Have we provoked a thought in you? Still thinking? So, answer us, can Kumbh teach you leadership lessons? Is it possible that a religious gathering can help you develop leadership skills? Never thought about it, right? It can! Corporate Soldiers bring you an article by Ankit Kaushik that sheds a light on such aspect!
I haven’t written much in the last few months, but there are certain moments in life that transform your perspective and offer a unique insight that you feel compelled to share with others. I experienced the same feeling when I was returning from Kumbh in February.
The Kumbh Mela, a colossal pilgrimage held every 12 years in India, is a spectacle of faith, unity, and humanity. Millions gather to bathe in the sacred waters, seeking spiritual purification and renewal.
I also had a chance to visit this Kumbh and as I work with Novartis, leading/managing a team here, this extraordinary event offers valuable insights into the human spirit and the power of collective action, which can be surprisingly relevant to a global healthcare company like Novartis especially for managers/leaders.
Kumbh’s Lessons for me:
Scale and Logistics:
The Kumbh Mela is a masterclass in managing a vast population with limited resources. The sheer scale of the event requires meticulous planning and execution, what a manager can learn from this huge planning and implementations… at least, I really learnt a lot… especially more we are strategizing in advance more we will be targeted and successful. It was giving me a feel of Novartis’s global operations and complex supply chains for delivering medicines to diverse populations.
Community and Shared Purpose:
It was not my long trip to Kumbh. Only for 2 days…but it was visible there and I could feel that Kumbh fosters a sense of community and shared purpose, where people from all walks of life come together with a common goal. But how closely this resonates with our mission to reimagine medicine for a healthier world, emphasizing collaboration and a patient-centric approach, even any fresh mind or a manager who has to guide a team for shared purpose can sense this.
Resilience and Overcoming Challenges:
There were millions of people on those days in one city. Amazing thing was, there was none who was complaining about the tough and lengthy journey. Pilgrims at the Kumbh endure hardships and challenges, demonstrating resilience and unwavering faith. Similarly, in the dynamic world of team leadership, a manager’s journey is filled with the challenge of guiding diverse individuals towards a common goal. The path to developing and delivering innovative solutions is often fraught with obstacles, but it is through perseverance and unwavering commitment that true progress is made. Embracing these challenges not only strengthens the team but also paves the way for groundbreaking achievements. This is something this Kumbh gathering at least taught me how to deal with these challenges.
The Kumbh Mela:
A Blueprint for Leadership/Strategic thinking at Organizations:
I never imagined that an ancient structure or a cultural fair could offer any knowledge or lessons to modern society. Like many travelers, I was simply eager to participate. However, can any creative mind or leader truly have no ideas? That’s what I experienced. Life should always be open to different teachings, and sometimes, even small incidents can be great teachers.
The Kumbh, a phenomenon of faith and humanity, offers a surprising wealth of leadership lessons, particularly relevant for an MNC. Beyond the spectacle, the Kumbh’s enduring success lies in its intricate organization and the profound connection it fosters among millions. These elements reveal a kind of “scientific methodology” for uniting people around a shared purpose, a methodology that can be translated into powerful leadership principles.
What I learnt as a Manager/Leader:
Sometime I feel, There are instances when a live example provides more valuable insights into true leadership and managerial skills than any book on the subject.
Here are my 7 learnings:
1. The Power of a Shared Vision:
Just look at there….Millions of people gathered there but the vision and goal is same. The Kumbh draws people from diverse backgrounds, united by a common yearning for spiritual purification. For a leader like me, this underscores the importance of a compelling and clearly articulated vision. Just as the Kumbh’s spiritual goal resonates across demographics, Novartis’s mission to “reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives” is a unifying force, inspiring employees and aligning their efforts, and so the same kind of vision for a leader regarding his/her teams.
2. Orchestrating Complexity:
The Kumbh seems to me a logistical marvel, managing millions of people in a confined space. Isn’t it a great lesson for a leader who is leading his team/org. An organization lead by a visionary leader with complex operations, can learn a lot from this. Effective leadership requires the ability to orchestrate intricate processes, optimize resource allocation, and ensure seamless coordination across teams and departments, much like we have in our own great company. The Kumbh’s meticulous planning would definitely be a lesson for me.
3. Empowering Collective Action:
I believe that no government can effectively manage millions of people. Instead, if individuals are disciplined and take part with a sense of shared responsibility, it would be more manageable. While the Kumbh has organizers, its true strength lies in the individual participation and shared responsibility of the pilgrims. Similarly, true leadership which is a great power of Novartis is the means to empower employees at all levels. Creating a culture of ownership, where individuals feel valued and accountable, unleashes collective potential and drives innovation.
4. Building Community and Belonging:
Beyond collective actions, Kumbh fosters a sense of community, where strangers connect through shared experiences. A corporate manager/leader can cultivate this sense of belonging by fostering open communication, promoting collaboration, and celebrating collective achievements. It is true that creating an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued strengthens the organization as a whole.
5. Adaptive Resilience:
The Kumbh paradigm, despite its scale, is adaptable, responding to unforeseen challenges. This is something what I observed on different festivals during Kumbh as per the crowd’s needs and their requirements change daily. In the dynamic healthcare landscape, a manager can learn to demonstrate resilience, navigating uncertainties, embracing change, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement for the entire team. The more dynamic a leader is, the more successful the team becomes.
6. Focus on Human Needs:
At its core, the Kumbh is about addressing fundamental human needs –connection, community, and renewal. This can drive a leader’s ambition to help reimagining medicine by prioritizing human needs, as effective leaders understand patients’ perspectives first, champion patient-centric approaches, and ensure company efforts improve lives.
7. Inspiring Purpose-Driven Action:
Kumbh is a testament to the power of purpose. Pilgrims endure hardships driven by their faith. Shouldn’t a manger also tap into this same power by connecting employees to the company’s purpose. Highlighting the impact of Novartis’s work on patients’ lives and emphasizing the company’s contribution to global health can ignite passion and inspire purpose-driven action.
The Kumbh Mela, though rooted in ancient tradition, but still, it is as new and relevant for modern times, as it offers a timeless blueprint for effective leadership. By embracing its principles – at least I got so many aspects and ideas to create a more engaged, innovative, and ultimately, more successful team, truly helping digital transformation and optimization for all.
But it is not it. Beyond this, there were so many personalization thoughts I got. Personalization (yes, aren’t we all are thinking and moving ahead towards it..)
Personalization:
Is it an optional Fancy term or a Need…. We all know in today’s digital landscape; personalization has evolved from being a mere buzzword to an essential component of user experience.
Personalization Lessons from Kumbh I learnt especially for our Digital Web Strategy journey:
We all know, the digital world is moving towards personalization, tailoring experiences to individual preferences. Ironically, I personally learnt valuable lessons about achieving this from the ancient and massive Kumbh gathering. While seemingly disparate – a gathering of millions there, but a targeted experience which is personal – the Kumbh offers insightful parallels for me as we also seek to personalize our web presence and deliver the most relevant results to diverse users.
The Kumbh is a fascinating paradox:
it celebrates individual spirituality, with each pilgrim undertaking a personal journey of faith. Yet, it simultaneously embodies collective unity, bringing together people from all walks of life in a shared experience. This duality mirrors the challenge of web personalization we have here: catering to individual tastes while maintaining a cohesive and accessible online environment.
I felt this connection at various levels/aspects. For example, Understanding an Individual Journeys – Just like each Kumbh pilgrim has a unique spiritual path. As a Digital Strategist, I can correlate this with the work what we do. Different segments of site visitors have specific needs and interests. Effective personalization requires understanding these individual journeys. What information are they seeking? What are their health concerns? What HCPs are looking for? What are their preferred learning styles? By analyzing user behavior, gathering data ethically, and employing smart segmentation, we also map these individual journeys and tailor content accordingly.
Balancing Individuality and Unity is another idea I observed. The Kumbh respects individual expression while fostering a sense of shared purpose. My approach? It am definitely inspired after seeing this enormous balance. Web personalization strategy is already working on balancing individualization with a unified brand experience. While content may be tailored to specific user segments, the overall brand message, design, and navigation should remain consistent, ensuring a cohesive and recognizable experience for all visitors. I am curious and crossing my fingers to balance this individuality and unity.
I was amazed by seeing the Collaborative Creation at Kumbh, that Kumbh is not orchestrated by a single entity but arises from the collaborative efforts of various groups, communities, and spiritual leaders. Aren’t we thinking in the similar lines…..Yes definitely we are… we already have blueprint but this live example gives me an idea to adopt a similar approach to personalization by fostering collaboration between different teams – marketing, IT, medical affairs, patient advocacy and so on – ensuring that diverse perspectives inform the personalization strategy.
One of the most remarkable live examples of Respecting Privacy and Choice I have monitored while I saw the huge crowd there. Kumbh is a voluntary gathering. Yes, they were gathered for one cause but with their personal choice. Isn’t it our moto too for personalization in organizations. An ideal web personalization will respect user privacy and provide clear choices about data collection and usage. Transparency and user control are essential for building trust and ensuring that personalization enhances, rather than intrudes upon, the user experience.
The main thing which was visible is Delivering the Personalized Value. The Kumbh offers each pilgrim a unique and personal experience. Similarly, an ideal web personalization should deliver tangible value to users. Whether it’s providing targeted information about a specific condition, connecting patients with relevant support resources, or offering personalized educational materials, the goal should be to empower users and improve their online experience.
But last not the least was Building Community through Personalization. While the Kumbh emphasizes individual journeys, it also fosters a strong sense of community. I strongly feel, one can also leverage personalization to build online communities by connecting users with shared interests and experiences. Forums, support groups, and personalized content feeds can create a sense of belonging and encourage interaction among users.
By drawing inspiration from the Kumbh’s unique blend of individuality and unity, personally I have several ideas for envisioning a web experience that is both personalized and inclusive, delivering the most relevant content.
The Kumbh Mela, with its profound symbolism and vast scale, offers valuable lessons for organizations and Managers. By embracing the values of community, resilience, and compassion, they can foster a more inclusive and supportive work environment. These principles can help build stronger teams, enhance collaboration, and drive sustainable success.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article and discovered unique insights from it!
Here’s the author profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankitkaushik22/
