UdyamGita

Many times, entrepreneurs have to work at grass root level functions to resolve issues seen there or to set an example. At times, they have to dirty their hands to show how things should be done. This is because the entrepreneur has risen to this level after working hands on at the grass root level and then acquiring the skills and knowledge required to build a large business empire. However, when the entrepreneur comes down to the grass root level or a hierarchically lower level of functioning, some employees may start comparing themselves with the entrepreneur. They may compare the entrepreneur’s current skills with their own and begin judging him by thinking he is equally good, or that they are better than him, or that they can soon be as good as him and therefore equal to the entrepreneur.

If the entrepreneur senses such emotions around, it becomes his duty to subtly communicate the difference between himself and them. He should highlight the skills he has acquired to reach his current position, the work he has done to grow the business, and the knowledge he has gained across multiple linked domains to run a successful business. By conveying this subtly, he not only helps preserve the organizational structure but also maintains his leadership position, which is essential to keep the organization aligned with its goals.

Krishna clarifies the subtle yet critical difference between Himself and Arjuna. Externally, they may appear to be standing on the same battlefield, engaged in the same moment. Internally, however, their depth of experience is vastly different. Krishna carries the memory of all journeys—past, present, and purpose—while Arjuna remembers only the present frame.

This verse is not about superiority of form, but superiority of accumulated wisdom and perspective.

Business Insight

Entrepreneurs often return to the grassroots—resolving frontline issues, stepping into operations, or even getting their hands dirty to set an example. This is natural, because they themselves have risen from these very levels.

However, when this happens, a subtle risk emerges.

Some employees begin comparing:

• Their current skills with the entrepreneur’s hands-on actions
• Their role-based competence with the entrepreneur’s momentary involvement

From this, silent judgments arise:

“He is no better than us.”

“I can do this too.”

“Soon, I’ll be at the same level.”

What they miss is the invisible accumulation—the years of failures, decisions, cross-domain understanding, and leadership scars that shaped the entrepreneur.

Leadership Lesson

When such emotional undercurrents arise, it becomes the leader’s responsibility—not to assert authority bluntly, but to re-establish perspective subtly.

A mature entrepreneur must occasionally remind the organization:

• What journeys were undertaken to reach this position
• What breadth of skills and experiences were acquired
• What integrated understanding is required to run the entire system

This is not ego. This is organizational alignment.

By doing so, the leader:

• Preserves healthy hierarchy
• Protects decision clarity
• Reinforces respect for leadership roles

Without this, organizations slowly slip into blurred authority, diluted accountability, and fractured direction.

Key Takeaways

• Shared tasks do not imply shared journeys.
• Leadership depth comes from accumulated experience, not momentary action.
• Grassroots involvement should inspire, not flatten authority.
• Leaders must subtly reassert perspective when needed.
• Clear hierarchy enables alignment, not oppression.