not things Growth is indicated when we prefer giving than taking Growth happens when more people can depend on us Growth happens when even the insignificant become significant Growth happens when we include those whom we once excluded Growth happens when we stop seeing people as villains Growth happens when we seek to uplift the Other More yajamans are needed as an organization grows The yajaman has to turn devatas into yajamans Creating talent enables us to grow We seek to inherit things, not thoughts Being a yajaman is about gaze, not skills Questions teach us, not answers We resist advice and instructions Discourses never transform us Crisis increases the chances of learning Power play underlies the process of teaching To teach, we have to learn to let go Only when teachers are willing to learn does growth happen Growth in thought brings about growth in action To provoke thought, we have to learn patience Closures are a time for introspection Who we include as a devata reveals the meaning we give ourselves The resources we see reveal what we give meaning to Who we include as a devata reveals who we find meaningful How the devata sees the yajaman reveals the gap in meaning The tathastu we give reveals the meaning we seek We alone decide if we need more meaning, another yagna How to reject this book "Business Sutra is THE truth." "This is too theoretical, not practical." "Which university endorses this?" "Is there any organization where this has been proven to work?" "Spiritual mumbo-jumbo." (Note: The word 'spiritual' is not part of Business Sutra) "How exotic!" "This is Hindu right-wing propaganda." "See, all wisdom ultimately comes from India." "So this is how business should be done in India." "This idea is too complex and confusing." "I have always been practicing this." "My grandfather used to practice this." "So what does the author want me to now?" "Devdutt Pattanaik will solve my problems." 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Business Sutra presents a radical and nuanced approach to management, business and leadership in a diverse, fast-changing, and increasingly polarized world About the Author Devdutt Pattanaik has written... reason An Indian approach traces Western ideas to Indian vocabulary Here, dharma becomes ethics and yajaman becomes the leader It assumes the existence of an objective truth in human affairs A. .. professional capacity, I was first a content vendor, then a manager at Goodhealthnyou.com, Apollo Health Street and Sanofi Aventis, and finally, a business adviser at Ernst Young In a personal capacity,