Lessons in strategyMythologyWhen it comes to management lessons, Indian mythology is abundant with them, which makes ones job even more difficult to pick out the best. However, one character of Indian mythology often gets ignored when looking for strategic management lessons viz. the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Narasimha. There are two basic lessons to be drawn from him. These are: Bide your timeThe story of Prahlada reminds us the importance of patience for successful execution of ones strategy. Although Lord Vishnu got many chances to kill Hrinyakashyapa while he was inflicting his brutality on his son Prahlada, he waited for the opportune moment to kill Hrinyakashayapa. A little impatience from Lord Vishnu would have only partially achieved his goal. It reminds us of the value and impartiality of time and that we should always respect it.

Respect ConstraintsNo one faced more constraints and process bottlenecks than Narasimha! God Brahamas near immortality boon to Hiranyakashapu provided him protection from death by man or beast, against devil or god, neither during day or night with steel or stone or wood, indoors or outdoors, or earth or in sky etc. Narasimha adhered to every process hurdle and constraint that was imposed. We often see processes as counter intuitive and drag when it comes to our work. Maybe it appears so at timeshowever whats important to understand is the larger purpose and the context based on which the process has been built.

HistoryXerxes I, king of Persia, led an army estimated to be between 300,000 and 6 million men into Greece on a campaign of conquest in 480 BC. Realizing the threat the Greeks, composed of city states, sent 5,200 volunteers to the mountain pass at Thermopylae in an effort to slow down Xerxes' army and give the rest of the Greeks a chance to pull a combined army together to meet the onslaught. Led by 300 Spartans, the Greeks were able to halt the Persian advance for 7 days at the gates of Thermopylae. Enormous casualties were sustained by the Persians as the disciplined Spartans who, seeking to maximize the damage on their enemy, orchestrated a series of feint retreats, by performing a quick turn back into formation. Coordinating this tactical manoeuvre, considering the chaos of battle and the difficult terrain as Thermopylae is a very narrow pass for a battle, certainly required extraordinary co-ordination and communication planning. The flow of orders from the leadership to the foot soldiers would have been seamless. What they demonstrate to the strategists is that before all things, internal communication flow, a disciplined team, well defined hierarchy, and accountability are the fundamental values that should be established within any organization to be war time ready.

MoviesThe seven Academy Awards winner, Patton is a biopic on U.S. General George S. Patton mostly focusing on his career during World War II. Patton was a profile of the most aggressive American general in World War II. His drive and strategic ingenuity helped U.S. achieve remarkable results on the battlefield. But his aggressive genius was flawed by a temper and callousness toward subordinates. He was often rude and outspoken to the media. He ultimately lost his job as the General where he could have been respected for life. Was the commander of the Allies right to remove Patton from leadership because of his flaws? This movie evokes deep reflections on the emotional intelligence that must underpin true leaders. It is a great example to draw as to how important EQ is vis--vis IQ.