A new book ‘Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita,’ published by Sage Publisher wonderfully combines the two worlds of management and spirituality. The author Ace V. Simpson, a.k.a. Shri Prahlada Das is a well-known kirtaniya from Australia, but he is also a scholar with a Ph.D. and now teaches at Brunel Business School in London, UK.

For professionals navigating negative corporate karmas, Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita offers a way forward for overcoming self-defeating habits and managing the mind’s negative chatter that is often the main obstacle to effective leadership. By promoting a leadership approach of caring for followers, stakeholders and future generations, the book offers hope for harmonious workplace relations and a protected environment.  

Based on leadership by inspiration as opposed to leadership by control, Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita provides an alternative to conventional leadership. Particularly, in the times we live, where there is a crisis of faith in leadership, the insights from this book presents a vision of linked-leadership—leaders who are linked through loving-connection or bhakti-yoga with themselves (through self-knowledge), with other beings, with nature and with the supreme source. As exemplified by Krishna taking over the reins of Arjuna’s chariot, the crux of this book is leadership, not as a title or position, but as a commitment to service, excellence and virtuous character that motivates and inspires others to pursue the same. The unique insights from this book will help you make sense of different personality types to motivate others according to their natures and inclinations, which will support you in forming effective teams and creating a harmonious and prosperous organizational culture. In short, this book challenges and equips leaders to step up and cultivate unity and diversity, and achieve sustainable wellbeing and happiness in their organizations.

The main topics of the book are the following:  

SELF-LEADERSHIP AND SERVANT-LEADERSHIP

Leadership Values in Conflict

Self-Awareness in Leadership

Work as Yoga

Timeless Leadership

Leadership Towards Freedom

Meditation and Leadership

HIGHER PURPOSE

Leadership as the Yoga of Love

Leadership and the Supreme Position

Confidential Knowledge

Leadership and Infinite Divinity

Seeing the Integrated Whole

Devotional Leadership

HOLISTIC SYSTEMS

The Leader as the Knower of the Field

Transcendent Leadership

Leadership as Higher Consciousness

Divine and Demoniac Dispositions

Three Leadership Styles

Recommendations: 

“Those of us familiar with India’s ancient book of wisdom, the Bhagavad Gita, tend to roll our eyes when we see yet another translation of it published or yet another commentary, especially one about ‘the Gita on Leadership’. But with Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita, I am not just happily surprised, but frankly amazed to see how deftly Ace Simpson has brought forth the Gita’s wisdom to illuminate the very depths of what it means to be and to act as a leader in all spheres of one’s life, bringing real benefit

for both the leader and those who would follow. The translation of the original text is both faithful to the text and finely done, the reflections are richly illuminating for deep understanding of what is true leadership, and insights are backed up with references for empirical support. If today’s leaders-to-be read this book and imbibe its teachings, there is great hope for our world.” — Kenneth Valpey, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Oxford, UK

“Dr Simpson’s mastery in the field of leadership through his PhD and academic career, and his deep understanding of the great spiritual text the Bhagavad Gita, which has been his guiding light since childhood, render him uniquely qualified to make this marvellous contribution: Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita. He provides apt translations of all verses from the Bhagavad Gita, which he elegantly arranges in a thematic fashion and shares his sagacious reflections, which are deeply profound. The significant leadership lessons that Dr Simpson draws should be relevant across a wide spectrum of situations—personal, interpersonal and organizational. A must read for all leaders in today’s turbulent environment—be that turbulence internal or external.” — Ravi Kathuria, Professor, and James and Lynne Doti Chair in Operations Management, The George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA

“Good leadership is essential in all aspects of life. Drawing from the ancient wisdom of India’s pre-eminent scriptural text, the 5,000-yearold Bhagavad Gita, Ace Simpson shares with us knowledge that can inspire today’s leaders to fulfil their responsibilities in working with those under their command. Along with practical advice that made successful leaders through the ages, Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita stresses leadership combined with empathy and compassion. After all, a leader’s greatest asset is the men and women under his or her command. This is not just another modern-day book on leadership. It is unique in that it draws from the sagacity of the divine.” — Indradyumna Swami, Monk, author and spiritual teacher

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