Organisations today are cognisant of the fact that there will always be a demand for products and services in the market. However, what differentiates one organisation from their competition is their philosophy. It reflects their culture and belief system, forming the basis of the organisations’ core values that dictate all aspects of their business practices. Thus, acting as the operational blueprint for the organisation. This is because the process of developing and understanding the business’ philosophy can help build a cohesive and productive organisation that’s armed to handle any challenge thrown at it. Many organisations usually refer to this as the mission statement or the company’s vision.

Over time and with experience, most employees feel the need to know and understand a prospective company’s philosophy to be able to compare it with their own to check for compatibility. Because a strong company philosophy helps provide direction and clarity to its employees and acts as a guide for employees at decision-making crossroads. While at the same time, it also doubles up as a strong branding tool, which generally makes the workplace more amiable. However, sometimes the same principles that help ease our work can also hinder our delivery timelines, especially when we are on a time crunched project, and need things to move fast. The same processes that outlay the organisation’s philosophy and serve as the organisation’s blueprint can also plug in a pregnant pause in our deliverables, almost akin to the perplexities of the relationship between policy and administration. Can we override these challenges every time or do we take a deep breath and recognise the dichotomy of duality that go hand in glove with them? Would our conscience allow us to overstep the line and take our chances?

We would all like to believe we are the custodians of righteousness. However, we must also realise that life is not linear. It runs parallel. Every choice we make reveals a new path and creates a new reality. We exist in this reality donning multiple hats to play multiple roles – as a learner, mentor, friend, partner, colleague to name a few. And at times we find ourselves torn between these multiple roles and question ourselves and the path we decided to embark upon, losing sight of our destination and journey. But let me tell you, you are not alone here. In the Indian epic, the Mahabharata, the third of the five Pandava brothers, Arjuna, was known for his steadfastness and singlemindedness in pursuing his goals. He was also the relinquisher of adharma who engaged in fratricide. Did his means justify the end, the greater good? Did his journey overshadow his goals? Would it be safe to assume that if our end and means are appropriate and righteous, it does not call for justification? Or should we take comfort in the fact that the doctrine of end vs. means is a dichotomy that exists and needs to be faced every time we are required to make a decision?

In fact, a lot of us struggle with the ‘making it to the finish line’ syndrome, thanks to the goals we have set for ourselves. Sometimes, we get so caught in the rut that instead of we driving our goals, our goals start driving us. In that process, we get so obsessed, that we forget all about the journey that has led us to meeting, or even perhaps not meeting our goals, but leaving us with learnings we will value for a long, long time – which is the very purpose of life. Isn’t it?

This one quote from the Gita, “Karm karo, phal ki chinta mat karo” translates to “exercise your duties without bothering about the outcome” is what really sums up life. In corporate life too, it is essential to understand that while personal and professional goals are important to focus on, it is the journey that counts. You may become fixated to be at a certain position in certain number of years, but what eventually pushes you towards it would be the journey that unfolds, made of all the choices you made. Attaining the goal is just a by-product of your journey.

There may be some goals that are personal, some shared with your team, and some with your organisation as a whole. But all these goals will take you on a journey – some of which would be personal to you, and for some that belong to you as part of the larger group. Some choices will work in your favour, and some may not. But it’s important to remember, decisions are not always black and white. Choices are not always easy and straightforward. And sometimes, you might be taking the most appropriate decision and yet fall flat on your face. Because that’s life, and that’s learning, and that’s indeed the JOURNEY!

Because the life that we are living is not one but multiple, and each moment and situation demands ethics/righteousness/dharma to be adapted to that situation and thus there is no constant.

People proclaim to be a Pandava because who would like to say they are the Kauravas! But what if one is a Kaurava disillusioned that they are a Pandava? Hence, while we would all want to emulate the Pandavas and their virtues, a closer inspection reveals that we all have a little bit of both, the Pandavas as well as the Kauravas in us.

We can rise to the level of Krishna, but for that we would need to focus on the journey and not necessarily the outcome. Because the attachment to outcome binds us to the emotions of sorrow and captivity. And if we want to be free, which the Gita in its core propagates, it will be to tread the multiple paths and roles at the same time without committing to the outcome as the achievement or non-achievement of the same does not bind us to self-validation.

It guides us to the path of self-realisation. And while some spend a lifetime understanding what this means, others manage to crack the code early on. One such person who comes to my mind naturally is Steve Jobs. If you look back in history, he visited India after he dropped out of college and went to the Kainchi Dham ashram. This is where it is claimed he got in touch with his inner self and saw the vision to build his brand, Apple. In fact, his parting message to his near and dear ones was to look inside oneself and realise yourself. He stressed on the need to look at the world from the inside out. Here, I leave you with a quote from Steve Jobs:

 “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma-which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” ? Steve Jobs

The article was originally been published in The Hindu and also featured in Business Today (Online).