Kabeer in Korporates - a must read for all coaches and leaders

Gurucharan Singh Gandhi's Kaber In Corporates is a thought-provoking book that offers a unique perspective on the wisdom of the 15th-century Indian poet Kabir and its relevance to the modern corporate world. The book is a beautiful compilation of Kabir's dohas, accompanied by meaningful translations and relevant stories that make them accessible to contemporary readers.

The author writes in a simple, conversational tone, and the book is filled with stories, examples, and metaphors from Kabir's dohas. At first, I was uncomfortable with the comparisons that Gurucharan made in the book. For instance, wisemen in Kabir's dohas were compared to leaders in modern-day corporates, diamonds were compared to successful leaders. Gurucharan also drew a parallel between the Guru or Teacher Kabir's dohas to coaches of today, or the Wife of the other to the achievements and accomplishments of the other. However, as I continued to read, I appreciated how he drew out and highlighted the essence of these dohas in a modern context.

Gurucharan reminds readers time and again in the book that the doha's were appropriately written for the then audience and their practices, and advises how to contextualize the same for today day and age. Gurucharan is effective in drawing comparisons between ancient practices and today's corporate environment. I loved how he drew parallels between the outdated practice of Sati Pratha in India and leaders' commitment to stay true to their goals. He also drew a parallel between the malpractice of eyeing another man's wife in the past and today's practices of credit-mongering in corporations. These interpretations help readers to see deeper meanings beneath the dohas and make them relevant to today's world.

The book covers various topics related to leadership, such as self-awareness, biases, egoism, and helpfulness, drawing from Kabir's dohas that talk about teachers and learned men and the importance of knowing oneself. The author delicately deals with concepts like self-contentment, ambition, and aspiration; making them relevant to today's times through Kabir's dohas that spoke of mountains or stomachs full of food and clothes.

In addition to leadership traits and qualities, the book also talks about well-being and taking care of oneself. It discusses several skills that leaders and employees in corporations need to develop, such as overcoming procrastination, goal orientation, keeping commitments, taking care of peers and subordinates, and working as a team, self awareness and self-care for holistic wellness. The book nudges leaders to know their larger purpose and why they are doing what they do. The book also lays a lot of importance on practical experience, connections, and relationships over bookish knowledge. The author emphasizes the importance of feedback and critique, never-ending desires to grow and become big, self-awareness, and avoiding egoism.

Overall, Kabeer In Korporates is an engaging and thought-provoking book that teaches readers to read beyond the words and see beyond what the words are communicating. The book provides practical insights for leaders, students, employees, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to become a great student, learner, leader or coach. I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of leadership and its role in the corporate world.