Living and working in Bangalore, India, it was, in some ways, natural that I would have engaged in the spiritual practice of meditation, yoga and pranayama. What may not be as obvious, however, is how learning these “mystical” practices and then applying them has benefitted me in my corporate life.
Meditation gave me calmness and a centered approach, and yogic postures gave me the physical dexterity of following a rigorous schedule; much needed relaxation and rejuvenation I achieved by regular pranayama—deep breathing exercises.
Yogic postures or exercises make our body supple and increase energy levels. The art of controlling your breath, Pranayama (the flow of vital air is called prana in Sanskrit) makes the vital air flow deeper and more rhythmically in our bodies, making them less prone to disease and making us more present and sharp. Meditation, the art of staying still, makes us calmer from the inside, helping us cope with life situations more effectively and with ease.
As a result of these practices, I have a near perfect balance of head and heart. I was able to use my head in making a commitment to duty, while listening to my heart and being empathic when hearing about a plan that didn’t go as planned.
A Sense of Trust
I never attached important to my position, as I knew it was short lived. Rather, I was guided by the virtues of simplicity and a long term vision for people’s growth as those are genuine and long lasting.
My model of leadership was based on complete trust. The absence of this in life would make me sad, insecure, helpless, miserable and dependent. It would make all my actions weak, leading to falling short in my organizational goals. I choose to develop a strong sense of belonging with everyone I come in contact with. This has helped me communicate with the masses through my presence and not through words alone. I lead from the front.
Developing the right mindset: This is central to any leader’s style of delivery. We must learn to harness the power of our minds and only then will intuition and innovation help us reach the extraordinary from the ordinary. A person with an authoritarian mindset will always feel that only he/she can do something, and we know that delegation can only happen when we step out of the restrictive shoes of the authoritarian mindset.
From Bangalore, India
The Leadership Quotient – Part Two
Prana and Positioning
By Seshadri “Sesh” Ramaswami
Seshadri “Sesh” Ramaswami