THE TALENT SUTRA

Saraswati is the goddess of
knowledge in Hinduism, as well as in Buddhism and Jainism. Her name is
derived from the fluidity (saras) of the imagination. Human imagination
enables us to invent and innovate, visualize, plan and de-risk. Yet
imagination is a bad word in the world of business and management. It strips
us of certainty. We want to control the imagination of those who work for us,
prevent their minds from wandering from work. Yet every human being lives in
an imagined reality. Recognizing this enables us to work with talent, build
strong relationships and nurture people to face any situation with faith and
patience. Failure to recognize imagination is why family-owned businesses are
unable to manage professionals and how professionally- run companies end up
creating ineffective, mechanistic talent management systems. Training,
learning and development, are not just about skills and knowledge and
competencies, they are about appreciating the human-animal, recognizing that
neither we nor those around us are programmable machines that we can plug and
play. Managing people, hence relationships, is key to the survival of an
organization. Derived from Devdutt Pattanaik?s influential bestseller
Business Sutra, this book explores concepts like creativity in the workplace,
nurturing talent and the importance of teamwork. It will help employers and
managers become more inclusive leaders who are able to carry their team along
with them.