Once upon a time, when the world was young, Lord Bramha, considered the creator, wanted to populate it with his children. He summoned his son Daksha and appointed him as the ruler of the world. Daksha honored his father's word by marrying, and his wife gave birth to many sons. They were called Haryaśvas. They went to a place where the river Indus met the Arabian sea. In ancient times it had a holy lake called Nārāyaṇa-saras, where many saints meditated on god. The Haryaśvas started practicing intense austerities and meditation to fulfill their father’s desire. Sage Narada saw them and was amazed by their dedication. He could not bear to see them perform intense tapas for material gain. So he met them and guided them towards living the life of a sannyasi so that they could move towards their liberation. The Haryaśvas became wandering monks. Daksha was angry and dejected at Narada’s interference, but he did not give up and fathered more sons called the Savalāśvas. They also started meditating on Lord Vishnu to seek his blessings to propagate the world. Again Narada saw them meditating on Lord Vishnu and felt compassion swell in his heart. He talked to them about focusing on their spiritual growth and not wasting it on material pursuits. They saw merit in his arguments and became wandering monks like their brothers. This time Daksha was livid. He cursed Narada that just like his sons, he would not be able to stay in one place and would wander across the three worlds. Narada smiled and bowed his head in gratitude. He saw this as an opportunity to spread the word of Krishna throughout this cosmos. Narada becomes a guru and advisor to many seekers and plays a crucial role in Mahabharata, where he is seen with Krishna in many instances.
It was Lord Vishnu’s reward to Narada for the humility with which he accepted his punishment.
Applying Wisdom at Work
The value of resilience at work cannot be overstated. I was recently reading Bob Iger’s autobiography. He was the CEO of The Walt Disney Company from 2005 to 2020 and is considered one of the most successful CEOs in the world. He shared a beautiful quote that defines his leadership style.
One of the most essential qualities of a good leader is optimism, a pragmatic enthusiasm for what can be achieved. Even in the face of difficult choices and less-than-ideal outcomes, an optimistic leader does not yield to pessimism. Simply put, people are not motivated or energized by pessimists.
Bob Iger
Bob joined Disney when it acquired ABC’s Network Television Group. Bob had risen from the junior ranks to become the president and CEO of the company. Bob was second in command for some of the most tumultuous years of Disney’s history under Michael Eisner. Roy E Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney, had started a public protest to get rid of Michael Eisner and gathered significant public support. Disney’s growth had stagnated, and its animation movies were duds. Their deal with Pixar had collapsed, and Steve Jobs, the CEO of Pixar, was taunting them at every opportunity. Finally, Michael Eisner resigned as the CEO, and the board began hunting for a new CEO.
Since Bob was second in line to Michael Eisner and considered part of the system that had not produced results, his chances of being CEO were remote. He had fantastic plans for the company, and Michael had not made it easy for him to operate independently. Bob wondered how to convince the board of his credentials while not sounding negative about Michael’s tenure. He reached out to a political consultant for help. They decided on a strategy that focused on the future instead of harping on the past. He gave more than a dozen interviews in six months, and it tested him to his limits and more. He endured all that along with running Disney since Michael was often distracted, given his imminent exit. When he finally got the job, he realized he needed to do something big and bold to move the needle. Since Disney animation was at the heart of everything they did and it was suffering, he decided to renew his relationship with Steve and start a collaboration with Pixar. Instead of speaking about deals or money, he discussed how he saw technology as the way to distribute media and talked about various collaboration opportunities. A few weeks later, Steve flew into his office with a video iPod that would be launched in Apple world. They discussed if Disney would license shows to be shown on the iPod, and he committed to it. It would be a loss maker in the short term, but the rewards would be significant in the future. A few months later, he was on the stage with Steve as he launched Disney’s partnership with Apple on the stage. They became good friends and trusted each other as human beings.
Since the state of Disney Animation was not improving, Bob decided the best way to revamp them was to acquire Pixar. However, he knew Steve would not let it go cheaply, and he was so new that it was unlikely that his board would approve. He presented the proposal to the board, which was shocked by his audacity. Bob used the surprise to his advantage and got permission to negotiate with Steve. He convinced him that Pixar would retain its autonomy under Disney. The most audacious thing he did was to get Steve to pitch the deal to the Disney board. The board finally agreed to buy Pixar for 7.4 Billion dollars. The acquisition was a huge success, and Bob acquired Marvel, Fox Entertainment, and Lucas Films during his tenure. He also fuelled the creation of the ESPN and Hotstar digital apps.
The optimism and resilience of Bob Iger make him one of the most admired CEOs of our times.
How do you conduct yourself when you are stuck in a whirlpool of emotions? My dearest Guru Om Swami shares a beautiful story in his Audible Book. One of the best things about him is that his store range across cultures. This particular one is about Laozi, a saint from China. He is walking with his students when they come across a stream falling over a cliff, creating a dizzying whirlpool at the bottom. Laozi told his students that anyone who fell into the water would never survive this tempestuous whirlpool. Suddenly they saw a man who was swimming in the whirlpool. They all planned to save him and rushed down to throw him a rope. By the time they reach down, they see the man swimming lazily in a small shallow pool away from the whirlpool. Amazed, they all ask him how he managed to swim in a whirlpool and congratulate him. They asked him how he escaped from the whirlpool. He smiled and said, “You don’t need any special skills. Ensure you don’t thrash your hands and legs and go against the flow. The water will toss you around for some time and then let you go.” Swami says someone with a very high ego quotient wants to fix everything. A wise person learns to distinguish between what they need to fix and what they should smilingly accept.
We often hear the glorious stories of the various sages that have graced the Bharatvarsha and feel intimidated. Their tapasya and their discipline seem untouchable. Yet, it helps to remind yourself that a journey of a million miles begins with the first step. Take your first step with the free and incredible Vedic Sadhana app. The app helps you identify your ishta and then perform daily rituals that deepen your relationship with them. It also makes the ancient rituals and practices followed by the sages of India available to you.
