Servant Style

of Leadership:
Learning with
the help of
Ramayana…
….By Dr. Dinesh
Kumar
 Servant style of leadership
• Old philosophy;
• Principle of karmanye vadhika riste ma phaleshu kadachinh
• First termed by Greenleaf (1977);
• Serve the needs of others for great social cause and getting connected with the
God through work without expecting any material return or selfish interest.
• Instead of top-down hierarchical style of leadership:
• emphasizes is upon trust, empathy, collaboration and ethical use of power.
• Chooses as servant first and
• to serve the people better and not to enjoy the power;
• Help the last person in queue.
• Beyond the master- servant relationship
• Focus on larger interest of the society
• instead immediate/ personal interest of the leader like Hanuman
• Story of Ramayana shared with Maa Anjani
• Serving others’ is a process of liberating and
• server does the job to serve the God;
• Out of love to the people;
• keep his personal interest asides
• Servant style does not mean working for a person, but
• different from ‘servant working for master’ (Dasya Bhakti instead Dasya Rati)
• Servant works for the master without satisfying the criterion of service to the God or not.
• Chanakya:
• The king (leader) is a paid servant and shall consider as good, not what pleases him but
what pleases his subjects (masses).
• Jesus:
• whoever wants to be great among you should be your servant and whoever wants to be
first should be servant of all (Mark 10:42-45).
 Servant leader…

• Gyan-yogi, Karm-yogi and Bhakti-yogi Hanuman:

• working for master Ram (God)
• dedicated for Ram-Kaj (great social cause leading to reach the God).
• Acquired a higher stature than Ram;
• According to Bhandari (2017), a servant leader is one who:
1. Values diverse opinions;
2. Cultivates a culture of trust;
3. Develops other leaders;
4. Helps people with life issues (not just work issues);
5. Encourages;
6. Sells instead of tells;
7. Thinks you, not me;
8. Thinks long terms;
9. Acts with humility.
 Characteristics of Servant leader
• 9 most important characteristics:
• identified by Larry C. Spears,
• President of the Robert K. Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership
1. Listening;
2. Empathy;
3. Healing;
4. Self-awareness;
5. Persuasion;
6. Conceptualization;
7. Foresight;
8. Stewardship;
9. Commitment to the growth of people and Building community.
 Listening
• Communication includes
• listening and giving feed back:
• Jamvant:
Pawan tanay bal pavan samana, buddhi vivek, vigyan nidhana
kavan so kaaj kathin jag Maheen, so nahin hoi tat tumh naheen
• Hanuman
Jab lagi aavaun Sitahi dekhee, hoihi kaaju mohi harash bisheshee.
• Understanding of body language:
“कपि करि हृदयँ बिचार दीन्हि मुद्रिका डारि तब ...
रामचंद्र गुन बरनैं लागा, सुनतहिं सीता का दुख भागा.
लांगीं सुनें श्रवन मन लाई, आदिहु तें सब कथा सुनाई.
श्रवनामृत जेहिं कथा सुहाई, कही सो प्रगत होति किन भाई
तब हनुमंत निकट चलि गयऊ, फिरि बैठीं मन बिसमय भयऊ....”
“कपि के बचन सप्रेम सुनी उपजा मन बिस्वास.
जाना मन क्रम बचन यह कृ पासिन्धु कर दास.“
• Blocked mind does not listen like Ravan:
“जदपि कही कपि अति हित बानी, भगति बिबेक बिरति नय सानी.
बोला बिहसि महा अभिमानी, मिला हमहि कपि गुर बड़ ग्यानी ।।“
 Empathy

• “The wearer only knows where the shoe pinches.”

• Empathy can’t be developed unless
• person is able to develop emotional attachment
“Sunahu pavanasut rahani hamari, jibhi dasananhi mahu jibh bichari”
• When approached Ram for shelter:
“खल मंडली बसहु दिन राती, सखा धरम निबहइ के हि भांती.
मैं जानऊँ तुम्हारि सब रीती, अति नय निपुन न भाव अनीती.”
• Hanuman was empathetic to enemy Ravan too
• tried to counsel Ravan
• to return Sita and promised him for no loss:
“प्रनतपाल रघुनायक करुना सिंधु खरारि,
गएँ सरन राखिहैं तव अपराध बिसारि.
राम चरन पंकज उर धरहू,
 Healing

• Healing is a universal desire

• providing physical and emotional support by creation of a sense of being well-wishers.
• After meeting Sita, when handed over her ‘Chudamadhi’ to Ram
• Ram got up with tears saying so great work- even difficult for Deities to do and hugged
him in his arms:
“हनूमंते कृ तं कार्य देवैरपि सदुष्करम,
उपकारं न पश्यामि तव प्रत्युपकारिण:
इदानीं ते प्रयच्छामि सर्वस्व्म मम मारूते
इत्यालिङ्गय समाकृ ष्य गाढ़ वानरपुंगवम
साद्रनेत्रो रघुश्रेष्ठ: परां प्रीतिमवाप स: “
• When Mainak requested for rest:
“जलनिधि रघुपति दूत बिचारी, तैं मैनाक होहि श्रमहारी.“
“हनुमान तेहि परसा कर पुनि कीन्ह प्रनाम,
राम काजु कीन्हें बिनु मोहि कहाँ बिश्राम.“
• Story of Hanuman tearing his chest
• Larger interest of the community should be so imbibed inside that the senses remain under
control and not affected by Kama (lust), Krodha (anger) and Moha (greed)
• As said in Bhagwad Gita:
 Self-Awareness

• Self-awareness means SWOT analysis

“जस जस सुरसा बदनु बढ़ावा, तासु दून कपि रूप देखावा.
सत जोजन तेहिं आनन कीन्हा, अति लघु रूप पवनसुत लीन्हा.”
• When hit by arrow of Bharat:
“tav pratap ur rakhi prabhu jaihuun naath turant.
(With the grace of Ram, he would reach in time).
 Persuasion
• Instead of using authority uses persuasion
• by developing personal relationship;
• better communication skills and ability to listen;
• speak at the right place and right time;
• in the right manner to build consensus.
• Instead of coercive compliance uses persuasion:
• To develop consensus and
• encourage people to accept the command willingly and take action:
“तेहि सन नाथ मयत्री कीजे, दीन जानि तेहि अभय करीजे.
सो सीता कर खोज कराइहि, जहँ तहँ मरकट कोटि पठाइहि.”
• After killing Bali, Sugreev forgot to fulfil commitment on his part:
“इहाँ पवनसुत हृदय बिचारा, राम काजु सुग्रीव बिसारा.
निकट जाइ चरनन्हि सिरू नावा, चारिहु बिधि तेहि कहि समुझावा.
सुनि सुग्रीव परम भय माना, बिषय मोर हरि लीन्हेउ ग्याना.
अब मारूतसुत दूत समूहा, पठ्वहु जहँ तहँ बानर जूहा.”
 Conceptualization

• Conceptualization means:
• Dreaming big and creating mission and vision and;
• Selling the same to people;
• For larger interest of the society;
• To keep motivated to achieve invisible distant goal without being distracted.
• In Ashok Vatika
“Dekhi param virhakul sita, so chhan kapihi kalap sam beeta
• Scene in hut of Vibheeshan
“लंका निसिचर निकर निवासा, इहाँ कहाँ सज्जन कर बासा.
मन महूँ तरक करें कपि लागा, तेहीं समय बिभीषाणु जागा
राम राम तेहिं सुमिरन कीन्हा, हृदय हरष कपि सज्जन चीन्हा.
एहि सन हठि करिहऊं पहिचानी, साधु ते होइ न कारज हानी.”
 Foresight
• Use of tools like SWOT analysis and PEST analysis
• SWOT- Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat
• PEST- Political, Economical, Social and Technological analysis
• Foresightedness:
• ability of the servant leader to predict the future based upon:
• the past experience;
• his intuitive mind and analytical skills;
• Realities of the present environment/ what is happening in current situation;
• Understanding the implications of the decision.
• Burning of Lanka:
“अक्षय कु मार को मारि संहारा, लूम लपेटि लंक को जारा. “
 Stewardship
• Stewardship:
• taking responsibility and accountability of the team and;
• perform to meet the collective objectives of the team;
• Lead by examples.
“अंगद कईऊ जाऊँ मै पारा , जिय संसय कछु फिरती बारा …
सहित सहाय रावनहि मारी, आनऊं इहाँ त्रिकू ट उपारी.
जामवंत मैं पुंछऊँ तोही, उचित सिखवानु दीजहु मोही.”
• Even when Ahiravan, kidnapped his master Ram & Laxman to kill
• nobody dared to go to ‘Patal lok’
“अहिरावण हर राम लखन को, देवी के बलि लगा चढ़ाने.
पहुँचे तुम पाताल लोक में, राम लखन भइयों को बचाने.
अहिरावण को मार पवन सुत, अपने कं धो पर बैठाये… ”
• Durgam kaj jagat ke jete, sugam anugrh tumhre tete.
 Commitment to the growth of people and community building

• “Grass Doesn’t Grow Faster If You Pull It”.

• Servant leaders believe in the philosophy of sarvabhuthahiteratha, (welfare of all
beings)
• Commitment towards personal/professional growth of the people and the institution
• Always coming to rescue the people whenever in need
• Identification of talent of Nal and Niel:
“बोलि लिए कपि निकर बहोरी, सकल सुनहु बिनती कछु मोरी.
राम चरन पंकज उर धरहू, कौतुक एक भालु कपि करहू.
धावहु मर्क ट बिकट बरूथा, आनहु बिटप गिरिन्ह के जूथा.
सुनि कपि भालु चले करि हूहा, जय रघुबीर प्रताप समूहा.”
• Community building:
• Philosophy of Purshottam Yoga,
• to develop harmonious relations with people for synergetic effect.
 Conclusion
• Two basic dimension
• leader is a voluntary servant of the God;
• acts to serve the people to attain the God;
• By remaining away from kam (lust), krodh (anger) and moha (greed)
• Develops an aura bigger than the aura of master or organization
• But he continue to work as servant;
• Leaders become synonyms of institute;
• Personality becomes heavier than the position;
• Example Abdul Kalam, the Ex-President of India.
• Lord Hanuman is ‘Sevak style of leadership’
• The servant leader carries the emotions of ‘Dasy-rati’
• leader remains mentally conscious not to carry out any mistake due to fear of the master.
• But Sevak leader carries the emotions of ‘Dasy-bhakti’ and when there is
bhakti (devotion), the question of mistake does not arise.
 Case study…Raju Ramalinga

• Mr. Raju born in 1954 competed his MBA from Ohio University, USA. After return to
India, ventured into many businesses. In 1987, he incubated Satyam Computer
Services alongwith his brother in law and 20 more employees. His leadership style
includes embracing change and encouraging innovation participation and
communication. He inspired his to remain innovative and creative. He is adoptable to
changing technology resulting that Satyam Computer started growing leap and
bound. Raju navigated Indian bureaucracy to obtain the required clearances to
transmit data from India. Satyam won its first fortune 500 client. Mr. Raju was
enrolled in the owner/ President Management (OPM) program at Harvard Business
School in the 1990s. Raju launched Satyam Infoway (Sify) as Satyam’s Internet
Subsidiary, thereby becoming an early participation in the Indian Service Market. In
1999, Satyam Group was having more than 50000 employees.
• The Chief Minister of the State wanted to bring in change and saw IT as Strategic
Industry to focus. While Raju was building Satyam, he was noticed by the Chief
Mininster and Raju became instrumental in shaping the State’s IT initiatives like Mee
Kosam (For you in Telgu). Raju had unfettered access to the Chief Minister and
Research reveals that he had a very personal access and there was close link between
• Raju foundation run various philanthropic organizations like adoption of 200 villages to
make them self reliant where 40 different programs like healthcare, environment
improvement, sanitation, primary education, adult literacy and skills development were
provided. Foundation also started 24*7 Emergency service named Emergency
Management and Research Institute. EMRI was modelled on the line of 911 service in
America and had 10697 ambulances covering 15 states and 2 UTs. Where Emergency
services were provided at door step on single toll free number.
• Raju resigned from the Satyam Board after Satyam scandal. But just before that there
was a minor observation of one of the newly inducted Independent Director about some
accounting entries, but the same was ignored. Raju also tried to persuade investors by
claiming that the company is sound and that past October he surprised analysts with
better-than-expected results, claiming that "the company had achieved this in a
challenging global macroeconomic environment, and amidst the volatile currency
scenario that became reality.
• In January, 2009, Raju appeared before the TV channels and suo moto confessed that
Satyam’s accounts have falsified for several years. Total assets on Satyam's balance sheet
tripled during 2003–07 to $2.2 billion. He confessed to an accounting fraud to the tune
of ₹7,000 crore or $1.5 billion and resigned from the Satyam board on 7 January 2009.
• In his letter, Raju explained his modus operandi to something that started as a single lie but led
to another as "What started as a marginal gap between actual operating profit and the one
reflected in the books continued to grow over the years. It has attained unmanageable
proportions as the size of the company's operations grew over the years.” Raju described how
an initial cover-up for a poor quarterly performance escalated: "It was like riding a tiger, not
knowing how to get off without being eaten.
• Satyam was purchased by Tech Mahindra and was renamed as Mahindra Satyam. Raju and his
brother alongwith a few of the key Executives were arrested by CID of Andhra Pradesh. The
State Govt. attached his 44 properties. Raju admitted to overstating the company's cash
reserves by USD 1.5 Billon. Court proceeding continued against him and On 9 April 2015,
Ramalinga Raju and his brothers were sentenced to 7 years in jail, fined ₹5.5 crore. On 10
January 2018 India's capital market regulator has banned global auditing firm Price
Waterhouse (PW) from auditing listed companies in India for two years for its alleged role of
collusion with the directors and employees of erstwhile Satyam Computer Services, in
perpetrating the country's biggest corporate accounting scandal.
• Questions:
• Which type of leadership style followed by Mr. Raju.
• Please write the characteristics and traits of such leadership.
• In your opinion which type of leadership could have been better substituted.