Material Success and Happiness Through Yoga Principles

by Swami Kriyananda
(J. Donald Walters)

Copyright © 2005 Hansa Trust
All rights reserved.

Lesson Fifteen
Effectiveness as an Employer
The Principles
I am writing these lessons for people who live in a new and, I believe, more enlightened age, and especially for those, the children of this age, who recognize the importance of energy in the universe, and therefore in the workplace. Leadership that focuses on increasing the energy-flow and inspires others to direct their energy creatively toward achieving positive results is becoming increasingly recognized these days as a new paradigm in business.
The employer who fits this paradigm views his work in terms of energy-output rather than of his own position and importance. He may not be familiar with the principles of yoga, but in fact he is, in a sense, practicing them already. His unitive view is basic to the principles of yoga, and is also basic to creative and constructive activity in general. In these times people have passed beyond the iconoclasm that was popular a hundred years ago, when protests were hurled against the outmoded and constricting social patterns of the so-called “Victorian era.” In those days men like Nietzsche, George Bernard Shaw, Sartre, Karl Marx, D.H. Lawrence, and numerous others raised shouts—whether in humor or outrage—that this, that, and the other thing was all that was wrong with the world. Many of them favored various kinds of social amputation, so to speak, before things could improve.
Nowadays, progressive people are interested in finding ways to build, not to destroy: ways to unite disparate concepts into a complete and more rounded understanding; to unite people in a greater power of accomplishment; to unite their efforts for more positive results. Increasingly there is a tendency today to stop tearing down the old edifices and to work cooperatively, instead, to erect useful ones. There is a growing spirit, now, of working together to create a harmonious world.
I am aware that the obstacles to this realization are great in both size and number. Ere a better world emerges we may expect great upheavals and, possibly, widespread destruction. Beneath the storm-tossed surface, however, there is a current moving powerfully toward eventual world-wide brotherhood, progress, and peace.
This course of lessons is designed to help that ideal to become manifested.
“Unity in diversity” has been a slogan in India since ancient times. Because I believe that those who read these lessons are people who believe in unity and progress—a goal shared by the yoga teachings—I am writing for progressive people who are unlikely to remain satisfied with long-held but increasingly outmoded traditions. Still less are students of this course likely to endorse practices that are still commonly held in society today, which deprive whole classes of citizens of their essential dignity as human beings.
The view of leadership that is, in fact, increasingly being accepted in the commercial world no longer supports worn-out usages that affirm a sharp dividing line between physical and intellectual labor.
I’ve already mentioned how my Guru came out one day to help a small group of us who were digging in the garden. I observed him panting slightly from exertion, and commented lightly, “It’s hot work!” He replied somewhat sternly: “It is good work!”
When I lived in India, from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, things were in many ways different from what I’ve experienced since my return to live here in 2003. I know I haven’t seen much of the country yet, this time; for one thing, an aging body reduces my motility. I do sense, however, that there is a new spirit in the air.
The employees in many places do, no doubt, still rise to their feet when the boss arrives at the office. And “defilement” is still, I imagine, an issue in many parts of India. If coffee gets spilled on the office floor, moreover, it may still be left there, perhaps all day, until the right person comes to clean it up.
In this respect America is, possibly, on the cutting edge of the sweeping changes in social awareness that are needed everywhere. In most American offices, the boss wouldn’t hesitate to wipe up his own coffee spills; nor would he consider it undignified to do so. Typically, the sons even of wealthy American families think nothing of taking summer jobs at a gas (the American word for petrol) station, or of mowing lawns in the neighborhood. I myself used to mow lawns as a teenager, and to do similarly menial jobs like washing people’s cars. Naturally, one finds “stuffed shirts” in America: people bent on impressing others by looking important. Such people however, generally speaking, make themselves objects of fun—at least behind their backs!
To accept social inequalities as proof of the superiority of small groups of people in society and the inferiority of other groups demeans the true nature of man. Even ego-inflated business tycoons or emperors actually denigrate their true worth as sons of God. Self-importance causes them to preen themselves with foolish pride. They don’t reflect on how brief life is, with its short seasonal glories. In one’s present life, he may play the role of ruler and in his next—more probably so if he has ruled badly—he may be a beggar, or at any rate live in a hovel! (I mentioned earlier having seen a girl begging outside Howrah station many years ago. She looked as if she might once have been a queen.) To emphasize one’s own superiority over others goes against a basic principle of yoga: namely, that all beings are manifestations of the one, Supreme Self.
India, where I live now and where I am writing these lessons, is the seat of the most ancient and spiritual civilization on earth. This is a country rich in inspiration, where the sensitive person feels spiritual power welling up out of the ground. This is a supernal blessing, which has enabled India since time immemorial to rise above the disintegrating influences of time that have caused other ancient civilizations to crumble to dust. Certain age-old prejudices remain—unfortunately but inevitably. Some of them do so because, when rightly understood, they are valid and true.
One such prejudice, based in fact on a truth, is the caste system. As this system is understood and practiced today, it acts as an obstruction to progress and to India’s efforts to claim her rightful place among nations in the present age. Let me therefore discuss that system in the light of its pros and cons.
To begin with, the concept of caste is, as I said, valid and true, and based on a simple recognition of reality. For mankind, too, needs to evolve. Darwin’s theory of evolution is incomplete, and succeeds only as an explanation for the variety of life on earth. It doesn’t explain, however, the deeper truth: namely, that all that variety displays an innate urge on the part of consciousness itself to break out of the cocoon of partial consciousness. Man is the highest of the animals not because he has crowned himself as such, but because, in mankind, self-awareness has come to a focus. Mankind’s evolutional duty is to expand that awareness of self beyond his ego to infinity. The human body is capable, as the lower life forms are not, of aspiring to the heights of pure consciousness.
This is not to say that all men are created equal. That is a mistake made by modern democracy which may eventually prove its undoing. Human equality consists only in the truth that all men equally are children of the One God, and have an equal right before Him to aspire to their own highest potential, and to achieve it by their own effort.
The caste system was originated to help men to understand in which direction to point their evolution: from duller to ever clearer perception; from self-involvement, ultimately, to divine, absolute awareness. As the system has evolved over countless centuries, however, it has become a rationale for keeping whole classes of society suppressed. The needs of our times no longer support suppression on the part of the elite classes over human beings who are lower on the social scale. That is a mind-set belonging to the past; it was never the system intended by Manu, the originator of the caste system. In the future, humanity will develop a keener sense of the underlying oneness of all mankind. That consciousness cannot evolve, however, out of insisting, “I’m just as good as anyone else!” The only reasonable answer to that claim is, “As good at what?”
In the modern business world, the relationship of employers to employees needs to be lifted above both misconceptions. No one, obviously, is the same as anyone else at doing anything. Everyone can and should, however, rise above his present limitations to an ever-clearer understanding of life and of his place in the great scheme of things. That place may be for now only that of a street sweeper; if it is so, others should respect it. People higher up the hill ought, for their own growth, to try to help those lower down to climb also. Everyone’s duty as well as destiny is, sooner or later, to reach the top. To devote energy to keeping others from climbing is not honorable, and hinders oneself from climbing toward his own spiritual destiny.
The ancient caste system was given to humanity as a thing noble. It was meant to inspire. Instead, today, it has become an instrument of oppression. What debased it was the desire of certain members of the higher castes to ensure that their offspring received the same respect as themselves. Caste (so my Guru explained) was not hereditary. Although there is a greater likelihood that people’s offspring will resemble them physically than otherwise, everyone knows that great differences do exist—indeed, fairly frequently. The child of a brahmin may be born with the nature of a vaisya, or he may display the characteristics of an even lower caste. Such people are not, in themselves, brahmins, and should not bear that mark.
Today we live in a new age. Whatever sentiments some have on this score, the discoveries of modern science have certainly opened the eyes of all men to an entirely different class of realities. We must all adjust to them if we are to cope with them effectively.
In 1959, I made a suggestion to a young man in India for some method I thought might help him in his business. Interestingly, his reply was addressed not to the merits of my suggestion, if any, but rather to tradition. He said, “But you see, Sir, this is how my father did it.”
Since then, so many changes have occurred that it is obvious we are now living in different times—almost in a different world. Sweeping changes are occurring in India, also, owing partly to computer technology, partly to bio-technology, and also to many other modern developments. Nowadays the question, “How did my father do it?” is becoming irrelevant for growing numbers of young people—not because they have lost respect for their elders, but because no one, today, can ask people of an older generation how to work a computer or work with bio-technology. When I lived in India before, that technology didn’t exist. New ground these days is being broken on countless fronts. It seems almost incredible to one who lived here forty-five years ago to find that people in America can telephone what they think is a local number, and someone in India answers!
My father was a geologist for Esso (Standard Oil of New Jersey), which, during his lifetime, was the largest company in the world. The goal of every oil company is of course to find and develop oil as a source of energy. Energy is rapidly becoming the key to progress. My own birth took place in Romania, where oil was first found seeping up out of the ground. My father became in time Esso’s chief geologist for Europe, and was made a chevalier of the Legion of Honor in France for his discoveries in that country. He was, in other words, at the forefront of the search for energy sources. His own views, moreover, were compatible with the expansive perceptions that are developing everywhere, which embrace mankind’s ever-growing need for energy. His comment on the honor he’d received from the French government, and the only thing I ever heard him say on the subject, was, “The credit belonged not to me alone, but to our entire office team.”
Employers of the future will, I believe, come to view their employees as teams, and not as people whom they merely pay to obey them. This new spirit, which was the subject of my own last lesson, is already developing out of man’s growing energy-awareness. Success will depend no longer on how many people do a job but on how much energy they generate—in human, mechanical, and electronic terms.
In India especially, I think the great weight of tradition, which has in many ways obstructed progress, must be and is being removed. “Every country,” my Guru stated, “has its own misery-making karma.” The degradation of India’s lower castes is an example of this kind of karma; indeed, I believe it was specifically in reference to the caste system that my Guru made that remark. Originally, as I’ve said, the caste system was created to offer people a spiritual direction. For isn’t it self-evidently fallacious to insist that all men are created equal? There are vast differences in human intelligence, ability, and understanding.
The caste system was conceived originally as a way of helping people to understand that everyone’s destiny is, eventually, upward, from lower to ever higher states of conscious awareness until divine perfection is attained. The modern democratic insistence that all men are equal should rightfully be understood to mean equal in opportunity only; obviously it is not actual reality. Men are equal only in the sense that all human beings should have the equal right to develop to their own highest potentialities.
India’s “misery-making karma,” then, is not the caste system itself, but the degradation of that system into a social mechanism for the suppression of lower levels of society. A “magic” circle was long ago drawn about the higher castes, to the detriment of social elasticity.
Today, some elasticity is returning to India. I have seen places of business where people work together as a team, in friendly cooperation. It is this spirit which will transform the country, and make her once again a shining example for all the world. First, however, India will have to transcend the disintegrating influences of caste, which, generally speaking, has lost its true meaning.
In this lesson I want to convince employers that a cooperative attitude toward those working under them can bring greater benefits to everyone, including themselves. I am addressing the kind of employer, then, who is more interested in doing good work than in being important, personally. Such a person wants to work with others. He doesn’t want others to treat him with servility, for he views those working under him as valuable assets to his firm who deserve to be treated with respect.
Analyze yourself. Determine what kind of employer you yourself are or would like to be. Do you insist on making every important decision yourself? Do you want personal credit for everything that goes well in your establishment? Do you view those working under you as “underlings” rather than as co-workers?
Think how much more you might accomplish by including them in your creative energy! Think, too, how much a sense of inner freedom might contribute to your sense of accomplishment. The more credit a person claims for himself, the more he encloses himself within walls of ego-limitation.
You will be more successful in your work if you surround yourself with creative, intelligent people—co-workers and, in that sense, equals to you. A good employer thinks not only of the usefulness of others to himself or to the firm. He thinks also of his usefulness to them. He wants not only obedience from them, but their creative input and willing energy. Success, to him, means expansion both in his business and in the prosperity and happiness of everyone who works there.
We are studying these matters from a standpoint of yoga principles. Yoga means “union.” Success sought through yoga principles must be achieved through an awareness that truth is one, and that the Spirit of Truth is present equally in everything. Whenever I think of this vision of oneness, I think of how my Guru demonstrated it in all that he did. He never commanded anyone. And though he requested obedience of us, his disciples, what he meant by obedience was revealed, in practice, to be simply an apprenticeship in wisdom. It meant cooperating with him in his guidance of our attempts to achieve perfection. He never demanded anything for himself. He asked only our cooperation with him in achieving our own spiritual enlightenment. What I myself found in that obedience, indeed, was that the more I attuned myself to his consciousness, the more clearly the whole world around me took on a new and deeper meaning. I found myself not only doing things differently, but doing them much better. I learned, for example, to view and behave towards other people in an ever more kindly, supportive spirit. I began to look for ways in which to help them more. The consequence of this growing attitude in myself was that those who worked with me did better work also.
Can my Guru’s way be of benefit to others in less spiritual activities? Indeed, yes! Even those with a less spiritual motivation can emanate supportive thoughts toward others and thereby inspire and encourage them to enjoy their work.
Your duty, as an employer or executive, is to get people moving in the same general direction as your own. When they’ve begun, they will add to the atmosphere of creativity you are trying to develop without becoming, in the process, mere “carbon copies” of yourself.
Other principles, for those who employ others or direct their activities, are important also. One such principle is effective communication. So many people seem interested only in expressing their own ideas, without listening for others’ reactions. Moreover, they don’t consider the need to communicate what is in their minds. It is not enough merely to state one’s ideas. He must communicate them in such a way that others will understand and appreciate them.
I visited Harvard University many years ago to give a lecture. I’d never been on the campus, and asked a passing professor where the hall was located.
“It’s in that direction,” he replied, waving vaguely to his left.
“Are you referring to that gray stone building on the corner?” I inquired.
“Yes, yes, YES!!!” he shouted irascibly as if he’d been addressing some particularly irritating student in a classroom of idiots. Obviously this was his normal way of communicating with others. The episode, brief though it was, has remained with me as an example of the resentment many feel at having to communicate at all.
When dealing with others, try to understand and appreciate their point of view. Place yourself mentally in their shoes. Let them see that you desire to communicate with them.
Be patient. Consider that it may have taken you years to reach your present conclusions. Other people may also need some time, at least, to grow into concepts with which they are as yet unfamiliar.
Respect those who work under you. See them as human beings like yourself. Don’t expect them all to live at any one level of intelligence, talent, or capability. My Guru used to tell us, “You are all like the fingers of my hand; each serves his own function, has his own strengths, and is capable of serving in some special way. All of you, moreover, are equally precious before God.” Look for the special strengths of each person working under you. Don’t dwell on anyone’s weaknesses or inadequacies. Assume that all of them have both strengths and weaknesses, as you have, yourself.
Never belittle the contributions of even the least of those who work under you. A boss must, above all, control his own emotions. Even if he loses his temper at times, he should never be ruled or rule others by it, and would be wise never even to show it. View with alarm, rather, any temptation you feel toward becoming angry. Anger is a fault to be overcome, rather than an emotion to be enjoyed. It obstructs the expression of truth.
Do you want to blame others? Then search out something blameworthy in yourself. You might try, when explaining a thought to others, to put it this way: “Perhaps I didn’t explain myself clearly. Let me try to put it better.” I remember one occasion many years ago, by contrast, when I wrote to a superior in my editing department and asked her to clarify something she’d written me.
Her peremptory reply was a stunner: “I never leave the reader in doubt as to my meaning,” she wrote. Was I not, after all, one such “reader”? And wasn’t I at least intelligent enough to be working in her department? The person you address may in fact be aware that the fault is really his. Still, he will appreciate your gesture if you try to help him to save face. The more you express yourself both sincerely and kindly, the better. Be kind. Be interested—especially in those working under you. Your manner of self-expression may be more effective than any specific words you employ.
When communicating with others, don’t look off to the side, or away from them. Look at them openly and sincerely. You may even find it helpful to gaze at the point in their foreheads between the eyebrows. This can help to raise both their consciousness and yours. Another common tendency people have is to gaze constantly back and forth between one eye and the other when speaking with someone. To my mind, this practice suggests uncertainty. You might try, instead, to look at them, again, between their eyes—perhaps even at the bridge of their noses or (again) between the eyebrows. (This will be a way also of not getting drawn into their magnetism.) If you look downward you may lower the level of communication between you. Looking off to one side, however, may give the impression that you aren’t really interested in the conversation. (Looking off to the side is natural, however, when one ponders a point deeply. It shows that he is taking the matter seriously.)
When speaking, convey energy through your eyes as well as through the tone of your voice. Think of other people as human beings, not as mere points of contact.
When I recorded a series of India-wide television talks in 2004, I looked through the camera lens at the people, as I imagined my listeners behind it.
I still remember an occasion when, as a young man, I was having my eyes examined. The examiner was an attractive young woman, and perhaps for that very reason I was particularly aware that, even though she gazed deeply into my eyes, she did so quite disinterestedly. To her I was not a man. She was gazing into my eyes in a purely clinical manner. I asked myself how I could be so certain. It was that she was projecting no energy to me. She merely noted what she saw there.
When you communicate with others, don’t merely look at them as that young lady did. Make it a conscious point to project energy toward them, as fellow human beings.
At this point, some of my students may wonder, “Is this energy something one can actually feel?” Indeed, yes! You yourself can develop an awareness of that energy-flow by learning and practicing Yogananda’s energization exercises regularly. Everyone would do well to learn and practice them daily. He will find himself developing an awareness of the body’s energy. If you do them, you will be able after a time to send energy out consciously to others through your eyes, through your voice, and through your very facial expressions. You’ll even be able to project a force-field around you, one that people will actually feel in your presence.
I have found that whether I am lecturing to ten people or to thousands, this energy flows out to all of them. People often remark afterward that they could feel that energy.
I have learned many things from lecturing. One of them is never to speak at people. I find it isn’t enough even to speak to them. Rather, I’ve learned to speak with them. That is to say, I share with them with full sincerity.
When you try to communicate with others, go beyond speech itself. Embrace them mentally, rather, in your energy field. Radiate energy toward them. When you do so, you will find more and more that you can inspire people with your ideas, as you yourself are inspired.
Never “pontificate.” Never “talk down.” Never make statements like, “When you’ve had my experience, you’ll know what I’m talking about.” Never lump people into a personal abstraction of your own, by telling them, “What I always tell people is. . . .” Try to make your comments relevant to the individual or particular group of persons. Try always, in doing so, to address their own level of understanding.
Try also to emanate kindness and good will. Above all, show respect. Never condescend, even mentally. View your humblest employee as your equal in everything but, perhaps, experience. As a matter of fact, you may be (and probably are) wiser, more talented, and even, perhaps, more intelligent than most of them, at least. Still, never “talk down,” or condescend. Show respect and courtesy to everyone, and never think of yourself as anyone’s owner merely because you pay his wages. See those under you, rather, as favoring you by working for you. These attitudes will inspire in others a sense of respect toward you and your ideas. Make your hold on people be the magnetism of your kindness toward them, and never by instilling fear into them. If others see that you respect them, they will return that respect manyfold.
Another vitally important point, especially if many people are in your employ, is this: Learn to delegate authority. It is foolish for any leader, especially if his responsibilities are far-flung, to insist on making every decision himself. If you don’t delegate, very little work will actually get done. The larger the vehicle, the wider its wheel-base must be. Just as your brain delegates authority to the fingers, so your employees are, in a sense, extensions of your energy. A pianist cannot think of his fingers specifically while playing. He must let the fingers flow, as he has trained them to do, expressing in their own way his inspiration. You will succeed, especially in a large enterprise, only if you recognize that it simply is not possible for you to make every decision.
When I was developing the first Ananda communities, in all of which, now, about a thousand people live, I learned certain principles that I think every employer—indeed, everyone conducting a group enterprise—would find worthwhile to know. Let me list a few of them.
1) Some of those you attract as employees will understand your ideals, and will share in them. Others, however, may have priorities that are very different. If you want your enterprise to be successful, concentrate on those employees who are with you in spirit; work especially with them. It doesn’t matter if their own solutions to problems differ, sometimes, from those you might have reached. There are, after all, many ways of approaching almost any problem. The vital thing is that those who work under you share your basic ideals and spirit. Over the thirty-seven years to date of Ananda’s existence, it has been the above policy more than any other that has developed a team of leaders whose decisions all spring from a central vision. Though our communities are spread in the world, we all of us are, even today, a single, harmonious unit.
Best of all at Ananda is the unity of friendship, kindness, and good will. Arguments are virtually non-existent. Indeed, I recall none to mind, and certainly don’t remember any basic disagreements over more than twenty years that haven’t ended amicably. (In the early days, when Ananda Sangha still needed definition, things were somewhat different.) Harmony prevails now because the leaders rule benignly, and because everyone shares the same basic vision and understands that the spirit behind the work is more important than the work itself.
2) It is important, when working with people, to realize that each of them may also have a personal agenda, and is working out his own karma. Everyone, after all, is centered in and functions from his own ego. This fact may in the abstract seem unfortunate, but it should not be deplored any more than we regret the fact that night follows day. What is, simply is. Man’s ego is a gift to him from God—one not granted in equal measure to any other species. The ego helps man eventually, as it prompts him to refine his consciousness of self, to an understanding that his true Self is infinite. One ought not to equate ego-consciousness with pride. What it signifies, rather, is self-awareness, which leads to an expansion of awareness to infinity.
Pride, on the other hand, is the greatest barrier to spiritual growth, for it affirms a delusive self-importance, and impedes one from climbing further up the ladder of awareness. As my Guru put it, one must avoid both superiority and inferiority complexes, for they prevent one from expanding into a greater reality.
The way to reach people is to understand them from within—from your own center to their center. You must inspire them to want whatever you ask them to do. Remember, at the same time, you’ll never be able, and should not even want, to undo all the complexity that has gone into making people who and what they are. Some will support you; others, and for many reasons, may not only withhold their support but even betray you. “Loyalty,” my Guru often used to say, “is the first law of God.” This quality is a precious ornament. Never presume of anyone that he is adorned by it. Simply be grateful, when you find people who are loyal. At the same time, keep in mind that some people wear cheap imitation jewelry. They may hide their lack of concern for your priorities behind a mask of merely pretended enthusiasm.
3) Don’t be afraid to test people—especially before you give them a position of importance. Give them a chance to show their true mettle. Test their sincerity. Test their honesty. Test their truthfulness. Never withdraw your friendship from anyone, even if he turns against you, but keep your eyes open to the simple fact that few will be, to you, as you would like them to be. Keep a calm center in your heart from which you look out impartially upon the world, things, and other people. Never judge, but at the same time don’t be a simpleton. Don’t encourage in anyone the thought that he can easily fool you. To be conscious of human fallibility is not to develop a suspicious nature: It is simply to be aware of human realities. The consequence of this awareness is, perhaps surprisingly, a greater trust in everyone for the simple reason that, recognizing man’s infinite possibilities for error, you place your trust fully in God.
4) A leader cannot afford to be too easily influenced by emotions, whether his own or those of other people. If you hold a position of authority, you may feel a need to have a few confidants, with whom you can air your frustrations and disappointments. Don’t, however, let yourself be drawn into other people’s emotions. The boss who can control his own feelings, or at least his display of them, will find it relatively easy to minimize the politics in the workplace that so often disturb the general peace.
5) Before you employ anyone, consider his attitude more even than his capabilities. People with wrong attitudes, even those who are very skillful, will in time become thorns in your side.
6) Because human nature carries no guarantee that it will follow a single track, if someone you’ve hired proves to be unwilling or unable to tune in to the group spirit you’re trying to develop, he should simply not be given too much energy, Don’t waste time in excessive effort to win him over. Let others who insist on doing so take on that job. In my experience, any such attempt proves almost always a simple waste of time and effort. Concentrate, rather, on working with those who are willing, supportive, cheerful, and loyal.
7) It is always painful when people turn against you, misunderstand your good intentions, or betray the friendship you’ve given them. If (or perhaps I should say, when) this happens, don’t let anger poison your heart. Continue to be their friend—in your heart, at least. Not only will such an attitude protect your peace of mind, but it will help you thereby to develop gradually a team of loyal co-workers whose support and friendship is yours outside the workplace, also. The love all of you share together will have a greater value for you than any amount of jewels.
8) There was a slogan where I once worked: “The individual is not important: all that matters is the work itself.” I disagreed with that slogan at the time, and disagree with it even more strongly now. Any work, especially one that is intended to be of service to others, must be defined in terms of the people it is intended to serve! If they are not given first consideration, the crop will be barren! Your co-workers must be given first consideration, then.
When the roots of a tree receive no water, what matters it subsequently, once the tree dies, if the land around it all becomes flooded? The people you serve—that is to say your customers—are the final test of whatever you produce, but your first loyalty should be to your staff. After them in importance come those who want the products you offer. I don’t mean to heed too literally the famous slogan of Macy’s department store, “The customer is always right.” The important thing is that your customers’ wishes be respected. Even when you disagree with them, give their wishes kindly and respectful attention and consideration. And give the same—indeed, even more so—to the wishes of your co-workers.
9) Not a few times in my life I have gone along with ideas that I expected to prove impractical, simply in order to let their proponents learn from their own experience. (Sometimes, they have been able to show they were right.) Once, by contrast, I had a boss who used to dismiss my ideas scornfully. If your job is to lead others, try this simple principle: Lead; never drive.
10) An important part of your job is to encourage creativity in others. Don’t mind it if someone under you outshines you. A boss who tries to outshine others at everything becomes, in the end, outstandingly inept.
11) Give as much credit to others as possible. Don’t try to “hog” the credit all for yourself. My father once chuckled over the introduction to a scientific book he’d read in French. The fact that it was in that language may account for the quaintness of the phrasing in the English translation. The introduction, after praising the book, added, “The author has carried out his task ably, in accordance with our directions, and under our constant supervision.” (!) Even if an idea was your own, ideas themselves are impersonal: They cannot be owned by anyone.
12) The same may of course be said for any direction you give to others. I’ve often smiled at the memory of a family I accompanied to Disneyland, in southern California, many years ago. A little lake on that property contained boats which ran on underwater tracks, and were “decorated” with fake steering wheels to give passengers the illusion of being in control of the movements. We rented several craft. From where I was floating I saw two of my guests, an elderly couple, a little distance across the water from me. I hailed them, and the wife in answer called out cheerfully, then turned to her husband and said, “Look, Dear, wave back!”
“Don’t interrupt!” he cried tensely. “Can’t you see I’m trying to steer clear of those rocks just ahead!” What fun we had, teasing him afterward when the “danger” had passed, and we’d returned “safely” to land.
13) A further point: Don’t begin a staff meeting by asking for ideas. Have an agenda, and make sure everyone follows it. Make a proposal, and then invite suggestions, but never let the discussion degenerate into a conversational free-for-all. Hold the reins in your hands. If people stray from the point—a very common tendency in group discussions—bring them back gently, but firmly, to the issue at hand.
14) The extent to which you need to make clear the fact that you are the boss, as opposed to being everyone’s friend, cannot be written into any system of rules. Many issues must be resolved intuitively. Moreover, there may be many factors involved, including differences of personality and situation, and varying degrees of emotional intensity.
15) It is important that you be perceived clearly as the one in charge, whenever the need for that perception arises. It is also important, however, that fair-minded people not perceive you as being a dictator. (There are disgruntled persons whom no amount of concession will appease. These individuals ought to be simply ignored.) The choice between discipline and permissiveness will often be subtle. If others do not clearly perceive you as the one in charge, the work force itself may lack any real discipline. On the other hand, if you rule with too heavy a hand, especially in petty matters, people will cease to respect you and will look for ways to get around any directive they don’t like. On this issue you will have to feel your way sensitively. No one rule applies to every situation.
16) The most important rule for you, as the leader, is to be always centered in yourself—in the spine, as the yoga philosophy teaches. From that inner center you will be able most effectively to influence others—each of them at his own center. Visualize yourself as relating to others from your center to their center. Even janitors and others in your work force whose position is relatively menial will respond supportively if you treat them, equally with everyone else, as expressions of God. In their inner Self, indeed, they always shine with His light.
The Application
Try always to discriminate between your egoic and your spiritual self. Not only will you be happier and more fulfilled when you do so, but you will succeed better in the work you do. Maintain a certain impersonality even toward yourself. If you follow Krishna’s advice, in the Bhagavad Gita, regarding non-attachment to the fruits of action, you will find it relatively easy not to let anyone’s emotions affect you and will think rather in terms of what actions lead to success.
In any serious enterprise, desires and emotions have no place. I do not at all mean to eliminate feelings, as such: enthusiasm, for example, for a worthwhile project. Feelings, however, cannot be constructive unless they are directed calmly towards worthwhile goals. They become disruptive if they are agitated, or are fanned to flames of desire and emotions.
In any situation, be clear, always, concerning what is right and true. Never do what you merely desire. Above all, if ever you feel yourself getting angry, and especially if you feel like expressing that emotion outwardly, do your best not to express it as a personal emotion. Truth and rightness must always be your first concern. Righteous indignation can sometimes, in fact, even be a good thing, but it should always be expressed with concern and respect for other people’s feelings. You yourself, in your leadership position, cannot afford the pettiness of personal emotions, and must always at least try to remain calmly centered within. It is also important to respect the emotions of others, for, whether you approve of their actions or not, these are realities with which you must deal. Never scoff at or ignore anyone.
Being a boss or leader is a very good discipline in the art of yoga. Learn, if circumstances place you in that role, to play it with wisdom!
Meditation
Think, while working, that you are sending waves of light and energy out into the world. These are not conquering waves. Try, rather, to inspire in receptive souls a kindred light and energy. Mentally invite them to join you. Visualize yourself, and all of those with whom you work, as diffusing light and energy to the world. Inspire others to be more aware at their own inner center. See all that you do—whether administrative, selling, or creative work—as projections of your energy. Imagine that the quality of that energy is uplifting everyone who needs peace and happiness.
Affirmation
“I serve others through the work I do. 
Let my energy ever be a channel of 
Thy love and joy to all.”

Points to Remember
1. Leadership that focuses on increasing the energy-flow and inspires others to direct their energy creatively toward achieving positive results is becoming recognized these days as a new paradigm in business.
2. To emphasize one's own superiority over others goes against a basic principle of yoga: namely, that all beings are manifestations of the one, Supreme Self.
3. A cooperative attitude toward those working under you can bring greater benefits to everyone, including yourself. 
4. Success, to a good employer, means expansion both in his business and in the prosperity and happiness of everyone who works there.
5. Emanate supportive thoughts toward others and thereby inspire and encourage them to enjoy their work.
6. Your duty, as an employer or executive, is to get people moving in the same general direction as your own. 
7. A leader must communicate his ideas in such a way that others will understand and appreciate them. Try to understand and appreciate others’ point of view. 
8. Be patient. Consider that it may have taken you years to reach your present conclusions. 
9. Look for the special strengths of each person working under you. Don't dwell on anyone's weaknesses. 
10. Never belittle the contributions of even the least of those who work under you. 
11. The more you express yourself both sincerely and kindly, the better. Be interested -- especially in those working under you. 
12. When communicating with others, look at them openly and sincerely. You may even find it helpful to gaze at the point in their foreheads between the eyebrows. When speaking, convey energy through your eyes as well as through the tone of your voice.
13. Yogananda's energization exercises will help you develop an awareness of the body's energy, which you can send out consciously to others. 
14. Speak with people. Embrace them mentally in your energy field. You will find that you can inspire people with your ideas, as you yourself are inspired.
15. Above all, show respect. Never condescend, even mentally. Make your hold on people be the magnetism of your kindness toward them.
16. Learn to delegate authority. 
17. The vital thing is that those who work under you share your basic ideals and spirit. Concentrate on working with those who are willing, supportive, cheerful, and loyal.
18. Realize and accept that each person may also have a personal agenda, and is working out his own karma. 
19. Avoid both superiority and inferiority complexes, for they prevent one from expanding into a greater reality.
20. Don't be afraid to test people -- especially before you give them a position of importance. 
21.Keep a calm center in your heart from which you look out impartially upon the world and other people. Never judge, but don't encourage in anyone the thought that he can easily fool you. 
22. A leader cannot afford to be too easily influenced by emotions, whether his own or those of other people. 
23. Before you employ anyone, consider his attitude more even than his capabilities. 
24. The people you serve -- that is to say your customers -- are the final test of whatever you produce, but your first loyalty should be to your staff. 
25. An important part of your job is to encourage creativity in others. Give as much credit to others as possible. 
26. Have an agenda for your staff meeting, and make sure everyone follows it. Make a proposal, and then invite suggestions. 
27. If others do not clearly perceive you as the one in charge, the work force itself may lack any real discipline. On the other hand, if you rule with too heavy a hand, people will cease to respect you. 
28. The most important rule for you is to be always centered in yourself -- in the spine. Visualize yourself as relating to others from your center to their center. Treat everyone equally, as expressions of God. 
29. Try always to discriminate between your egoic and your spiritual self. Maintain a certain impersonality even toward yourself. 
30. Be clear, always, concerning what is right and true. You cannot afford the pettiness of personal emotions. It is, however, important to respect the emotions of others. 
31. Visualize yourself, and all of those with whom you work, as diffusing light and energy to the world. Imagine that the quality of that energy is uplifting everyone who needs peace and happiness.

Workbook Ideas
by Joseph Bharat Cornell

Radiate Goodwill 

The Indian scriptures say that in higher ages all things live in joyful harmony. People and animals, and even trees, support one another and take delight in the well-being of all. As an employer, you have a wonderful opportunity—and responsibility—to create an atmosphere of harmony and support for your employees. Paramhansa Yogananda said, “The instrument is blessed by that which flows through it.” The more you support the higher needs and well-being of your employees, the more you and your business will prosper. 

Employees usually treat each other the way their employer treats them. Being kind and respectful to one’s staff inspires them to be considerate in return. A happy, harmonious workforce is crucial to the magnetism and success of any endeavor. 

You can create a more supportive work environment by consciously projecting thoughts of goodwill to your staff. Conversing with others is a dynamic way of sharing your vibration and consciousness. The more you relate on a soul level with your employees, the more your work relationships will be exalted, and the more your staff’s motivation for working for you will be selfless and idealistic.    

Even if you are a skilled communicator, applying the following principles will take your skill to a higher level. Take time beforehand, if possible, to prepare yourself for conversing with others by doing the following:   

•	Calm your feelings. Make sure they are directed toward a productive goal. 
•	Be impartial. Ask what is right and true for this situation, these people. 
•	Meditate to feel the divine presence. 

While speaking with people focus on the following:

1.	Visualize yourself relating to others from your center to their center. 
2.	Mentally embrace them by radiating your energy outward to them. 
3.	Concentrate on projecting energy through your eyes, as well as the tone of your voice. Gaze at the spiritual eye, or point between the eyebrows, of those you are conversing with; this will raise both their consciousness and yours.   
4.	Don’t just state an idea. Communicate it creatively. Ask yourself, “What can I say that will help this person embrace this idea more fully?” 
5.	Never speak at people or even to them, but with them. 
6.	Appreciate their point of view. Listen for their reactions to what you say. Doing so will allow you to anticipate and answer their unspoken questions or concerns. 
7.	Be patient. Work with people’s realities, not against them. 
8.	As you interact with others, keep the following guidelines uppermost in your mind: Be kind. Be interested. Be gracious. 

Feel Yourself as Energy 

The more aware you are of energy flowing in your body, the more you can direct it toward anything you do.  Practice the following technique from Paramhansa Yogananda’s Energization Exercises.

Do this three times before conversing with others. Then concentrate on radiating the energy you feel outward to them.   

Stand upright. Inhale slowly, and gradually tense the whole body (with low, medium, and then high tension) to the point where it vibrates. Gaze upward at the point between the eyebrows; with concentration, feel energy flowing into the body. Hold the tension for a few moments and consciously fill the whole body with energy. Then exhale and slowly relax, feeling the energy as it withdraws from the body parts. Always tense with will, then relax and feel.