Wisdom Leadership
Prof. Chakraborty is a well-known author on management ethics and values from an Indian perspective. The author has argued in many previous books that the Indian ethos as epitomized in figures like Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, and Mahatma Gandhi, can also be an as yet little tapped source of ethical empowerment and good management. The practical application of this ethos, Chakraborty had developed in course of numerous training workshops held for Indian private and public sector organizations. The book entitled Wisdom Leadership: Dialogues and Reflections is the latest fruit of this endeavour.
The first part of the book contains edited notes which Chakraborty took during interviews he had conducted with CEO's of major Indian companies and banks. These interviews make for fascinating reading. They summarise at times quite private thoughts of CEO's and Managing Directors about themselves, their working life and the state of ethical behaviour in their organisations. The second part of the book offers a choice of Chakraborty's essays on differents aspects of Indian culture, ethics, politics and quality of leadership. Although the book does not prescribe quick fixes for increased managerial effectiveness, it does address managerial practice and behaviour in a most fundamental manner and does this in a very readable manner. All points of ethics are illustrated through examples of ethical practice or neglect. These examples are taken from real life situations. The fact that the setting of the book is Indian does not restrict its value to Indian readers only. The ethics the book sets forth can be applied with success in many other cultural settings. Also this fact, Chakraborty illustrates through examples. The book invites the reader to reflect seriously on the fundamentals of human existence. *
Chakraborty, S.K.
Wisdom Leadership:
Dialogues and Reflections
New Delhi: Wheeler Publishing.
1999. pp X+214,
ISBN 81-7544-177-1
Dr Victor A. van Bijlert, Universiteit Leiden,
E-mail: vavanbijlert@hotmail.com