Valluvar on Leadership
Dr. R. Prabhakaran
Introduction
History
is full of examples of remarkable achievements by outstanding individuals. The
conquerors like Cyrus the Great (580 BC – 529 BC), Alexander the Great (356 BC
– 323 BC), Emperor Asoka (304 BC – 232 BC), Attila the Hun (406 AD – 453 AD),
Genghis Khan (1162 AD – 1227 AD), Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 AD – 1821 AD) and
others like them are remembered for their extraordinary military victories. The
entrepreneurs like Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates are examples of men
who relentlessly pursued their vision and are admired for their phenomenal
success in their business endeavors. Dedicated freedom fighters and civil
rights activists like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King
are revered for their selfless sacrifice and pursuit of their vision with great
determination. The conquerors could not have achieved their victories without
the help of the brave warriors who fought for them. The entrepreneurs could not
have been successful without the assistance of men and women who worked for them.
The freedom fighters could not have achieved their goals without the support of
their enthusiastic followers. In addition to the conquerors, entrepreneurs, and
freedom fighters, others like them have successfully achieved their goals and
visions in their various ventures. Despite the differences in their visions and
goals, there is one thing in common with all these people and others like them.
Undoubtedly, they are all considered leaders in their chosen fields of
activity.
Who is a leader? With the advent of the political parties during the
late 1600s and the industrial revolution during the 18th century,
human society has undergone significant changes, and consequently, more
leadership opportunities have emerged. Today, we have hierarchies of leaders in
government, the military, politics, labor unions, corporations, non-profit
organizations, religious groups, and other organized groups. The role of a
leader varies from one group to another. Do all these leaders have anything in
common? What exactly is leadership? Warren Bennis, an American scholar, organizational consultant,
author, and expert in Leadership Studies, defines leadership as the
capacity to translate vision into reality. Peter Drucker, a well-known management consultant and author, defines
leadership as the ability to do the right thing. Others define leadership as
the ability to organize a group of people to achieve a common goal. Although
the definitions vary, it is generally accepted that leaders achieve the right
goals by organizing and motivating other people to accomplish those goals.
What are the essential qualities of a leader? Is leadership an inborn
quality, or is it something that anyone can learn? These questions have
received the attention of researchers only during the past two centuries.
However, there is no consensus among the researchers regarding the answers to
these questions. For example, John C. Maxwell, an American author who has
written many books on leadership, contends that charisma is an essential
quality of a leader. Generally, charisma is defined as a special charm or
appeal that causes people to feel attracted by others. Peter Drucker claims
that charisma is not an essential quality of a leader. He cites the examples of
US presidents Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and Harry Truman, who,
according to him, had no charisma whatsoever. Despite this disagreement between
John Maxwell and Peter Drucker on the need for charisma as an essential quality
of a leader, there is no disagreement that a leader must have several
distinguishing qualities that make him a leader. The controversy is only about
the set of qualities that are really essential for a leader. What one
researcher considers an essential quality is not regarded as essential by
others.
During the days of Valluvar, other than a king, there were no others
who could be considered a leader of any significance. Valluvar deals with many
topics in the Kural. Of all the topics, the one that gets the most of his
attention is Kingship. Out of the 133 chapters in the Kural, twenty-five of
them deal with the qualities necessary for a king and how he should govern his
country. While Valluvar considers some of the qualities essential, he treats a
few other qualities as desirable for a king to be recognized as an outstanding
king. These ideas of Valluvar are very similar to those of many modern-day
researchers regarding the qualities of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a
corporation or leader of an organization.
Valluvar’s
ideas on the essential qualities of a king
In the section on Kingship, Valluvar lists several qualities as
essential for a king to be an effective ruler. The following three kurals
contain a total of ten qualities that Valluvar considers essential for a king:
The kingly character never fails in these four things, namely courage,
liberality, wisdom, and energy. (kural
382)
Alertness, learning, and bravery
are the three virtues that should
never be absent from the ruler of a country. (kural 383)
A king should not swerve from virtue; he should eschew vice
and
maintain his honor without sacrificing courage. (Kural 384)
In
addition to the above three kurals, some of Valluvar’s other ideas on the
essential qualities of a king can also be found in several chapters in the
section on Kingship. In the following paragraphs, related qualities are grouped
to present a coherent summary of Valluvar’s ideas. Also, the concepts of modern
researchers on leadership are presented so that the reader can appreciate the
ageless wisdom of Valluvar and its relevance to the contemporary period.
Courage: Courage is the ability to face fear, pain,
danger, and uncertainty and take action despite them. Nelson Mandela, the South
African revolutionary who fought against apartheid and later became the
president of his nation, said, “I learned that
courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” It was not uncommon in the past for a
king to be involved in combats and confrontations with enemies, foreign and
domestic. Therefore, a king should always be alert and courageous to confront
his enemies. Valluvar considers courage an essential quality for a ruler (kural
382). As seen from the following kural, Valluvar favors courage tempered by
discretion. For Valluvar, valor without discretion is foolishness.
Not to fear what ought to be feared is foolishness; the truly wise
will fear
what should be feared. (kural
428)
Like a king, a present-day leader could face ideological clashes,
differences of opinions, rivalry, and jealousy from within the ranks of his
organization or from his competition. The leader should anticipate these
situations and carry out his plans despite the unfavorable situations and
uncertainties that confront him. There is always a possibility that he may fail
in his attempts to face adverse situations. There is always a chance of
failure. Those who can overcome their fear of failure and are not afraid to
take calculated risks have a better chance of succeeding in adverse situations.
Eddie Rickenbacker was a famous fighter pilot during World War I, and he later
became the CEO of a major airline (Eastern Airlines). When he was asked about
his courage in combat, he admitted that he had been scared. “Courage,” he said,
“‘is doing what you are afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you are
scared.”
Modern writers like John C.
Maxwell and Peter Drucker insist that leaders see leadership as a
responsibility rather than a rank or a privilege. According to Peter Drucker,
“Effective leaders are rarely permissive. But when things go wrong – and they
always do – they do not blame others.”
They take responsibility for their failures. A leader needs to have the
courage to accept his failures and take responsibility for them. It is
interesting to note that the leaders like Nelson Mandela, John Maxwell, and
Peter Drucker agree with Valluvar that courage is one of the essential
qualities of a leader.
Bravery: Although sometimes courage and
bravery are used interchangeably, they are indeed two different things. Courage
involves the presence of fear and acting despite the presence of fear. Courage
requires fear, while bravery does not. Courage is a means to achieve an end. On
the other hand, bravery is the end as well as the means. When a mother jumps
into a burning house to save her child, she is aware of the consequences and
afraid of being burnt alive along with her child. Her act is despite her fear.
It is an example of a courageous act. In the biblical story, where David fought
against Goliath and won despite Goliath’s size advantage, David was merely
motivated to fight, and there was no fear involved. That is an example of
bravery. Courage entails a cause such as love, passion, compassion, concern,
etc. Bravery maintains its essence even without a cause.
From the point of view of Valluvar, bravery refers to the
ability of the leader to carry out and implement his decision fearlessly once
it was made after due considerations of the pros and cons of the issues
involved.
Liberality: Valluvar lists liberality
(kural 382) as one of the essential characteristics of a king. Liberality is the
quality of being generous. According to Valluvar, liberality is a virtue that
everyone should practice. In particular, helping the poor without expecting
anything in return is the true hallmark of liberality. A king has virtually
unlimited resources, and his liberality would be immensely beneficial to the
destitute and the people in need. In his book “The 21 Indispensable Qualities
of a Leader”, John C. Maxwell says, “Nothing speaks to others loudly or serves
them better than generosity from a leader. True generosity isn’t an occasional
event. It comes from the heart and permeates every aspect of a leader’s life,
touching his time, money, talents, and possessions”. Another well-known author,
Steven Covey refers to liberality as “abundance mentality” in his book on “Principle-Centered
Leadership” and considers liberality one of the three essential qualities
of a leader along with integrity and maturity. The habit of being generous
reflects a leader’s concern for others and his ability to add value to others.
That is why liberality is considered an essential quality for a leader. Here
again, we notice the striking similarity between Valluvar and modern writers in
their thinking about liberality as an essential quality for a leader.
Learning: Learning is the act of acquiring new information about various things. When we use our intelligence to
understand the relationships among the various pieces of information, we gain
knowledge. The more we understand the information we have learned, our
knowledge increases. Learning can be accomplished through formal education,
self-study, experience, observation, or listening to others. Valluvar considers
that learning and improving our knowledge is necessary for everyone. In the
following kurals, Valluvar emphasizes the importance of learning.
Water will flow from a well in the sand in proportion to the depth to which
it is dug,
and so also knowledge grows in a man in proportion to his learning. (Kural 396)
Learning is the true imperishable asset of excellence for a man; all
other
assets are not real assets. (kural 400)
Learning is necessary, but even those who are not formally learned
should
learn by listening to the wise, for such learning acquired through
listening will serve as a staff of support in times of distress. (kural
414)
The wealth (of information) gained through listening is the wealth of
all
wealth, and it is the greatest of all wealth. (kural
411)
When there is no food for the ear, give a little also to the stomach. (kural 412)
Wisdom: A king can indeed gain significant knowledge through formal education
and learning by listening to others. But is knowledge alone sufficient for a
king to make the right decisions? Valluvar believes that a king should also
have wisdom in addition to knowledge. What is the difference between knowledge
and wisdom? As already mentioned, knowledge is the collection of information
that someone is aware of. On the other hand, wisdom is thinking
and acting using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and
insight. Wisdom is the ability to make correct judgments and decisions.
It is needless to say that wisdom has always been considered a sine qua non for
a leader of any organization. Therefore, it is not surprising that Valluvar
should include wisdom as an essential requirement for a king. He has included a
chapter on the Merits of Wisdom (Chapter 43). The following kurals (from
Chapter 43) highlight the significance of wisdom for a king:
Wisdom is the ultimate and
impregnable defense for protection against destruction;
it is an inner fortress that
enemies cannot destroy. (kural 421)
No
terrifying calamity will happen to the wise who foresee and guard against
potential
evils. (kural
429)
The wise possess everything,
but the unwise possess nothing, even if they
have everything. (kural 430)
According to Plato, the
Greek philosopher, philosophers are the ones who possess the cardinal virtues
like wisdom, courage, temperance (discipline), and justice, and therefore, they
are the only ones who should become the rulers. But Valluvar is realistic, and
he knows that kingship is either inherited or, through sheer might one overthrows
the prevailing king of a country and establishes a new dynasty of his own.
Therefore, instead of making a philosopher a king, Valluvar prefers the king to
gain knowledge and wisdom through education, training, association with wise
counselors, and becoming an effective ruler. This is also true in modern-day
democracies.
Energy: Energy is the strength and vitality required
for sustained physical and mental activity, and it is the energy that enables
one to achieve one’s goals. In addition to mentioning energy as a prerequisite
quality for a leader (in kural 382), Valluvar has a chapter (Chapter 60) on
energy and its importance for one and all. According to Valluvar, energy is the
ideal possession that one could possess, and all other possessions are not real
possessions (kural 591). In other words, one with energy can obtain and retain
his wealth and other things of value under all circumstances. He adds that
success and wealth will seek their way to the one with the inflexible will and
unfailing energy (kural 594). In addition to having energy, he also advises
that a king (as well as others) should always think lofty thoughts.
Think lofty thoughts always; even if they fail to
materialize, it is still as
good as having materialized. (kural
596)
In the
above kural, Valluvar implies that the combination of energy and lofty thoughts
will lead to persistent hard work, resulting in success.
A practical application of Valluvar’s ideas on energy can be seen in
the management philosophy of Jack Welch, the legendary Chief Executive Officer
of the General Electric Company (GE). He had devised a system of 4E’s and
followed it meticulously to achieve phenomenal success at GE. According to
Jeffrey A. Krames, the author of “Jack Welch and 4E’s of Leadership”, it all
begins with energy. Leaders must have other strengths, such as intelligence and
decision-making ability, but the energy converts good ideas into measurable
performance. Jack Welch’s 4E system consists of the following four basic
principles: 1) the leader has energy; 2) the leader energizes
others; 3) the leader has a competitive edge; and 4) the leader executes.
Jack Welch’s successful application of the system of 4E shows the wisdom of
Valluvar in espousing energy as an essential quality for a leader.
Alertness: Alertness on the part of a
king makes it possible for him to identify opportunities and look for potential
threats to his country and his own authority. An effective ruler cannot afford
to be idle, slothful, or forgetful. He should be ready to act without much
delay. The absence of forgetfulness and laziness helps a ruler to be alert and
watchful. Alertness and the lack of forgetfulness and sloth lay the foundation
for a ruler’s success. To emphasize the need for alertness, Valluvar has dedicated
a chapter to the Evils of Forgetfulness (Chapter 54) and another chapter on the
Importance of Avoiding Sloth (Chapter 61). Valluvar’s ideas regarding the need
for alertness and avoiding laziness and forgetfulness are always valid and
essential qualities for a modern leader. Nowadays, it is customary for CEOs and
national leaders to use sophisticated technological tools to monitor threats
and opportunities and get daily or weekly briefings from their subordinates
regarding issues requiring immediate attention. Of course, it is up to the
leader to take advantage of the information he receives and to remain alert.
Not swerving from virtue: Here,
virtue does not refer to the personal behavior of the king. It refers to the
just and the right ways of ruling the country.
Eschewing vice: Here, the term vice does not refer
to the evil deeds to be avoided by the king in his personal life. Eschewing
vice means preventing evil and vicious activities of evil people in the
country.
Maintaining honor without sacrificing courage: In this context, the king should protect his honor by maintaining high
standards of courage, righteousness, and morality in warfare. Any evidence of
cowardice or lack of moral values on the part of the king would not help him to
maintain his honor.
Valluvar’s
ideas on the desirable qualities of a king
In addition to the ten qualities listed above as
essential for a king, Valluvar also mentions a few other desirable qualities
for a king to have if he were to excel as a ruler. Even without these desirable
qualities, one could be a king. But these qualities would help him to become an
outstanding ruler. The following eight kurals contain a total of fourteen
qualities that Valluvar considers desirable for a king to have a positive
impact on his people and to be ranked as an outstanding king:
He is the beacon among kings
who has these four qualities: beneficence,
benevolence, rectitude, and concern
for the citizens. (kural
390)
The whole world will dwell under the
umbrella of the king, who can
bear bitter criticism. (kural
389)
If the ruler is easily
accessible and not harsh in his speech, the
world will shower high praise
on him. (kural 386)
The world will praise and obey the king who speaks
kind words and
generous in giving.
(Kural 387)
If a king administers justice and protects
his subjects, he will be
regarded as God. (kural
388)
Let the king cherish the
friendship of wise and accomplished persons
(wise counselors) to solve the
present problems and prevent future ones. (kural 442)
If you encounter adversities,
laugh at them. There is nothing like
that to overcome them. (Kural 621)
When a task seems impossible,
do not be disheartened. Persistent
efforts will help you to
achieve greatness. (kural 611)
Benevolence and Beneficence:
Although sometimes benevolent and beneficent are used interchangeably, they
mean different things. The word “benevolent” is from the Latin word velle,
which means “to wish,” and therefore, benevolent refers to the “desire to do
good.” On the other hand, the word beneficent is derived from the Latin word facere,
which means “to do,” and hence beneficent implies “the act of
doing good.” Obviously, one has to be benevolent to be beneficent.
In the case of a king, benevolence implies helping his citizens and conducting
his judiciary as well as administrative duties with compassion. According to
Valluvar, “Gracious compassion is the unique great quality, because of which
the world exists (Kural 571).” The fact
that Valluvar has included the chapter on Gracious Compassion (Chapter 58) in
the section on Kingship implies that Gracious Compassion is really a highly
desirable quality for a king.
In the context of kural 390,
beneficence also refers to the ability of a king to recognize people with
knowledge and talent and reward them appropriately. The people whom he rewards
may be his citizens, staff, scholars, or artists.
The modern-day CEOs are expected to be cognizant of their social
responsibilities and provide support and assistance to deserving social causes.
The CEOs are also responsible for establishing fair and equitable policies and
enforcing them to reward employees with salary increases and other benefits
based on their talent and performance. So, benevolence and beneficence are
considered equally important for modern-day leaders as well as the kings during
the days of Valluvar.
Rectitude: In the Kural,
Rectitude is considered a highly desirable quality for a king. Rectitude means
just rule. During the days of Valluvar, or for that matter, even before and
after Valluvar’s days, the kings had judiciary, legislative, and executive
powers. In other words, the king had the authority to make laws and enforce
them. As a result of this monopoly of power, a king might be tempted to be
indiscriminate and partial in judicial matters. Valluvar lays down a very
important principle of jurisprudence. He says, “A fair-minded king takes
cognizance of all the offenses and does not show favors to anyone while
rendering justice. Where necessary, he consults men of law and awards the
penalty (kural - 541).” This principle
of fairness applies to all aspects of the king’s administration. Valluvar
condemns the practice of excessive taxation or any other imposition of
financial hardship on the people as a highly undesirable quality and that it
will lead to the king’s ruin. He says, “The sceptered king demanding
illegitimate gifts or extorting excessive taxes is like armed robbery. (kural
552).” He also warns, “The tears of the oppressed people who are unable to
endure the sufferings are the sharp weapons that destroy the king’s riches
(kural 555).” Of course, history has
several examples of dictators who were overthrown because they subjected their
people to cruel and unusual punishments and imposed enormous tax burdens upon
them.
In the modern era, governments stipulate the rules by which businesses
and other enterprises should operate, and if they fail to operate according to
the laws of the land, the businesses are liable for punishments. It is the
responsibility of the CEO to ensure that his organization is compliant with the
laws of the land. Besides being compliant with the laws, it is also the
responsibility of the CEO to ensure that fair practices are followed in all
aspects of the administration.
Concern for the Citizens: It is
wise for a king to have the utmost concern for his citizens. If the king is
indifferent towards his citizens and if the citizens are unhappy, then he will
not enjoy the loyalty of his citizens, which may result in a lack of support
for him in case of aggression or war against his country by his enemies. In the
case of the CEOs, they have no counterpart for the citizens of a king. However,
for a CEO to be successful, he must have concern for his employees and the
consumers whom his organization serves.
Although the form of government has changed over the years, Valluvar’s
thesis that it is desirable for rulers and leaders to be impartial in their
judgment and being fair in their administration, and have concern for their
citizens, staff, and consumers seem to be another example of his ageless
wisdom.
Tolerating bitter criticism: It is
unusual for a king to encounter direct criticism. Kings and leaders are usually
surrounded by sycophants who shower false praises and rarely offer any
criticism. But listening to the sycophants and ignoring those who dare to
criticize is detrimental to a king or a leader. Valluvar considers that it is
very important for a king to listen to his advisors who are bold enough to
offer bitter criticism. In fact, he says, “A king without the courageous counselors
who can rebuke him will destroy himself even if there is no enemy to destroy
him (kural 448).” Of course, it is not
enough to have counselors who can offer criticism. The king should listen to
their criticism, however harsh and bitter it is and analyze the merits of such
criticism and follow their advice whenever they deserve consideration. By way
of encouraging the king to listen to his advisors’ criticism, Valluvar says,
“Who is there strong enough to destroy the king who has counselors who would reprove
him when he errs (kural 447)?”
In the modern era, in the democratic forms of governments, the role of
the opposition party is to offer meaningful criticism to the rulers. In the
corporate environment, the Board of Directors, and the shareholders, have the
right to criticize the CEO. So, Valluvar’s idea regarding listening to bitter
criticism has now become a routine practice in the organizations of the present
era. Of course, it is an entirely different matter whether such criticisms are
being accepted and acted upon by those in power.
Ease of access and not using harsh words: The kings have the privilege to act as they wish, and generally, they
are not subjected to any punishments for their obnoxious behavior. The
occasional outbursts of anger by a king may not have serious consequences.
However, if a king is routinely abusive in his speech and not easily accessible
to his citizens and staff, people will avoid meeting him. That will result in
his not getting the right information at the right time, and the king might
eventually be surrounded by sycophants who are willing to tolerate the king’s
behavior in return for some anticipated benefit. In the long run, the king will
suffer from isolation from and alienation by his staff and citizens. He would
lose their loyalty and support in case of a war, making it easy for his enemy
to win over him. The advice regarding ease of access and not using harsh words
is equally applicable to the present-day rulers of nations and the leaders of
business enterprises also.
Speaking kind words and being generous in giving: If one does not use harsh words, that does not mean he is using kind
words. It is important for the king to be kind towards his subordinates and his
citizens to get their cooperation. It also helps the king if he can show
genuine empathy towards people who are in need and help them by giving money or
other valuables. In the section on the essential qualities of a king, it was
mentioned that liberality is one of the essential qualities. If so, what is the difference
between liberality and being generous? Although
liberality and generosity are considered synonyms, there is a slight difference
between the two words. Liberality is an attitude, whereas generosity refers to giving
willingly with a genuine concern for the recipient's needs.
Administers justice and protects his subjects: A king is expected to administer
justice and protect his subjects. But some kings may not do so. If the king
fails to administer justice and protect his subjects, there is not much that
his subjects can do about that. If a king does administer justice and protects
his subjects, his subjects will be very pleased and thankful. They may even
consider such a king a savior or perhaps even a God.
Company of wise Counselors:
Valluvar considers that it is also desirable for a king to keep the company of
wise counselors who are truly interested in his welfare and who can offer him
valuable advice. He discusses the merits of the company of wise counselors
(Chapter 45) and complements that with a chapter (Chapter 46) on the evils of
associating with mean people. The following kurals from Chapter 45 describe the
importance of counselors for a king:
Let a king ponder well its value and secure the friendship of men of
virtue and mature knowledge (wise counselors). (kural
- 441)
It is the rarest of all rare privileges for a king to have wise and
great men as his counselors. (kural - 443)
Throughout
history, we can find several examples of counselors offering valuable advice to
their kings, and the kings immensely benefitted from such advice. Akbar the
Great ascended the throne of the Mogul empire of India at the young age of
thirteen. It is said that Akbar could not read or write. But he had an
extraordinary group of nine distinguished men who served him as his counselors,
and with their help, he could rule his empire very successfully. Other examples
of great emperors who came to power and depended on their advisors would
include Peter the Great of Russia, Queen Elizabeth I of England, Alexander the
Great of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and so on. So, the contribution
of the counselors to the kings and monarchs of the past cannot be
underestimated. In modern-day democracies, ministers and various other advisors
keep their leaders well-informed with up-to-date information and intelligence
and offer them timely advice. So, Valluvar is giving due recognition to the
vital role of wise counselors by acknowledging its importance.
Being undaunted by
adversities:
A king is likely to encounter any number of adversities and setbacks. He cannot
afford to succumb to the thought of failure. His staff would be looking to him
for leadership and guidance to overcome adverse situations. Without being
undaunted by adversities, he should consult with his advisors, analyze his
options and forge ahead with the courage to combat the adversities. To act with
determination and courage, Valluvar suggests that one should laugh at adversity
because that is the best way to overcome it. This is like the comment made by
the Scottish philosopher and poet Thomas Carlyle who said, “Wondrous is the
spirit of cheerfulness and its power of endurance.” Of course, this advice by Valluvar is
applicable not only to the kings and leaders but to everyone. However, in view
of the grave consequences that might result from a king or a leader’s inability
to triumph over adversities, this suggestion by Valluvar is undoubtedly more
relevant to kings and leaders.
Never give up: According to Valluvar, one
should not become disheartened and give up persistent efforts because the task
at hand is daunting. Although this advice is general and applicable to
everyone, in view of the importance of the responsibilities of kings and
leaders, the quality of “never giving up” or tenacity is more relevant to them.
Conclusion
The political, social, economic, scientific, and technological
developments that have occurred during the past two millennia have entirely
reshaped the world. For example, monarchies have disappeared in many countries,
giving room to democracies; secular governments have replaced theocracies.
Societal values have changed considerably. People recognize the need to
eliminate discrimination of all kinds based on caste, race, language, religion,
sex, sexual orientation, national origin, etc. Such a Utopia may never exist,
but people are at least thinking along those lines. In the case of the economy,
modern-day trade, commerce, and worldwide markets are a long way from the rural
economy based on the barter system of the past. Science and technology are
constantly evolving and reaching new heights that our forefathers could not
have imagined. Despite these evolutionary and revolutionary changes undergone
by the world during the past two thousand years, many ideas of Valluvar are
still valid and valuable even today. Valluvar’s ideas on leadership are
examples of his ageless wisdom and its universal and eternal applicability.
