Review: Bhagavad Gita on Effective Leadership: Timeless Wisdom for Leaders

Review by Ciara Reid, Kansas City Business Central, March 2007 (print edition only)

Local author Pujan Roka, a program manager at Sprint, says in the preface of his book that he was inspired to write Bhagavad Gita on Effective Leadership: Timeless Wisdom for Leaders after he realized that Bhagavad Gita had been explored in many contexts but had not yet been examined in the context of leadership. Thankfully, Roka provides background material on the Bhagavad Gita for readers who may not be familiar with the ancient text. However, some of Roka's summaries read a little too much like like a high school textbook; a little dry but easy enough to get through. Roka does apply Bhagavad Gita's leadership principals to modern examples - in chapter nine, "Realizing the Ultimate Potential," he briefly discusses Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS Institute, who refused to go public during the peak of the Internet bubble in the 1990s.

Bhagavad Gita's definition of leadership is about "influencing and guiding others in a positive way, not about hoarding power and wealth for personal benefits," according to chapter seven, "Know Thyself." While definitions like this one and other notions throughout the book can be encouraging, Roka doesn't exactly present any ground-breaking methods for leaders to move up in the business world or be effective in their positions.

Bottom line: For those who identify with and understand the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, this book is for you. Otherwise, you might spend too much time trying to understand the text and not enough time on what it truly means to be a leader.

Release date: April 2006
To purchase: Available at Barnes & Nobles on the Plaza
Price: $16.95
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