UdyamGita

Every person’s actions in this world are driven by the GUNAs, and it is the entrepreneur’s duty to identify the primary GUNA needed for each division and position the right people accordingly.

For example, mentors, domain experts, and heads of departments should be calm and composed, with their actions and emotions always under control. They should be authoritative in a subtle way, have good intentions towards the organization, possess a lot of patience, and remain loyal to the organizational goal. All their actions should reflect this loyalty. They should have deep knowledge of their domain, take wise decisions, and act wisely without being influenced by external factors or noise. They should believe in themselves, believe in the organization’s path, and believe in the people they work with.

Then come the project managers or leads, who are ready to lead the team with courage by absorbing hiccups, backlashes, and hardships along the way. They should have the inner strength to deal with adversities related to people or problems, possess practical skills to execute tasks on their own if needed, and never say no to assigned tasks once they are convinced. They may ask questions and seek clarifications, but once convinced, there is no looking back. They should be friendly and jovial with people around them, empathetic, and equipped with the leadership qualities needed to guide the team.

The ground level workers are those who are in the process of mastering a domain and are giving their best to the organization during this journey. The actual fragmented tasks are carried out by them, and it is the leader’s responsibility to break down tasks into meaningful parts and assign them to the right people.

Krishna concludes this chapter by making a sweeping, grounding statement: no one is outside the influence of the three guṇas. From the highest realms to the ordinary workplace, every role, inclination, and contribution is shaped by innate tendencies.

He then clarifies a point that is often misunderstood—work is distributed by nature (guṇa), not by birth. Society—and by extension, organizations—function best when people operate in roles aligned with their intrinsic qualities.

Business Insight

Every organization is a living system driven by human nature. The entrepreneur’s responsibility is not to force uniformity, but to recognize dominant guṇas and position people accordingly.

• Sāttvik Roles (Thinkers, Guides, Anchors)

Mentors, domain experts, architects, and heads of functions must be calm, composed, and internally disciplined. Their emotions are regulated, authority is subtle, and intent is always aligned with the organization’s long-term good. They possess patience, integrity, deep domain knowledge, wisdom in decision-making, and faith—in themselves, the path, and the people they work with.

• Rājasik Roles (Leaders, Executors, Drivers)

Project managers and team leads belong here. They lead from the front, absorb pressure, face setbacks without retreat, and convert intent into action. They have the courage to take responsibility, the skill to execute if needed, and the strength to handle people and problems alike. Once convinced of a task’s value, they commit fully—no half-measures.

• Tāmas-to-Rajas Transition Roles (Builders, Learners, Doers)

Ground-level contributors are often in the process of mastering their domain. They handle fragmented execution tasks and learn through doing. Their effectiveness depends heavily on leadership—tasks must be broken down meaningfully and matched carefully to capability.

An organization fails not because people lack talent, but because roles ignore nature.

Leadership Lesson

Krishna’s teaching is deeply practical for founders:

Alignment beats force.

Expecting everyone to think, act, and perform identically is ignorance. Sustainable leadership lies in:

• Identifying dominant guṇas
• Assigning responsibility accordingly
• Allowing people to grow organically into higher roles

When nature and responsibility align, effort becomes graceful and performance compounds.

Key Takeaways

• No one operates beyond the influence of the three guṇas
• Roles should be assigned based on nature, not hierarchy or labels
• Sāttvik roles provide clarity, wisdom, and long-term stability
• Rājasik roles drive execution, courage, and momentum
• Founders must break work into meaningful fragments for effective execution