In business houses and corporate world, it is quite common to train the management staff into various areas of personal effectiveness and groom them to become successful leaders. It is considered essential to send the staff for seminars, conferences and training courses to acquire managerial effectiveness. Very often, these men and women come back "charged," ready to put to use their "class-room" learning to become successful managers. Others around often notice a perceptible change in them. This transformation takes place only in some individuals who are open and willing to put into practice what they have learnt. But what are these managerial courses trying to inculcate? Why is it that their advice, if followed faithfully, often brings the desired results? Do they really have a formula for success? More importantly, do their teachings enable a person to become a better human being, a true leader? While their aim is the development of an individual at the personal level, often these "management gurus" are found to recommend the age-old formulae suggested by the "spiritual gurus."
A beginner in the managerial life is first taught to acquire "effective communication skills." A workshop on effective communication teaches him to first "listen," i.e., to learn to pay careful attention to others' views before expressing his own. It is believed that listening with genuine interest encourages participation and creates a sense of belonging. Consensus-building is a catchword—a superior must enable his staff to express themselves fully. Be open to new ideas, keeping the "ifs" and "buts" for later time. Let the subordinates or the audience, feel that there is someone who cares and that their ideas are worthwhile.
One of the foremost requirements of spiritual discipline is to be a good listener, a Shravaka. A new entrant to Pythagoras's school was called Akoustikoi and had first to learn to listen, even before he was permitted to ask questions. Anxiety to speak and air our views shows vanity, egoism and self-importance. Restraint in outward speech will gradually help to restrain inner chatter. Our divine nature is always trying to speak to us, but to be aware of it, we must stop this inner chatter. The deeper and occult implications of the necessity to refrain from putting oneself forward in a conversation, have been explained by Mr. Judge in Letters That Have Helped Me:
Begin by trying to conquer the habit, almost universal, of pushing yourself forward. This arises from personality. Do not monopolise the conversation. Keep in the background. If someone begins to tell you about himself and his doings, do not take first chance to tell him about yourself, your opinions and experiences. Do not ask a question unless you intend to listen to the answer and inquire into its value. Try to recollect that you are a very small affair in the world, and that the people around do not value you at all and grieve not when you are absent. Your only true greatness lies in your inner true self and it is not desirous of obtaining the applause of others. If you will follow these directions for one week you will find they will take considerable effort, and you will begin to discover a part of the meaning of the saying, "Man, know thyself."
"Sense of belonging" is another important ingredient for success. It is this feeling of belonging to our organization, family, society, community, etc., that motivates an individual to give his contribution to the welfare of the group. Each one of us must not only cultivate this feeling with respect to one's own group but also take every opportunity to arouse the same in other individuals we happen to interact with. For instance, it is our duty to make our subordinate or any humble labourer feel that he occupies an important place and that his contribution to the human family is important. Each human being is infinitely precious, irrespective of his station in life.
Is it any surprise that when a person practises these hints even in his business life, success follows! How much more can one achieve if his motive is genuine, his desire pure and unadulterated with ambition? But why keep this discipline restricted to business life? As they say, "Charity begins at home, but it does not stop there." If only we would expand and apply it to other human relations as well!
To be a successful manager, it is important to learn to communicate—first, to know what the other person is interested in. They say that a person only listens to find out "What is there in it for me?" If he finds something of interest, you have him, else you have more often than not lost him, even before you get deeper into the subject. Replace "I" and "me" by "we," "us," or "our" to have your audience with you till the end—say these managerial gurus.
They also teach you to prepare yourself well in your subject and related matters. The training must proceed smoothly and logically. Use tact, diplomacy and gentle words, never lose your calm and good manners, no matter how offensive and oppresive the situation. An interesting speaker gives examples and gives out lofty truths in simple terms. He does not overwhelm the learner's simple mind. Each person in the audience ought to gain something from what you have to say.
Are these "teachings" of effective communication something unique? Have we not heard it expressed in various scriptures and in the words of great beings who teach us how to live the spiritual life? Respect for every human being and genuine concern and care for others are fundamental to co-existence and interdependence. Compare what is taught by the management gurus with what is taught in the scriptures or with what is given out by Spiritual Gurus—saints and sages—perfected beings, who are termed as Adepts, Mahatmas or Master by Theosophy. Similarity in the teachings is striking—only the motivation differs.
To control speech, regular and persistent efforts are required. In the Noble Eightfold Path of the Buddha, "Right Resolve" preceeds "Right speech." If right determination guides our speech, then the result would be speech which is free from anger, lie or unpleasantness. In the Gita we are told, "Gentle speech which causes no anxiety, which is truthful and friendly, and diligence in the reading of the Scriptures, are said to be austerities of speech," which implies constant companionship of the Scriptures. One of the implications of Dana, the key of charity, is, not to provoke anyone to react badly. To "give in" in an argument is not a mark of weakness, as one is doing it to improve human relationship.
We are reminded of Mr. Judge's advice as regards promulgation of Theosophy. He observes in one of his articles that students must have good grasp of the fundamentals of Theosophy and learn to apply them to any and every question. The next important thing is being able to illustrate the doctrines, laying emphasis on practical aspects of Theosophy. As Mr. Judge points out, the mass of men and women are more eager to have solutions to great problems of life: "Why are we here, why we suffer, and where may justice be found....It is life and its sorrows that destroy our peace, and every human heart wants to know the reason for it." (The Heart Doctrine, pp. 78-79)
It is only when we forget ourselves in helping others that there will be genuine concern for their well being, genuine interest in what they may have to say, and in their problems and difficulties. It is only when we expand our horizon and come out of our narrow, limited field of operation that we find ourselves well informed—learned in the true sense to be able to converse on any subject that may be of interest to another person.
When the sages and great beings give out truths and practical lessons of life, they do not use high words and difficult terms to confuse and confound. To the masses they speak in parables, which even a child can understand. Have we not all experienced the deep appeal the Sermon on the Mount has on us? Do not the words of the Buddha, full of practical advice on living the life, touch the core of our heart? It is true of all the holy scriptures that have the power to move the man—if only he will listen.
