Today I realized the true meaning of something I had read in the Bhagvad Gita a long time ago. In the second chapter of The Gita, Bhagvan Sri Krishna preaches to Arjun two things – characteristics of a sthita-prajna and darshan.

Stitha-Prajna stable thought is actually emotional stability and darshan means vision, translating to a healthy philosophy of life.

Now, this is something that is pertinent to management. A good manager needs to be emotionally stable and he needs to pervade health into his/her team. Emotional stability comes in the form of making detached decisions. Sounds weird? How can you make a decision if you are not passionate about what you are doing? I had the same question…

Well, let me explain!

Here detachment is to bring in the necessary emotional stability. Have you ever noticed how we provide rational, thoughtful decisions to others’ problems and still end up getting confused of our own? This is because of that “detachment”. It brings along with it a rational perspective, which is uncanny and necessary to make well, rational decisions. And it’s with “emotional stability” that we can make detached, rational decisions in our own lives.

However, there’s a thin line between detachment and indifference.

This is where Darshan kicks in. Vision of a healthy future helps us set the necessary objectives in life, which are clear once you have the necessary detached vision. So it’s into these objectives that your decision shall lead when you make rational decisions.

Yet another reason is that data is objective while decisions are subjective. Being subjective, you need to have an impartial perspective to make the right decision.

How do we get a healthy perspective in life? If I remember right, it starts from a healthy state of mind, which in turn is achieved through a healthy state of body, soul and cleansing of harmful thoughts.

I think it’s time I picked up the Gita again. More as I get any further enlightenment ;-)!