Bias,Lies & Politics

After reading my previous post "Leadership Skills : an important skill for a successful manager", a good friend of mine, whastapped me to appreciate. He also put forth a question: “can a Manager be biased, indulge in office politics and Lie? “

While thinking of the answer, 2 characters from Mahabharata came to my mind. Let me reintroduce them to you.

Sri Krishna:  He played multiple roles in this epic story, he mentored, motivated, safeguarded the Pandeva’s.  He wanted to play a crucial role in this epic to retell the Bhagavad gita, which was being forgotten by the mankind. He recited the same to Arjun, when he was in the most vulnerable state of mind, which was during the Kursekthra war. Krishna had to be biased towards Arjun and Pandeva’s, do politics and lie many a times before and during the war. Pandeva’s victory in the war was not possible without Krishna’s role.

Shakuni: Prince of Kingdom of Gandhar, who couldn’t learn all warfare’s like many other princes of his time due to his physical limitations. A helpless brother had to see her sister Gandhari being forcefully married to Dhritarastra by the mighty Bheesma, who had to use pressure tactics on this small kingdom. He on the very same day, took a pledge to destroy the Kuru dynasty. He decided to stay with his sister to accomplish the same. During his stay, he could see, how the wise men’s of Hastinapur where plotting against his sister’s family and son’s. He took it upon himself to protect them using his sharp and cunning brain. This resulted in numerous clashes between Kaurava’s and Pandeva’s and the epic war.



Both Krishna and Shakuni succeeded in their objective but the action of one has had progress of mankind and the other brought an end to a dynasty.



Now coming back to my friend’s question. Yes, you can as a manager be biased, lie and play politics, if it does good for the project and the team involved, thereby having a positive impact for the company. No, you shouldn’t be biased, lie, play and allow politics if it to satisfy your ego thereby having detrimental effect on the company.



Managers or leaders are also humans, whatever be their actions, they are going to be seen as person who is biased to a set of people. Are you as manager, biased, because they are performers and future leaders or because they blindly listen to whatever you say, even if you are wrong.

Both Pandeva’s and Kaurava’s were cousins to Sri Krishna, but he had a liking towards Pandeva’s and amongst them he had a special liking to Arjun. Dharmaraj Yudhishthira was not chosen but Arjun was chosen to listen to Bhagavad gita. Shakuni too had liking towards Duryodhana and Dushasanna compared to the other Kaurava’s, as their behaviour and actions perfectly suited his plan. Similarly, in work, leaders tend to pick/side with people, who will help them to meet their objectives.

Many of us would have experienced bias, politics at work. If the experience has been good, you tend to not speak about it, if the experience hasn’t been good, you tend to blow the trumpet and ensure it is spoken in cafeteria’s.

 Are you a performer who want to be recognized by a leader like Krishna or are you an obsequious person who would resort to flattery to be in good book of a leader like Shakuni. To be Arjun or Yudhishthira or Duryodhana or Dushasanna, is in your hands. Based on your character and career growing choice, a leader will pick you up. You want to be benefited or face decline in your career is solely in your hand.