Result Oriented Karmayogi : An Oxymoron

“Wanted : A Result Oriented Leader ….. ”. One sees so much communication with this heading. There is also an entire ‘Result Oriented Management’ theme that is professed.

Focus is on results i.e. targets, topline, bottomline, P/E, stock value. Quantified end results that are chased month after month, quarter after quarter, year after year. Closing date pressures create stress and work life imbalances. Hypertension and heart diseases occur at younger and younger ages for a leader.

Lord Krishna, on the other hand, many millennia ago, spoke of Karmayoga (Yoga of Action) in The Gita . He professed focus on ‘action’ rather than ‘result/outcome’ for a leader, or in fact for anyone. If the action is right, result is only an ‘effect’ ….. The causality aspect of The Universe !!

With so much focus on the end result, is it any surprise that we have so many extreme issues…Lehman, Satyam, Yes Bank ….. corpses strewn all over in the corporate graveyard because of or inspite of the much touted ‘results oriented’ approach.

Try driving a car with eyes focused only on the dashboard instead of on the road/path. Obviously, the ‘action’ of ‘right’ driving will not be feasible, possibly taking one on the wrong ‘path’ ….. and to a crash. During the journey, the driver should concentrate on the ‘right path’, with only an occasional glance at the dashboard, just to check progress parameters….. with detachment.

Fundamentally, with eyes on, say, stock price, the process is bound to get compromised. The chase for faster achievement of the ‘result’ leads to short cuts. The eyes and mind are only on the ‘target’ and not on ‘action’; what to say of ‘right action’.

How then, can ‘causal’ action steps get taken ?….. which if done right, will automatically lead to ‘results’ ?

In any case, too much rigid quantification itself is meaningless as the true nature of this world is wave-particles. Hence, the frequency of vibration ‘matters’ as well. Is it time to look at ‘qualitification’ as well.

And would it be better to say “Wanted : An Action Oriented Leader …..” !!

A soft spoken and effective motivator, JP Singh is a visionary with great energy and passion for business success. He equips leaders to better navigate all aspects of their strategic challenges and to strengthen their business perspective and leadership effectiveness.