Leader: 50 Insights from Mythology

by Devdutt Pattanaik

What does the Biblical story of Nathan and David say about effective communication skills? How do you identify the Raja Bhoj, the Gangu Teli and the Shekchilli in your office? What is the corporate equivalent of an Ashwamedha yajna?

Drawing from sources as diverse as the Mahabharata and the Bible, the Vikram-Betal stories, the Iliad and the Odyssey, Islamic tenets, the tales of rishis and kings, and fables from around the world, Devdutt Pattanaik, India's leading mythologist, provides a fascinating account of what leadership entails. How to choose the right leader, effectively communicate with a boss, maintain the right balance between discipline and leniency? In these and other workplace situations, Pattanaik shows what leaders of today can learn about the art of leadership from stories written thousands of years ago, things no management course can teach.

50 Insights from Mythology uses myths and legends to arrive at wisdom that is both time-worn and refreshingly new, on what makes a good leader.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Mythology

248 pages, Hardcover

Published February 27, 2018

About the author

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik (born December 11, 1970) is an Indian physician turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology, and also management. He has written a number of books related to Hindu mythology, including Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, a novel, The Pregnant King, and Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata (2010).
He is the Chief Belief Officer of Future Group, one of India’s largest retailers, bringing the wisdom of Indian mythology into Indian business, especifically in human resource management. He also writes a column for the newspaper MID DAY.
He has also written a novel based on a tale from the Mahabharata titled 'The Pregnant King' published by Penguin Books India

Reviews

[Mansi Jain]

Interesting mythological stories but it's connection to corporate world is not very relevant.

[Divya]

Must read.

[Benben Michaels]

Learning from Legends: A Review of "Leader: 50 Insights from Mythology" by Devdutt Pattanaik

Devdutt Pattanaik's "Leader: 50 Insights from Mythology" offers a unique and engaging approach to leadership development. Instead of dry business frameworks, the book draws wisdom from a rich tapestry of myths and legends.

Pattanaik skillfully dissects well-known stories from various cultures, from the cunning strategies of Odysseus to the tragic hubris of King Midas. Each chapter focuses on a specific leadership quality, such as decision-making, communication, or delegation. The author then uses the mythological tale to illustrate the concept, providing a fresh perspective and memorable takeaways.

The book's strengths lie in its accessibility and entertainment value. The short, bite-sized chapters are perfect for busy readers, and the engaging storytelling makes learning about leadership enjoyable. Additionally, Pattanaik bridges the gap between ancient myths and modern situations, demonstrating how age-old lessons remain relevant in today's business world.

However, readers seeking in-depth leadership theory might find the format limiting. The focus is on drawing broad parallels from myths, rather than providing detailed frameworks or practical tools. Additionally, some prior knowledge of the featured myths would enhance the reading experience.

Overall, "Leader: 50 Insights from Mythology" is a refreshing and insightful read for anyone interested in leadership development. It's a perfect blend of timeless wisdom, engaging storytelling, and practical application, making it a valuable resource for leaders and aspiring leaders alike.

[Arti]

The short stories correlate the different characters from Ramayan and Mahabharta to people behaviour one see in the corporate environment. The comparisons are fair, and in most chapters give insights into how one could judge people/scenarios in corporate setups. It did not seem very insightful as leadership lessons, though i like the author addressing aspects of sensitising the reader to higher EQ in leadership roles in some chapters. It is a casual read on understanding people behaviour, but would not recommend if you are considering this as a serious reference book on leadership!

[RISHAV ADHIKARI]

The author cites a few lines (in each chapter ) from Indian mythological tales and tries to find a co-relation between the tales and today's world.

He gives his explanation of how the insights from the mythological tales or rather the moral values received from mythology can be implemented to some extent in today's world.

In some cases, he provided solutions to getting out of complicated situations in today's corporate world and in some cases he just specifies the jeopardy one could find himself / herself into or be put into by others.

This work of his is philosophical to an extent.

[Craartology]

Leader: 50 Insights From Mythology by Devdutt Pattanaik is precisely what the title suggests, a book that draws parallels about different concepts of leadership or rather who a successful leader is, from traditional texts of multiple religions and principles of modern leadership/management. These tales aren’t mere stories but life lessons.

Easy to read, concise chapters and insightful as an introduction or a reinforcement for the reader this book is wholesome and satisfying.

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Julio Anthony]

Very great book about leadership insight, I learnt a lot on how to behave in a world.

This books teach me on how to become leader, for example by asking questions. Or by the meaning of promotion, or by a lot of tactics that happen in the past but still appliable on current world.

Sometimes we need to see deeper on our history to learn about the future.

[Jaikishin]

It is a nice little book that connects leadership with mythology. It gave me exactly what I thought it would looking at the book.

I found the book to be more insightful than impactful. Nevertheless made a pretty good light read, specially given I enjoy mythology.

I got this book as a gift, and I think it makes a pretty nice gift.

[Sahiba Tyagi]

First book I read of Author Devdutt. I think my interest in Hindu mythology began after reading this book. I was rattled at first before buying the book, turns out it was a good decision. 50 stories! 50 lessons! So many legends!

[Ashika Advankar]

A very good book correlating mythological stories with modern day solutions. I very much like the fact that it has referred to any person as 'good' or 'bad' as we were taught to but rather discussed on why and the behavioral characteristics of that person.

Must read.

[Sambasivan]

From simplistic to profound thoughts this is a book which can be read in one sitting. What one expects from the author.

[nirav]

Good book

Management from different angle. Like the book as mythological touch given to modern management. One good book to read atleast once.

[Kamakshi]

A 3.5 from my side.
Some stories were an absolute success as far as their correlation with the business world is concerned but some just seemed too much of an opinion than an insight.

[Pardeep Singh]

Wonderful!! I have never read or seen any book that relates the learning from our epics to the modern world corporate world. Enjoyed reading and understanding every chapter of the book.

[Mitesh Patel]

Mediocre at best. The author has recycled some of these in so many ways in other books and they have now no juice left in these and he should just give up

[Vikram Mohan R]

fair! probably expected more. That said, there are some stories worth being able to compare.

[Priyanka sisodia]

I loved this book and it’s analogies from mythology to current corporate world is amazing. For most of the instance I was able to correlate my work life as well.

[naveen gupta]

some good stories and lessons..

[Bhupesh Sharma]

Great book with 50 short stories. But are all good? Maybe no...
But some of the stories are really good and really convey the msg.
I enjoyed mixing leadership lessons with mythology

[Ace Samanta]

I don't agree with atleast half the perspectives in the book. It was a decent one time read and as always Devdutt's storytelling is pretty smooth.

[Sriram]

Thanks Devdutt for writing such a nice book.

My key takeaway is look for Narayana than narayani army.

[Soham Agarwal]

Indian mythology contains some great stories that educate us and give us useful advice to thrive in the corporate world. The Indian way of doing business is not about right or wrong, but only actions and their consequences.
A leader must have many qualities to sustain himself, his organization and its members. A good leader must create an ecosystem where even the weak can thrive and expect to grow themselves. he must be aware of the needs of his workers. Devdutt Pattanaik talks about three types of currencies: financial, intellectual and emotional. While the first one is tangible, the other 2 are intangible. There is no way to record or measure emotional and intellectual exchange. Yet, they play a very subtle, but significant, role in the growth of a corporation.

[Ragini]

Easy read

I enjoyed the short stories format of this book. Made it easy and entertaining to read. I would highly recommend it.

[Rachna]

A story within a story. This book is not just for Bosses or the current leaders of the world, it is also for those employees, seniors, juniors who struggle daily at work, employees they dislike/find it difficult to cope. The book takes you through your situation and gives you a solution. It doesn’t stop there; 50 insights of fascinating mythology. Book resonates the old mythology to the current state we are in and beautifully enlightens us with facts to become a good leader.