ESSENTIAL ASPECTS OF CARING LEADERSHIP

INTRODUCTION

- In the past: many devotees have left ISKCON

Quote of SP: whenever a devotee leaves it is 50% the fault of the devotee, and 50% the fault of the
managers/leaders.

=> we have to start taking responsibility for our 50%!

- Being a servant leader:

=> true power comes from influence on other people - inspiring them to voluntarily and appily follow the
leader, not from title and position

=> basis is love and trust, not fear and threat

* Essence of devotee care: nourishing and protecting the faith of a devotee in the process of devotional service

Bhaktivinoda Thakur: compares faith of a new devotee to a new-born baby girl
=> needs nourishment and protection!


DISCUSSING IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF CARING LEADERSHIP

* A caring leader has to be a servant leader, true well-wishing friend of everyone

- should be willing to extend him/herself to help others and have the spirit of sacrifice

- should be compassionate and have a genuine and selfless concern for the welfare of devotees: puts people's
ultimate spiritual needs first, then the project (substance comes first, then the structure)

- should be a good listener - able to listen to people he/she is trying to serve, and be a good communicator


* A caring leader has to be exemplary in all regards

- should have a nice understanding of the philosophy and practice of KC

- should be able to give balanced advice according to time, place and circumstance

- should not have the tendency for taking extreme and controversial positions on issues (should not be a
fundamentalist with kanistha mentality)

- should be mature and sober

- should demonstrate a good standard of sadhana, etiquette, behavior and commitment to serving the mission
of Srila Prabhupada


* A caring leader has to be stably situated within his/her own ashram

- should have healthy and appropriate ways of fulfilling financial, emotional and managerial needs and thus
never exploit his/her dependants for those needs.


* A caring leader has to have SHELTERING AND CONFIDENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS
with equals and seniors

- we can only give care and shelter to others if we have it ourselves

- Jiva Goswami in Madhava Mahotsava: "Though one usually ignores others in attaining one's goals, those
aspiring for prema accept dependence on others with similar goals and tastes. Thus, cooperating with each
other, they worked together keeping in mind the goal of prema."

=> MATERIALISTIC CULTURE: sense enjoyment is the goal of life

=> relationships are characterized by:

- separatism & individualism, ignoring each other while pursuing ones goals, pushing each other out of the way.
- 'self-made man' - higher standard of life gives illusion of independence and freedom
- relationships are more superficial and external, little respect towards each other and no mood of service
- everyone is busy with their own schedule, impersonalism

=> SPIRITUAL CULTURE: self realization is the goal of life

=> relationships are characterized by:

- internal dependance on others, based on humility and the cultivation of transcendental helplessness.
- seniors uplift juniors - relationships are deep and meaningful, based on respect and mood of service towards
each other

=> We are conditioned by materialistic culture and need facilitation to cultivate the mood of accepting internal
dependance on others.

=> Need for system to facilitate care and shelter


- Garuda Purana: "One cannot be liberated without association with a pure devotee of the Lord. And unless
one shows mercy to those in an inferior position, one's life will be superficial."

=> Giving guidance and accepting guidance is an ongoing process which is most natural and not artificial.

- We go through different phases in life and always face new challenges.There is always somebody who has
already more experience in dealing with those challenges.

- When carrying a heavy weight we can easily be thrown off center. Best to associate closely with those who
carry a bigger weight and are well centered and balanced.

- Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: "I wish that every selfless, tender-hearted person of the Gaudiya Math will be
prepared to shed two hundred gallons of blood for the nourishment of the spiritual corpus of every individual
of this world."

=> our bhakti lata needs ongoing nourishment and care


* What are the characteristics of a sheltering relationship?

- confidential friend and well-wisher
- gives guidance and inspiration, serves as role model
- only interest is to help us grow in our spiritual life (no managerial, emotional or financial interest)
- full trust in his/her confidentiality - we want to be corrected and disciplined by him/her

=> a devotee's spiritual progress is dependant on such relationships
=> to get the mercy of a Vaisnava means to develop such a relationship
=> a devotee who does not have such relationship is very unfortunate!

- Examples from sastra:

* Mahaprabhu: put Ragunath Das Goswami under the care of Svarupa Damodara

* Even in the spiritual world is a Divine hierarchy - we serve UNDER someone

- Basic principle of BRAHMINICAL CULTURE: to have aloof brahminical adviser

- SB 2.7.9. "The brahmanas, by their learned labor of love, would instruct the administrator-king's how to rule
the country in complete righteousness, and thus the process would go on as a perfect welfare state."

* our vision of ourselves and others is easily clouded by attachments and material desires, by having to meet
managerial goals

=> we can't objectively assess ourselves

=> Everyone needs such brahminical aloof advisor


* Amrta Vani (p.315), Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur: "One who gives personal instruction to each and
everyone does more for others than the platform speakers do. Generally, whatever platform speakers say
cannot solve the problem of everyone in the audience, nor can it always benefit every individual. A person's
defects are better rectified in a private tutorial class or private coaching than in hearing lectures in a school or
college. Therefore those who instruct particular persons separately can award them something more
permanent."


* NOI, 4: 'guhyam akhyati prcchati'
Prabhupada comments in the purport: a more experienced devotee explains, and a less experienced devotee
learns from him

=> giving and accepting shelter as a fundamental loving exchange in Vaisnava relationships

=> BASIS FOR DEVOTEE CARE


* A caring leader has to regularly recharge his/her spiritual strength

- need for taking time out for seclusion, extra reading and chanting, senior association etc (Holy Name retreats,
Bhakti Sangam festivals, seminars, parikramas, etc)

- spiritual life: ever increasing. There are always higher levels to move forward to

- if we don't give ongoing nourishment to our spiritual life:

=> advancement is choked, stagnant
=> attachment to power, position, title, money, control
=> conflicts and disturbances on various levels of leadership
=> lack of caring spirit towards those serving under us



















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