Leadership without asserting leadership- Lessons from Buddha


Finally, Buddha had chosen his successor.

He didn’t choose him through any entrance test. Nor did he ask him to engage in debate competition (vaad-vivaad) as was the norm in those days. He didn’t employ any other logical or rational methods that were often used by kingdoms and republics (chiefly republics ) to chose king or ministers/priests.

But he chose his successor.

Buddha chose Mahakashyap from among thousands of highly talented Bhikkhus (Disciple monks) without using any rational method.

But why?

How could he make such an important decision just like that?

A decision that could decide the entire fate of his sangha, and therefore, dhamma (religion) had been taken without going through the proper scrutinizing process.

How could this even be possible?

The decision had set the tongue wagging and people were asking all these questions when Buddha handed over the white lotus to smiling Mahakashyap.

The congregation (sangha) was surprised.

Stunned, to be honest.

Mahakashyapa was among the 10 principal disciples of Buddha. Which meant anyone of those 10 disciples could become the successor to Buddha. In fact, he was not even the top contender. Most people considered Ananda to be on the top in the race. After all, he was the favorite of Buddha who had been entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of him.

Then, there were others who were equally brilliant. Like Sariputra or Maudgalyayana.

And, going by the popular perception, Buddha himself was not sure about his successor. According to him, all his principal disciples were equally brilliant.

And, to make matter worse, all were enlightened.

But one event changed it all.

That day, when Buddha took his seat, he didn’t say anything for hours. He sat there in silence. Normally, he would start speaking the moment he will enter the hall.

Today was un-unusual. He didn’t utter a single word. Rather, he kept looking at the white lotus offered to him by a poor man.

It was a strange lotus.

It was not a lotus season. And the color of the flower made it unique too. White lotus was a rare phenomenon.

Buddha kept looking at it. In front of thousands of people.

He just won’t speak.

There was pin-drop silence in the assembly.

All the disciples in the room were in awe. They didn’t know what to make of this scenario. They were waiting for the master to say something. Master!! Say something!!

But master was staring at the flower.

Suddenly, Mahakashyap smiled. With that, Buddha smiled too.

Sermon had been delivered.

Only one person got it: Mahakashyap. And he was chosen as a successor.

Above mentioned story is known as “Flower Sermon” in Zen Buddhism. The word “Zen” s derived from the Chinese word “Chan”, which itself is derived from the Sanskrit word “Dhyan”.

This story contains remarkable leadership lessons for our time.

In my professional experience so far, I have witnessed many organizations and start-ups grapple with the idea of leadership. Especially when it comes to hiring leaders or people at very senior roles for the core team.

The problem is more acute in start-ups where founders, more often than not, tend to hire people who are just a replica of themselves.

If they are not, then they try to turn them into one by forcing their work-culture, work-ethics on them.

In the process, they end up building an organization that looks more like a herd rather than a team.

Whereas the aim was to build a team of creative people who could come up with original ideas. What they have, instead, is a herd waiting for direction from the master before taking the next step.

What Buddha had done, while forming his organization, was something radically different. He would hire anyone who bought into the core of his worldview. Which was anyway highly radical for his time that was filled with superstition and discrimination.

This strategy made sure that the people he attracted to his sangha were also radical and iconoclast.

Founders also need to understand this. They will attract the people who are in synergy with the idea they are selling. A generic idea will only get generic talent excited. Unless the idea is being told in a very radical way.

Hiring anyone who was even distantly excited by the idea made sure Buddha could scale up rapidly. It also provided him the options to chose from.

Once the team of bhikkhus (disciple monks) had been formed ( or hired, in our case), Buddha never tried to change their original nature. After all, that’s what they had been hired for. He simply advised them to be their own self.

App Deepo Bhav ( Be Your Own Lamp) is one of his world-famous teaching. All it says is that you should be illuminated by your own light. Not by others'.

That doesn’t mean Buddha didn’t preach to his disciples. He did deliver his regular sermons to make sure that the disciples operated within the broader framework and did not lose sight of the ultimate aim: Enlightenment

Now, this kind of leadership where employees are not expected to be the replica of their masters and are allowed to develop their instruments is easier said than done. It requires a great character to develop this trait. But once developed, it creates an exceptional culture.

A culture where every person is a potential CEO. Lamps.

Working among these lamps is a mind-blowing experience as ideas keep pouring from all the corners. Day in and day out. It may turn into a problem but a good problem to have.

 Work gets completed without any external supervision. Office politics is reduced to a minimum. Almost non-existent.

This situation is completely the opposite of what the majority of organizations face. Lack of ideas, lack of people with conviction. Too much supervision required to get the work done. Etc. Etc.

And finally, when the time for selection of senior-most leader arises, organizations won’t have to look outside. Either for training or resources.

They will already have a pool of leaders. All they will need to do is choose one.

And they will know who to chose. They will, just now. They will feel it.

The way Buddha did. When Mahakashyapa smiled.

And see what an organization he made. That even 2600 years later, we are talking about it.

Gaurav Singh

D2C | Ecommerce | Revenue Growth | Digital Marketing | ❤️ Startups

4y

A lot to learn from these insights. Especially new age start ups and corporates can learn about leadership.

Aprajita Singh,PhD

Academician | Thought Leader | Environmental Tribunal Specialist | Author in Environmental law I Youtuber | Vlogger |Influencer

4y

Brilliant insights on leadership.

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