PAVAMĀNA: Enduring Indic Wisdom

Leadership Best Practices from śrī gaṇapati–Part 3

© Bala Bharadvaj, 15 February 2025

reading time: Approx 12 minutes

Summary

This is Part 3 of a series of articles on the connection between śrī gaṇapati (or śrī gaṇeśa) and Leadership Best Practices.  A famous śloka (shloka) dedicated to śrī gaṇapati contains sixteen descriptive names that are like a formula for successful leadership, and success in life.  The words used to describe śrī gaṇapati in this shloka provide excellent insights into the skills a leader should develop (discussed in Part 1), and how a leader should manage the team as discussed in Part 2.  The discussion in this article is a continuation of the insights on behaviors related to leadership best practices.

The setting

Part 2 of this series introduced Nayak, a young leader from times gone by when India was ruled by kings.  Nayak was chosen by the king to lead new projects to commemorate the king’s victories and celebrate the general prosperity of the land.  Nayak had approached his mentor (guruji) for guidance.  guruji asked Nayak to conduct a puja for śrī gaṇapati and explained the significance of invoking śrī gaṇapati.  The names used to describe śrī gaṇapati contain some very important ideas related to leadership – both the skills needed to be a successful leader as well as guidance on how a leader should conduct himself while managing projects.  guruji had explained the hidden meaning of four mantra-s (descriptive names) of śrī gaṇapati in Part 2 and had asked Nayak to visit again in a couple of weeks.

Nayak is back to meet his mentor and get additional insights on leadership best practices.

Nayak visits his guruji

Nayak: “Namaste guruji!  I offer my humble praṇām-s to you.”

Guruji: “I am happy to see you, my son.  I hope all is well with the new projects entrusted to you by the king.”

Nayak: “Yes guruji.  By God’s grace, all is well.  However, I am realizing that I have a lot more to learn about how to lead complex teams.  The ideas you shared during the last visit were truly eye-opening. I humbly request you to teach me more about śrī gaṇapati and leadership insights hidden in His names.”

Guruji: “As I recall, we had discussed the four names dhūmaketuḥ, gaṇādhyakṣaḥ, bhālacandraḥ and gajānanaḥ.  The next four names are vakratuṇḍaḥ, śūrpakarṇaḥ, herambaḥ and skandapūrvajaḥ.”

Nayak: “I have heard these names of śrī gaṇapati before but never thought they had anything to do with leadership.”

Guruji: “You are not the only one in this situation.  It is an unfortunate fact that a majority of the people who learn how to chant the mantra-s don’t think further about them.  Our ancestors have developed many systems that benefit everyone, and captured them in the śāstra-s.  For those who are in the early stages of development (such as young children) simply chanting the mantra-s is an excellent starting point.  But if one stops with that even after growing up, one doesn’t get the full benefit. 

This is like reading. Simply by learning to read the letters and words one does not gain knowledge.  After learning how to read, we must carefully choose what we read and follow it up with analysis and develop understanding which will help us to grow further.

“Children have a pure heart, and the divine forces bless them easily when they chant the mantra-s with faith and regularity.  When one grows up, and is capable of critical analysis and logical thinking, the faith must be supplemented with a deeper understanding.  This unlocks the magic hidden behind the mantra-s and the ideas connected with them.”

Nayak: “guruji, please enlighten me about the hidden meaning behind the name vakratuṇḍa.”

Leadership Best Practice indicated by vakratunda (vakratuṇḍa)

Guruji: “When we think about śrī gaṇeśa, vakratuṇḍa refers to His curved trunk.  When we see the images of śrī gaṇapati in a seated position, the trunk is not straight but curved either towards the right side or the left; some people have suggested different ideas about what this might mean.  But when it comes to leadership, we must understand the curved trunk from another perspective.

“We know that the trunk is a truly unique feature of elephants.  When we observe an elephant, we find that the trunk hangs down straight when the elephant is relaxed and not actively doing any particular task.  However, when the elephant is active and focused on any task, the trunk becomes curved and acts like a hand.  An elephant can use its trunk to project great physical strength, for example to carry logs or uproot trees from the ground.  At the same time, the trunk can be used to show great tenderness when caressing its young, or supreme sensitivity when picking up small pieces of fruit.”  (For an example, see video here or here).

Nayak: “How is this related to leadership?”

Guruji: “A leader must be like an elephant when it comes to demonstrating strength and sensitivity.  There will be occasions when a leader must project strength to get things done and clear the path for the team to succeed.  On the other hand, there will be other situations when a leader must approach with great care and sensitivity.  The leader must adapt to the situation at hand and use the available resources in a manner that is appropriate for the job.

“Just as an elephant modulates the use of its trunk for both these situations, a successful leader must learn how to demonstrate strength or sensitivity suitable for the circumstances at hand.”

Nayak: “Thank you, guruji!  I never thought there was so much to learn from an elephant’s trunk.  What lesson does the next descriptive name śūrpakarṇa hold?”

Leadership Best Practice indicated by shurpakarna (śūrpakarṇa)

Guruji: “śūrpakarṇa literally means one who has ears like winnows.”

Nayak: “This name sounds similar to gajakarṇaka which you explained earlier.” (see Part 1)

Guruji: “The similarity is only at a superficial level; remember that our ṛṣi-s (ancient vedic masters) were very careful with the choice of words used in the mantra-s.  gajakarṇaka describes śrī gaṇapati as having large ears that look like those of an elephant.  The name śūrpakarṇa looks at the ears from a very different perspective.

“śūrpakarṇa refers to the shape of the outer ears of an elephant (and śrī gaṇapati) as resembling winnows.  However, the deeper meaning here is not about the shape or form, but the function.

“You may have seen our farmers using a winnow to separate grain that is useful (as food or seed) from the chaff that is agricultural waste. (See an example here or here.)  This function of the winnow provides guidance relevant for a leader.

“As a leader, you will come across a variety of information from various sources; in fact, a good leader should strive to gather information from many sources.  The information that reaches you may come in many flavors – it may be favorable or unfavorable, the information could give you a sense of satisfaction or make you concerned.  In order to truly benefit from the variety of information, your ears must function like winnows; you must use your judgement to skillfully separate the useful nuggets of information (grain) from the unnecessary chatter (chaff). 

“When we remember śrī gaṇapati using the name śūrpakarṇa we invoke His blessings to give us the wisdom to identify the essential nuggets in an objective manner.  Remember that relying on limited sources of information, or not identifying the correct information, can mask the reality leading to difficulties or even failure.”

Nayak: “Thank you, guruji!  There is so much wisdom hidden behind these mantra-s and names of śrī gaṇapati.  Please tell me about the meaning behind the next name.”

Leadership Best Practice indicated by heramba

Guruji: “The next name heramba is a unique one.  The he-ramba form is said to be a compassionate aspect of śrī gaṇapati as the ‘protector of the weak and the helpless’.  This gives another clue to a very important expectation from a good leader.

“While leading a complex organization, or a complex project, the leader will interact with a variety of individuals.  While most people in the team will align with the overall vision and direction of the project or organization, sometimes we find people who have their own agenda.  A leader should be alert to any disruption from such people.  Some of them may be your own junior managers who appear to be cooperating with you but causing difficulties for the workers.  In some cases, there may be external agents that create problems.  At other times, the challenges may come from natural forces (such as storms or disease) that are outside our control.

“In any large project, the leader should think of the workers as an extended family working together to accomplish the larger goal.  A good leader should not only keep track of the project, but also the overall welfare of the workers.  Remember that the success of the project depends on the willing participation and contributions from the workers.  The leader should be ready to step in and help the workers with compassion, which is an important trait represented by heramba gaṇapati.”

Nayak: “guruji, can we say that the name heramba is pointing to developing a culture of compassion within the organization?”

Guruji: “In the name gaṇapati the pati refers to one who is not only the master, but also the supporter and nourisher. When we think of śrī gaṇapati, the stories in the purāṇa-s paint the picture of some mysterious beings called gaṇa-s who are at the command of śrī gaṇapati.

“I cannot physically show you these mysterious beings; it is possible that they exist in a plane different from the one that most humans experience.  But one thing is clear; every human leader depends on his own band of human gaṇa-s to be successful in any endeavor.  If we want the human gaṇa-s to follow their leader, the leader should also become their heramba gaṇapati and support them for their welfare.”

Nayak: “guruji, I am highly indebted to you for these insights you are sharing.  As you explain each name, it feels as though a new room full of ideas and insights is being unlocked. I can’t wait to hear the meaning behind the next name.”

Meaning of skandapurvaja (skandapūrvaja)

Guruji: “skandapūrvaja, the sixteenth in this series of descriptive names is a fascinating one. If we go by the literal meaning, the name simply indicates that śrī gaṇapati was born before skanda, His younger brother according to our purāṇa-s.  But there is more to it as you can guess.

“In order to understand the relevance of this name to leadership, we must know about an important story from our purāṇa-s.  This will take some time. The sun is already going down and it is time for my evening duties.

“Come back another day, when we have some more time to discuss this last name.  In the meantime, remember the ideas we have already discussed, and try to incorporate them into your leadership activities.”

Nayak: “praṇām-s guruji!  I didn’t realize how quickly the time has gone by.  I’ll definitely be back to hear the story and additional insights from you.  I seek your blessings as I take leave.”

Guruji: “My blessings and good wishes are always with you, my child.  May Lord gaṇapati shower His grace upon you.”

Nayak takes leave of guruji and walks towards his steed.  His stride shows a new spring of confidence from the new ideas he has imbibed from his mentor.  He tells himself that he should be back for the next conversation as soon as possible.

Conclusion

This discussion between guruji and Nayak highlights three important leadership best practices that can be summarized in present-day terminology as follows:

• A leader should be adaptable and use available resources to project strength or sensitivity as per the needs of the situation.
• A leader should gather data from a variety of sources and diligently separate the useful information from the irrelevant.
• A leader should create a culture of compassion that supports team welfare while achieving the goals.

Note from the author: If you find these ideas useful, please share your comments below. Also, please share this site with people in your network. Thank you!

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Leadership Best Practices from Shri Ganapati-Part 1

Leadership Best Practices from Shri Ganapati–Part 2