The famous pravachanakartha Sri Garikipati Narasimha Rao always exhorts us not just to participate in rituals of different Hindu Gods just as worship but to learn the essence of that particular form so that we can take the best lessons and apply them to our own life. For e.g. take Hanuman, when he flew to Lanka to look for Sita, he had to overcome many obstacles to reach there. As he was flying over the mountain Mainaka, he asked Hanuman to rest for a bit as he has been flying for a long time. Hanuman said he was focused on a task and wouldn’t get distracted until he is done setting us of how focus and dedication to achieve something.
In that same vein, the enterprise transformation strategist, Arjun Majumdar, who is also my brother* has taken the ten mahavidyas from the Shakta tradition - the branch of Hinduism that worships divine feminine energy - Shakti or Devi as the supreme reality of the universe - and created a map of leadership from the essence of each of the ten mahavidyas in his book - “The Map Within - A Story About Ten Powers You Already Have”
In this book, the divine bard Narada, becomes a consultant, guiding Archana, the head of Product at a startup, to navigate through the challenges of her job while blossoming into a true leader.
It talks through ten different challenges and what should a leader do differently to not just overcome but to truly lead through the essence of each mahavidya.
To give you an example- Bhuvaneshwari is the godess of space - the space in which things arise or don’t arise. She is the ground, the field, the quality of environment that determines what can grow. She is depicted simply: seated, still, at ease, holding four objects. A noose, to bind what must be bounded. A goad, to direct energy. An open hand, offering. And the gesture of fearlessness - the signal that says: in this space, you are safe.
Bhuvaneshwari is the godess of space - the space in which things arise or don’t arise. She is the ground, the field, the quality of environment that determines what can grow. She is depicted simply: seated, still, at ease, holding four objects. A noose, to bind what must be bounded. A goad, to direct energy. An open hand, offering. And the gesture of fearlessness - the signal that says: in this space, you are safe.
The essence of Bhavaneshwari teaches us holding space - for uncertainty - allows things to grow. A leader who cannot sit with their own uncertainty creates a team that hides uncertainty. Culture is a lived experience a leader creates. It is what determines whether people bring their real thinking or a managed version of it. Whether, when something goes wrong, their first instinct is to tell you - or to manage it before you find out.” Both these outcomes are built by the leader. Not through dramatic acts. Through the accumulation of small signals. What you lean into. What you pivot away from. What you make visible. What you let pass.
That is hard hitting. The book is full of aha moments like this. Even if you’re not a believer, the book works for you as it draws you in with relatable moments and lines that make you pause and think as you read them. By the end you’ll be enriched by the timeless leadership wisdom helping you thrive as a leader.
A leader who cannot sit with their own uncertainty creates a team that hides uncertainty. Culture is a lived experience a leader creates. It is what determines whether people bring their real thinking or a managed version of it. Whether, when something goes wrong, their first instinct is to tell you - or to manage it before you find out.” Both these outcomes are built by the leader. Not through dramatic acts. Through the accumulation of small signals. What you lean into. What you pivot away from. What you make visible. What you let pass.
It is a small book of 131 pages and easy prose. Highly recommend this book wherever you work as the work of leading people is required everyone. The principles of leading are universal!
* - In addition to the fact that he is my brother, but I genuinely liked the book and learnt a lot from my it. I feel proud to promote his work!