Transformational Leadership: Insights from Rāmāyan

This article is a textual analysis done by referring Rāmāyan as the main text. It is true that there is a huge debate about the characters of Rāmāyan. Nevertheless, read this as only a textual analysis. 

Rāmāyana is considered as one of the main narratives in Indian philosophy. it is based on the story of Rāma who was a prince of India and Rāwanā who was a king of Sri Lanka. Simply it is named as the epic of Rāma. The prince of Rāma had to engage in a war in Ceylon in order to rescue Sītā from Rāwanā. For that, he made himself a great leader to lead his followers in order to win the war in Ceylon. He had the characteristics of a transformational leader.

Characteristics of a transformational leader with examples from Rāmāyana

1. Gain commitment through inspiration

-Rāma is an inspirational leader

-Although Vānara army was inadequate to fight a battle with Rāwanā, with the inspiration of Rāma as a leader they were able to win the war. 

- (When a leader is inspirational, the employees would give their maximum support to the growth of the organization)

2. Involved primarily with the organizational purpose

-When Bharatha’s mother asked Rāma to exile for 14 years as the promise that his father has given, Rāma had been courageous to agree with that decision though he was the crown prince to the kingship

3. Visionary and long-term oriented 

- Before Rāma’s exile to the forest he communicated his future visionary about Ayodhyā

-the decision that has taken to fight

4. Motivate people through charismatic behaviour

-Motivated small vānara army in order to fight and win against powerful army of the Rāwana

5. Value-oriented

- Rāma did not break any promise/word that was given to anyone

6. Believed in people

- Rāma fully trusted on Sugrīva and vānara army for rescuing Seetha

7. Courageous

- Rāma was brave to take the risk to protect his father’s promise that gave to kaikeyi

8. Ability to handle any difficult situation

-the situations occurred during the war

-banishment of Seetha from Ayodhyā

Kaikeyi who was the mother of Bharatha take a word from the king to make her son Bharatha as the king of Ayodhyā and Rāma to be exiled for fourteen years. However, ‘Sita and faithful Lakshman accompanied Rāma in his exile’ (Dutt, 1944, p. 45). When Rāwana abducted Seetha, then Rāma had a huge task to rescue her from the powerful king Rāwana. The way that the Rāma followed has a connection with modern management principles. Forming a vision, setting objectives and SWOT analysis have done by the prince Rāma. Rāma had a vision about the future of Ayodhyā and he had the responsibility to protect Lakshman and Seetha as they have come along with him without thinking about their comfort. When Seetha was kidnapped he made rescuing Seetha as the objective of him. 

Rāma has done SWOT analysis that can be defined as analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Rāma knew that even though he had the support of Sugriva and the vānara army, it was not sufficient to fight with a powerful king. Quantity of Rāwana’s army was huge when comparing with Rāma’s. Rāma sends Hanumān who was one of the worriers of the vānara army in order to get to know about the opportunities that might be helpful to the battle and to identify the threats. The text has mentioned that ‘among the many chiefs sent by Sugriva in different directions in search of Seetha, Hanumān succeed in the quest and discovered Seetha in Ceylon’ (Dutt, 1944, p. 123). Hanumān got to know that she has kept with a guard of Rāksha females and before leaving, he set fire to the whole city. Rāma got to know about the threats From Hanumān and he was able to organize relevant things. 

As there were no suitable way to go to Ceylon Rāma along with Lakshman and the vānara army built a cause way from India to Ceylon. Team building and team work is there. However, without the leadership of Rāma, building a causeway would be difficult. He has built a team, motivated and encouraged them in order to achieve the goal of rescuing Seetha because as a team they have made it as their common objective. 

Moreover, the battle between Rāma and Rāwana should be given the priority as most of the leadership qualities of both of them can be seen during the war. Rāwana sent several powerful people to the battle. However, they never return. Therefore, Rāwana himself thought to fight with Rāma.  In a way, Rāwana was an influential leader as he had the determination to win the war. That is why he swore that either his wife Mandodari or Seetha would be a widow at the end of the day. That means he has decided to put his every effort to this battle. 

The way that both sides of the battle have created their army should be listed. In Rāma’s side, there were Lakshman and various vānara and in the Rāwana’s side there were his brother Kumbha-karna, his son Indrajith and Rākshas. It is true that both leaders have choosen the best army that they are able to make according to their ability. 

In the battle, Rāma did not want to kill Rāwana at the first sight. Although Rāwana has driven by anger, Rāma had the immense strength and he was self-assured. Rāma asked Māthali who was sent by the God to help Rāma, to move his chariot calmly though king Rāwana asked to drive his chariot by using the full speed towards Rāma’s chariot. When driving towards Rāwana, Rāma saw that someone from Rāwana’s army was trying to attach Lakshmana. Rāma was able to block his way because his chariot was driven calmly. Rāma acted as a real leader who looks after his followers. Therefore, the leadership character of Rāma can be defined as a mastermind when comparing to Rāwana because he was blinded from emotive feelings.  

Rāma strategically aimed at Rāwana’s army when Rāwana was aimed at killing Rāma. Rāma wanted to change Rāwana’s mind that is aimed to kill opposite side people and celebrate victory. For that, he killed people of Rāwana’s army thinking that it would affect to him and he will change his mind to give up this battle. Rāma took every decision to do good even for the people who come to kill him and to give them the chance to concede and live. However, continue creating deceptions as showing the re-birth of the killed people. However, Rāma was intelligent enough to see the reality. Rāma as the ideal hero of the story believed only about his physical strengths than other deceptions. 

Rāwana wanted to end the war by killing Rāma. He shoots a deadly ashtra towards Rāma. Nevertheless, he was able to collapse it by using a mantra. This shows how much knowledge that Rāma has in every field. It should be stated that any leader should have to have some knowledge on every field because it would be helpful in any given situation in order to help his team. Rāma shoots arrows to cut down Rāwana’s heads. However, his heads were re-generated because of a charm. However, as Rāwana fainted for a while he has given his full attention to protecting his heads. Rāma had enough chance to kill him. But his transformational leadership characters and morality has stopped him by doing it. 

Rāwana’s charioteer tried to show that Rāma is acting morally because he did not shoot him even though he had the chance to do that. However,  Rāwana  as a leader did not listen to his subordinates. He had not even identified deadly place of him.   Rāma understood that Rāwana couldn’t be killed by cutting his heads. Therefore, he directly aimed at Rāwana’s heart. However, Rāma asked Vibhishana to bury Rāwana properly with all the royal honors.this shows that how Rāma is succeed in his leadership. He did not allow evil emotive feelings to control him.

 

Thus, the functions of a leader can be used to identify the characteristics of Rāma as a leader.

Functions of a leader with exampl

1.Determine goals 

-the goal on the future of Ayodhyā

-rescuing Seetha

2.Organization 

-forming the vānara army

3.Coordination

-coordinated Hanuman, Lakshman and other people in the army

4.Motivation

-the army was motivated throughout the battle

-motivating the people of the Ayodhyā about future

5.Representation 

-Rāma himself engaged in everything at the war

6. Evaluation of performance

-gave rewards to the participants

Furthermore, the inborn leadership qualities that can be identified in the character of Rāma can be summarized as following. 

“Energy

Enthusiasm

Personality

Intelligence

Judgment

Self-confidence

Moral courage and integrity

Will power and flexibility

Emotional stability

Knowledge and human relations” (2017, p. 48)

Conclusion

Both the charccteristics of Rāma and Rāwana    can be seen in the modern organizational leaders and managers. 

Leadership characteristics of Rāwana   

-Autocratic leader

-give definite instructions, do not accept subordinate influences on decisions and also do not ask suggestions from others 

-Driven by emotive feelings

-To a certain extent he is immoral.

- However, the way he treated Seetha should be admired

-Courageous

-Believe in the powers, deceptions, weapons 

Leadership characteristics of Rāma

- Democratic leader

-‘welcomes the participation in the formulation of policies and decision making’ (2017, p. 50)

-listen to subordinates 

-accept suggestions after evaluating them

-Value driven 

-Moral

 

- Courageous +Self-confident

-Believe in the power of team work, physical means, human resource

-Trust on the potential of the employees

As such, one can choose to be either a Rāwana who encourage employees to the perils or a Rāma who trust on the employees and their potential. 

Works Cited

Dessler, G. (2015). Human Resources Management (14th edition ed.). England

: Pearson Education Limited.

Dutt, R. C. (1944). THE RAMAYANA (Epic of Rama, Prince of India). Allahabad: KITABISTAN .

Torrington, Derek; Hall, Laura; Taylor; Stephen; Atkinson,Carol;. (2011). Human Resources Management (8th edition ed.). England: Pearson Education Limited .