Spiritual Business Leader
- Harish Pant was honoured with “Distinguished Alumnus” Award by IEI, Member Advisory Council All India Management Association (AIMA) Bangalore, Lifetime member of Aeronautical Society of India, a Fellow of Institution of Engineers, Recipient of Immai Operational Excellence Award and Award for Industrial Development by All India Achievers Foundation and Indian Economic Development and Research Association. An aspiring author!
- Corporate Member of various International and National Chamber of Commerce, Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies & Industries and permanent Invitee to the Executive Board of Indian Society for Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering.
- A Mechanical Engineer with multi faceted global exposure and experience of 30 years across Steel, Automotive, Aerospace and Engineering sectors.
- Presently working with Hampson Industries Private Limited as Managing Director with responsibility for Automotive, General Engineering and Aerospace businesses.
- Have worked with HAL, MarutiUdyog Ltd and Jindal Group
Harish is deeply spiritual. He agreed to share his views on spirituality and the effects it can have in business with The Indian Manufacturing .com.
The Indian Manufacturing .com (TIM) : What is your definition of being spiritual ?
Harish Pant :Leadership is a huge responsibility and with UVCA world the challenges become stiffers, changes faster and choices harder and charaters and capabilities more subtle. In the granualities of this churning, a progressive leader will come face to face in the vallies and peaks of inetractive world when he finds himself alone with the spirit. This sipirit makes some spritual, some a monk, some a selfless leader, some mad/lunatic and some maniac for the pleasure, profit, position and power..
A time comes in a leaders life where he himself becomes a constraint, a limiting factor. He needs to cross over that hurdle, beyond physical, objective, emotional and intituitive. This zone to me is spiritual. Many leaders get to this zone through struggle and few get it from a pure exloration and choice as well.
TIM :Is there any relationship between Religion and Spirituality?
Harish :Religion is symbolic….saguna, spirituality is objective. Reliogion may deifne causal relationship pointing to a truth whereas spiritual is the truth.
TIM :What are the spiritual concepts that inspire you?
Harish:All concepts points to one truth but with varying emphasis. From a tat twam asi (you are that) proclamation and itti itti niyati niyati (it is this, it is not); to some emphasizing the religious process; to some objectively defining causal relationship and everything connected in the world; some emphasing Maya and Mithya (the illusionary world). Some go the yoga ways and some to atma and parmatma while some eluditating Purusha. Concepts are not important, living the truth is.
TIM:How can a Business leader use spirituality in business?
Harish: Spirituality can not be used! It has to be lived in the depth and meaning of life.
TIM :Today there is a lot of focus on short term results in business and this is creating a lot of stress to the people involved. How can spirituality help in this regard?
Harish: Spirituality is not a tool or skill. Its also not emotional maturity and yogic powers.
In ancient times spirituality was transcended directly from Guru to Desciples at a very young age. It was not a quick pill for a suicidal avoidance or as a means of stress releive!
Yes, a spritual person has many qualities and abilitieshas and may live a stress free life.
You get what you ask for in life. Chose your life wisely!
TIM :Give us examples of instance when you used spiritual approach in business.
Harish: Spirituality helps in you being your original self and that may help you and others in business.
TIM :How do you think a company can transform its’ business using spiritual concepts?
Harish:We see spiritual organizations becoming materialistic! The opium of spirituality and sloganeering for the masses certainly has some calming effect but its all but not spiritual! You can not cover ever unsatiating greed by the finest of clothes!!
However well intentioned, even many NGO’s do ot have spirituality as their base. Act of kindness is not spiritual! A spritual person will certainly be kind!!
TIM: How can spirituality contribute for better results!
Harish: Before one can realize the spiritual dimensions, the person would have experinced the subtle energy and witnessed emotional play. His very active reflections would have also observed the mind games and various perceptions.
Reality of a physical world does not change for a spiritual person but spiritual person understands the impermanance and relative signifcamce of all the events happenign in life.
If the leader and owners are spiritually aligned, they do not waste their time in many negative exploitative mind games but with a service attitude work for other stackholders. Spirituality does not give life comfort or convenience.
If Kaizen removes MUDA, MURA, MURI for the physical world then spirituality removes all the subtle waste and negative energy…..the left over is all value add wherein every act has a purpose and benfit for others as the self has just become spirit… has become selfless!
Life of spirituality is tough! Witness in you will not leave any waste…even the most subtle.