Navaratri; Saraswati Puja; Ayudha Puja. Vijaya Dashami is a major festival in India, and I doubt if there’s even one person who does not know about it.
There are various mythological stories associated with this festival. And it is celebrated in different ways depending on which part of India you visit during this period.
In the north, it is about the war fought between Ram and Ravan, with large scale effigies of Ravan being set on fire at the end of Dussehra. In the east, it is about Durga’s victory over Mahishasura. In the west, Navaratri is celebrated with the colourful and graceful Garba dance in Gujarat, while in Tamil Nadu, the vast majority organises golu (dolls and figurines) in their homes.
While the celebrations differ, the underlying theme of the festival is common —the fight of good versus evil and the ultimate victory of good. This is usually in the context of evil forces being extremely powerful, requiring extraordinary effort to be vanquished.
Dussehra and work life
The moral message from these stories are very relevant to corporate life and management.
It might appear that being cut throat and adopting negative practices is the route to success. Many entering the corporate life often lament about how only those who display such behaviour get ahead, while the ‘good guys’ get left behind.
However, this is incorrect, as various studies over the years across various organisations have indicated.
Most organisations which rank high on the list of being the most preferred workplace (which are of course, also successful) place a high premium on positive behaviour based on sound values. While it is true that there might be managers who are not positive in their approach even in such places, the fact is they will ultimately fall by the wayside.
Meaning of leadership
Leadership is ultimately about being able to inspire others to follow. And that can happen only if the leader displays exemplary behaviour. This is a common trait amongst most leaders and successful people, which cannot be ignored.
I would also agree that negative traits might yield results in the short-term, but will surely stand exposed in the long term. The question then, is whether you are looking at a career with a long term perspective. If that is indeed the case, be rest assured that doing good will be rewarded.
So this Vijaya Dashami, do a reality check about your professional behaviour and change it, if you find any negative aspects. That is the only route to long term success.