CHAPTER 5

The Chief Attribute of a Leader: Yogyathwa

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Understand that the impediment is the disconnect between one’s mind and the Common Soul.
2. The natural state of humans is to be like children—connected.
3. Yoga is a kind of exercise of establishing connect with the Common Soul.
4. A leader is rich in Yogyathwa.

The Common Soul

From the Common Soul theory of leadership it becomes evident that there is this elusive thing called ‘Common Soul’ which is the game maker in leadership. And though it is true that we will come across people who are more than convinced that the ‘Common Soul’ is ‘invented’ and not ‘discovered’, we will go ahead without getting into that debate—it is best avoided at this stage. We shall instead continue to explore, relate it to experiences of the humans across ages and across continents, and see as to how far this theory explains the nuances of leadership. That is, we will use what we have reckoned in Chapter 3 and building upon it.

In standard literature, the word ‘soul’ is generally used in an individualistic sense—that each one is supposed to have a customized soul for himself. But according to the theory above the reference is made to a ‘Common Soul’—meaning that it is the same in everyone; there is no individuality in it.

It is also claimed that the power of leadership arises from the fact that this ‘Common Soul’ holds power within us.

To get an idea of this ‘power’, consider what the bard Shakespeare puts it in his profound sonnet 116 Love:

… Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken …

The point he makes is that individuals (remover) do not match up to the strength of love; love does not sway to individual egos. The power of the Common Soul is of the same class and it is said to hold similar sway over individuals. It is said that humans draw their energies from the Common Soul. Creativity too is supposed to flower from there alone. In short, it is the driving force in all individuals.

The Chief Task in Leadership

Even though the Common Soul is supposed to have such sway over individuals, there could exist processes within humans by which the impulses (or the indications) of the Common Soul are not properly read and understood. This can be seen as they are being disconnected between the Common Soul and the mind of that individual. Impediments come in the way, which prevent individuals from fathoming in the mind what the Common Soul truly desires in the heart …

Consider the above examples of the previous chapter. The one we identified as the leader had no problem in ‘reading’ what the Common Soul said. In fact, there are four elements that were in harmony to him: (a) the Common Soul, (b) the thinking, (c) the words he spoke and (d) the actions. Therefore, there was integrity in him. In the non-leader, however there was a lack of integrity and the various aspects were in disharmony. Harmony was, however ultimately found in him too when he identified, through observing this external agent (leader), as to what the Common Soul truly wanted.

From this, it can be concluded that the theory proposes that the chief task of leadership is to address the challenge of people being able to ‘read’ what the Common Soul wants.

This can be reckoned as having something to do with a channel between the Common Soul and the mind of an individual. While this ‘channel’ is open in the case of the leader, in the case of the non-leaders there are blockages.

And from this, it follows that being a leader is all about being able to open these channels between the mind and heart by overcoming the impediments. And this includes overcoming the impediments in:

1. The leader’s own head-to-heart channels and
2. In the head-to-heart channels of those he leads …

So what are these impediments and how does one overcome them on the way to leadership?

The answers to this question are generally addressed under the knowledge domains of mind-science and spirituality. And there are many who have studied this in depth and have come out with insights and solutions. And it is important, that we study some of this in a manner that at least the line of action/approach becomes clear to the reader/student. How does one clean up the channel between the mind and the Common Soul?

Common Soul and the Natural State

It has been suggested that it is quite natural for children to be connected with the ‘Common Soul’—the channel from the mind to the ‘Common Soul’ is open in their case. Their actions are effectively guided by the Common Soul though they may not be ‘aware’ of it. This can be interpreted to mean that a child is honest and true to his ‘Common Soul’. But as children grow up the individual ego begins to assert and this eventually leads to blockages in the channel. It has finally resulted in the formation of an adult having an individualized personality. Instead of expressing the qualities of the Common Soul, the person starts expressing the whims of his mind—and becomes an individual. Therefore, impediments between the Common Soul and the faculty of perception are ample in adults who have taken to individualism. Or in other words, as one loses his childhood, one increasingly finds it difficult to relate to the ‘Common Soul’.

‘The Child is the Father of the Man’ said William Wordsworth in his poem, ‘My Heart Leaps Up’. This is what he probably means … . In the simplicity of the childhood there is freeness, the channels are open, there is wonder, delight, there is appreciation of nature, fun in small things … . But as one grows older, the ego consolidates and this wonder shifts into the background.

But such a consolidation into becoming an ‘adult’ is not necessarily permanent. Since ‘being connected’ is the natural state, it is habitual for even older persons to connect with the ‘Common Soul’ from time to time without awareness of its happening. In other words, the childlike wonder remains with man, even as he grows older and it resurfaces in his behavior from time to time and this is why the child is the father of the man.

Keeping this as the benchmark, we can categorize people into different kinds. People who find it very difficult to connect to the Common Soul, others who connect often without knowing that it is happening and still others who connect with full awareness of what is happening.

Therefore, the challenge of leadership can also be interpreted as a task of re-establishing the connection with the Common Soul—a return to the natural state of humans.

How to Establish Connection Between the Common Soul and the Head

Relating our subject to the volumes of literature the ancient sages of India have left behind, it can be figured out that the ancient Indian sages describe what is known as the two-fold path for facilitating the connection with the Common Soul … . The first of these is the path of knowledge and the other is the path of yoga … . Path of knowledge for the intellectuals and the path of yoga for the rest … .

The first of these, the path of knowledge, is all about ‘understanding’ the truth—knowing the relationship between humans and the Common Soul, knowing what the attributes of the Common Soul are etc … . It is a path recommended for those who are expected to take up this study as their primary occupation. It is also said to be a difficult path to take and at the same time it has its advantages over the other.

The second of the paths is considered to be the path recommended for the masses; for those who cannot devote their time fully to intellectual pursuits on account of their other occupations. It is considered easier to practice. It relates to the taking up of the ‘yogas’, (which can be very loosely taken in the sense of ‘exercises’) and through the practice of such yogas, the desired effect of the cleaning up of the channels is said to be accomplished. (One of these Yogas, ‘Karma Yoga’, is elaborated in the Appendix A). That is, when a person takes up some recommended ‘exercise’ and he eventually overcomes the impediments that exist in him, he is said to have taken ‘yoga’ … . We therefore define ‘yoga’ as some kind of exercise that helps an individual pierce through the hurdles put forth by the ego and his individualism and assists him to reach the ‘Common Soul’ … .

Now it is the same yoga that is being practiced in yoga centers across the world, where people hold their bodies in various positions, and it results in having a supple, healthy and calm minds? No, it is not … . (Check for ‘yoga’ in the first chapter). The term ‘yoga’ is instead used in the sense of there being some kind of union or fusion; it pertains to the ‘union’ or ‘mergence’ with the ‘Common Soul’.

Therefore a leader must, through yoga, find the dissolution of the impediments in the channel to the ‘Common Soul’ and in this happening they must find some kind of ‘mergence’ with the Common Soul.

Therefore we can summarize as under:

1. The ‘Common Soul’ is the boss of all humans.
2. When they are children all humans have their channels between mind and Common Soul open.
3. In adults, the channel has impediments/blocks arising from ego … .
4. The impediments must be overcome and by that, when the wishes of the Common Soul start getting addressed, leadership blossoms.
5. This removal of impediments can happen through the gain of knowledge (for the intellectuals) or through the practice of ‘yoga’ (for the rest).

Therefore, by conclusion we can say that leadership is all about being skilled in yoga. Or in other words, it is about finding out how ‘yogic’ a person may be … .

A Yoga Related Word Used in Common Conversation

It is interesting to note that in Indian traditions, when the suitability or the worth of a person to any task position is checked/assessed, a word that commonly makes an appearance is ‘Yogyata’.

The current usage goes somewhat like this: ‘what is your yogyata that I may repose faith in you?’ meaning ‘what is your eligibility for this?’ or ‘He is not yogya.’ … meaning ‘he is not fit’.

Now, this term has its versions in the various languages of India. For those who are not aware, the languages in India have as much diversity as the languages in the European Union and though there is such diversity, across the languages some variant of this term yogyata is used. In Kannada the word used is ‘yogyathe’, in Malayalam it is ‘yogyatham’, in Tamil it is close to the Malayalam pronunciation as ‘yogyadham’. The word ‘yogyatha’ is used predominantly in north India.

However, though there is such widespread usage, these words do not seem to convey what was originally intended—like in slang they seem to be corrupted in meaning. When used commonly in conversation the user means to check whether someone has the ‘status’, the ‘standing’, ‘pedigree’, ‘achievements’ to consider him fit for something—anything. In fact, when someone asks you ‘what is your yogyata?’ it is considered as a rebuke in terms of class, caste, gender, status, finances, merits etc … . But, apparently this was not the original intent when the word entered the indigenous Indian lexicon and culture … .

The wide geographical expanse of using this term only indicates that it has emerged from a powerful root idea and there is every reason to believe that it has been forced into usage by the wise with deliberate intent. And a little thought shows that the wise have used this term to ask the question, ‘How Yogic is your disposition’ or in other words, ‘how much Yogyathwa do you have?’

When a person is high on the Yogyathwa scale, it means that he is connected with the wishes of the Common Soul—his impediments have been cleared. When Yogyathwa is low it means that a person has not overcome his impediments. Therefore, the question ‘How much Yogyathwa do you have?’ is essentially not a rebuke but it has a positive connotation impelling one to higher spheres. It seeks to induce an individual to clean up his inner channels and allow the thought processes to fall in sync with the Common Soul (‘Listen to the word’: as Christ says). It is actually an incitement to leadership and to the other graces of Yogyathwa.

Therefore, the word ‘yogyatha’ (and its equivalents in other Indian languages) is meant to expresses the belief that there is need for a person to break his inner barriers and constraints and become a ‘yogi’ and a ‘performer’, a person of worth, meritorious—and a leader. ‘Therefore we conclude that Yogyathwa it is that truly makes a leader’. A true leader should undertake all his other activities being established in Yogyathwa … .

The Induction Effect of a Yogi

We have so far considered the process that is supposed to make an individual into a leader. What about influencing others? How does Yogyathwa affect other people?

Part of this we have seen in Chapter 3 where the other people looked at the leader and discovered what they themselves had to do. And that example was able to help them find mergence with the dictates of the Common Soul. But this is not all, it is not just that the leader giving reminders; something about the leader’s disposition, the manner in which the leader says what he says, the manner in which he relates to people, how he relates to work, all these inspire similar reactions and bearing from those around him … . the followers take to Yogyathwa as a result of this inspiration and this brings out the best from them.

There is still another way by which we see people being influenced by leaders; it goes like this: Destiny, eventually, gives a leader all kinds of success. There are followers who have their minds set on this ‘success’ of leaders and wish to replicate it. This is yet another reason because of which people can be found doing what a leader does. But, of course, this kind of induction effect on followers is not of the same class as the former two. In the former two instances the followers are inspired, get connected with the Common Soul/source and become leaders themselves. But in this third case, the impediments continue to exist in the followers; these followers find it hard to practice and attain Yogyathwa—they do not become leaders. And there continues to exist a need for ‘transformation’ in them before they can truly become leaders.

A leader therefore is a person who has mastered the ability of ‘Yogyathwa’ within himself and is able to induce the same in the people around him.

Case Studies

1. ‘Ask not what your nation can do for you, ask what you can do for your nation’ … . ‘I have a dream’ … . Analyse these two statements in respect of the relevant contexts and personality types. How does all this relate to inducing Yogyathwa… ?
2. When Sachin Tendulkar was a youngster, his coach used to tell him ‘don’t let your head roll off your shoulders’. What did it mean? How is it related to Yogyathwa … . ?
3. In the autobiographies of successful people they mention certain things that inspired and transformed them. Pick up any such case and discuss it with Yogyathwa as the focus.

Exercises

1. Study chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita. It gives a description of a person who is strongly rigidified into his individuality with the ‘channel’ closed as it were. It also points out to the imminent consequences of continuing to remain in that state.
2. Discussion: ‘Living water flows out from him’ (Bible) analyse this statement in respect of the term ‘Yogyathwa’ and its induction effect.
3. Self-introspection: Identify two or three instances in your life when you experienced transformation to a selfless perspective. Write about 200 words about each instance. In each of these analyse the role of Yogyathwa of leader, induction effect, and the experience of Yogyathwa, the immediate outcome on action and the eventual outcome on result.
4. Discuss: ‘nervous 90’s’ in cricket and its relation to Yogyathwa
5. Discuss: What renowned suzerains, sportspersons and artists do in order to get to the ‘zone’ when they are out to ‘perform’. Can all this be related to Yogyathwa?