Preface

My earliest interactions with T. N. Seshan were when he visited Chicago for a lecture series hosted by Kellogg School of Management sometime in the early nineties. I was, quite simply, dumbstruck. The inimitable T. N. Seshan – the total submission to truth and honour, the unwavering commitment to doing the right thing, the courage to defy the most powerful in order to be just and fair – this is the stuff that heroes in mythology and novels are made of. But to behold one such person in flesh and blood who has been endowed with as much intelligence as character is indeed a rare occurrence and thus, to me, T. N. Seshan is indeed a phenomenon. As a worthy son of the soil, he has rendered exemplary service to the nation by taking the proverbial bull by the horns and for putting into place a neutral and independently functional electoral system that has earned accolades as one of the best in the world. It is not only I but the entire nation that owes a deep debt of gratitude to him not because of what he did (that was a part of his job description), but for showing us what more one can do by merely following basic Dharma (the right way of living). We have gained immensely from this charismatic, and honest officer.

So, when I founded Great Lakes at Chennai in 2004 I nurtured a tiny desire for my students in India to benefit in a similar manner. I was overjoyed when he not only fondly recollected our meetings in the past but also readily agreed to a Distinguished Professorship at Great Lakes and taught several batches of students. The students (in the age group of 20–30) at Great Lakes have enjoyed his sessions and learnt so much from their interactions with him. Whenever I had the chance to pick his brain and enjoy his characteristic deadpan humor, during my visits to his home, I would be amazed by how his razor sharp mind could conjure up myriad possibilities and perspectives on such a wide array of subjects with such remarkable clarity and accuracy. I wondered if there could be a way to preserve all this knowledge for posterity. I figured that perhaps a biography would be an appropriate window through which we could mirror his wisdom. But that idea didn’t work out. So, when a proposal came my way for an intellectual piece in the context of leadership, I spoke with T. N. Seshan. He was, already toying with an idea and felt that we should work on this book together. We located Nixon, who had a fine academic background, appreciation for literature and a penchant for all things philosophical and with that, the team for the book fell into place.

I have spent much of my life in the United States where I have been exposed to the periodic whims and fancies of generations, cultural upheavals etc. My continued interactions with students over the last 50 years has allowed me a deep understanding of the pschye of the youth and the ways in which they tend to think and react. The capitalistic and materialistic way of life all over the world has also not escaped my attention. The Western culture has much to be proud of – their attitude towards work, straightforwardness, dignity of labour, culture that promotes merit over everything else etc. However, these alone are not enough. There is a constant search for that elusive something which guarantees a sense of fulfilment – of awareness and purpose, of grounding and belonging – something that I realized we Indians are fortunately privy to and experienced in from the minute that we are born. I have had opportunity to observe from the ring-side the extreme levels of distress, depression and helplessness that prevails when upsets like the subprime crisis or the Arab Spring or a 9/11 type event can cause – because the society and life at large are driven by wealth and power, the lack of which creates a certain rudderless existence. This phenomenon is universal and much focus has been accorded to the east in recent times – especially India and on its cultural ethos as ways to attain satisfaction, peace and harmony. I have since wondered if at Management schools, we need to create not ruthless managers who focus on just the profits (money) but responsible corporate leaders who will work towards a profitable (contribution) society.

This was a key point when I set up Great Lakes at Chennai in 2004. I was sure that I wanted to offer a curriculum that was academically superior, but also co-curricular activities that focused on the overall personality development of the student. We wanted a motto for the school that emphasized a value-driven and ethical sense of living. We chose to go with ‘Global mindset Indian roots’ because of our conviction that there is immense wisdom in what the ancient Indian thinkers have passed down through their writings and scriptures and also because this alone can serve as a guiding compass offering immense succor in times of despair. This literature is a comprehensive philosophy and contrary to what people may perceive as Hindu-oriented religious drivel, it is in fact truly global in its outlook. It is a treasure trove of wisdom; and that wisdom can indeed be accessed and utilized by a scientific and rational thinker

So there you have it – a western perspective, Indian ethos and a scientific analysis of how the two can be blended to bring about enormous positive change. Therein lies the basic premise of the book. Seshan, Nixon and I considered several approaches to the book and finally zeroed in on a presentation of the core aspect of leadership brought forth by the modern day sage Mr. Sirshree Tejparkhi of the Tej Gyan Foundation. Building around this core representation and borrowing knowledge from a whole lot of wise men across the world, a draft gradually emerged, after several iterations. As an outcome of the insights and skills of all three authors, it offers a unique and path breaking outlook on Transformational Service Leadership (TSL).

However, the task was not easy. If leadership is a science, a skill and an art, then Transformational Service Leadership is mostly an art which needs to be cultivated; it has to do with human creativity, human feelings and the human spirit with a service bent of mind. It is for such an elusive aspiration that we intended to give form and shape! And this necessarily meant that we must approach the metaphysical ideologies head-on, blending the art of Leadership with the Science of Management. How does one bridge that gap between science and spirituality while doing justice to both worthy domains? It is in those gaps that we believe the secrets of transformational leadership lay hidden and that has essentially dictated our realm of operation, so to speak.

What has resulted is a bold analysis of the metaphysical philosophy as seen from a scientific perspective. We see no reason for conflict between science and spirituality. With a little effort, one can navigate the difficult topic and emerge with a clear understanding, rationale and viable action plans. This is a veritable minefield, but we have done our due diligence and the arguments have been presented in such a way as to lay out the truth for the genuine inquirer. We like to look at this project as a majestic elephant. How would the elephant face its challenges? I suppose, head-on – which again is interpreted metaphorically in the book. This example, in essence, captures the spirit of this book. Each of the elephant’s parts are represented by the goals which leadership strives to attain, and the Majestic Elephant is the sole acquirer which can make a transformational difference. When the world looks to India for a Service Leadership, this elephant is the best analogy.

The book has been laid out in such a way as to capture the interest of the youth or present (and future) generation of people who will take on the reins of the world shortly and whose decisions will have far-reaching consequences. The objective is to influence the thought of these people in a positive way. That said, any person who is interested in Leadership can benefit from the insights that have been provided in this book. Any individual who has had a basic education can access and understand the thought processes that are represented here. Those who are not interested in academic rigor can conveniently skip those parts which deal with the reasoning behind the findings but can still find a lot of other material that is at the same time engaging and uplifting. The point is, you don’t need to learn electronics to operate a radio! Many of the terms used in the book have Indian origins which have their own advantages (and disadvantages). For those who are not familiar with the terms, the authors have endeavoured to explain them in the best way possible to ensure understanding. However the rich traditions of India do contain certain hidden techniques and skills which an outsider would need to make considerable effort to internalize. On the other hand, Indians who are familiar with the terms used in this book will realize that they have to unlearn considerably and look at the familiar terms in a new light. However, they will be facilitated, through their traditions, to benefit from the latent skills and techniques handed down to them through the generations.

The book tries its best to strike the right chord. As is the trend these days, we looked for one word which could represent a complete characterization. That term that we have coined is, ‘YOGYATHWA’ – meaning Leadership, which you will find appears very often in our book. As such, this book has something for everyone. It has been designed in such a way that a teacher or a nurturing elder will first be able to understand the inner mechanizations of the human self; from that understanding they will be able to groom their wards appropriately. What has finally emerged is a product that we as authors are proud of. That it will lead to improve the quality of leadership in the future is the hope and prayer with which the book is being released. We need to awaken the Majestic Elephant of Leadership in the forthcoming generations so that they go on to make the change that we so much desire and perhaps even deserve. It has been in the offing for a long time, now.

God Bless the students in their eternal pursuit of Service Leadership!!!

Bala V. Balachandran

Acknowledgement

At the outset the authors express their profound gratitude to the wise men across eras, across the globe and from different spiritual schools of thought, who have left behind pearls of wisdom, some of which have been strung together in this book. They are solicitously grateful to Mr Sirshree Tejparkhi of the Tej Gyan Foundation, whose discourse on leadership served as a trigger point for the book. The incredible faith he has on the Power that links us all humans together has inspired one of the cornerstones for this book.

The authors are also grateful to Mr N. Vittal, the illustrious former CVC of India who readily obliged with his gracious foreword. The authors have endeavoured to present a universal truth in a way that appeals to the rational approach of the scientific reader. Prof. Vittal looks at the truth from the window of the faith he has in the Bhagavad Gita and has vetted the contents of the book from that perspective; and for that, the authors are grateful.

The authors are also grateful to the Pearson team that has put in tremendous effort to bring out this book. Thanks are also due to the Great Lakes Publishing House. The authors express their thanks to Mr V. Sankaran, Ms Pratima Lakshmanan, Dr M. V. Anuradha and numerous members of the Great Lakes fraternity who have contributed unconditionally in many ways with their valuable and timely support towards this endeavour.

The authors also wish to extend their grateful thanks to all their family members who have rendered all sources of help and support to them throughout the conceptualization of delivering this book. You are the best!

Mr Nixon Fernando on his part expresses his profound thanks to Mr T. N. Seshan and Prof. Bala for having chosen him to do the research for the book. He expresses his gratitude for having the opportunity to learn from two giants who have achieved legendary milestones in their lives. He would also like to extend his gratuitous thanks to the spiritual lights that have guided him in his journey of discovery.

Bala V. Balachandran
T. N. Seshan
Nixon Fernando