thoughts on Amma’s Leadership style

[Guest guest]

Amma's Leadership style.

 

1. As far as I know, in 1994 Amma had one social service project

going....an orphange with 400 children. Today, in 2005, Amma has so

many projects going that I cannot keep track of them.

How did this happen in the short space of 11 yrs.? It is amazing and

unprecendented for a non-govermental charitable organization to have

expanded so rapidly.

So, Amma's leadership style must be unique.

 

2. A. Amma, as Chairman and President and CEO, has an open door

policy, so to say.

Anyone with patience can get in line and have darshan with Her ,and

say anything they want to Her.....whether that is a complaint about

someone in Her organization, or the way thngs are running, or give a

suggestion, or talk about a personal matter. Of Course,one never knows

how She will reply One does not need to call a secretary and make an

appointment to see Amma. I know of no other large organization that

runs like this.

B. I have seen Amma take and hug a smelly, dishelved homeless

alcolohic from just off the street, that no one else wanted to be

near. Amma accepts anyone who comes to Her, very much like Sarada Devi

did.

 

3. Amma multi tasks like no one I have ever seen.

She lives most of Her life in public view.

While giving darshan and personal attention to an individual She also

does a lot of other tasks; like managing how things are going in the

program and hall, answering questions posed to Her by those seeking

approval, advice and suggestion about the various projects of Her

organization, etc., etc., etc..

 

4. Amma's hours of work are beyond normal human abilities.

She is the best Time Manager that I have ever seen, and She puts in

longer working hours than all other CEOs of large organizations. She

also use Her unique creative powers of intuition. She is very creative

in how she manages people and situations.

 

5. Through Her example Amma inspires others to become better persons

and to serve God's creation, and to use their time well. Her

expression unconditional Love and Humilty is a unique example.Amma

gives, and gives and gives of Herself. This is very important for a

volunteer based organization.

 

6. Amma strictlly adheres to a moral code of behavior following not

harming others, truth, honesty, purity,non- wastefulness of resources,

etc.....basically following Yama and Niyama .

She expects Her followers wearing the yellow or orange cloth to

follow this code to the best of their ability. She sleeps little, if

at all, and eats not alot, I think, but I have never seen Her eating a

meal.

And one point is very improtant to Amma, and that is that we, Her

followers, try our best not to judge or be critical of others. Amma

forgives mistakes, even of those who physically tried to harm Her.

Again, Amma sets the example.

 

7. Amma is ready at any moment to perform Herself any mundane task in

Her organization. I have seen Her on Her knees,cleaning the floor

after a darshan program. One usually does not see any CEOs doing this

type of work, or setting such an example.

 

8. Amma demonstrates knowledge in many diverse fields, like vedic

scriptures, history, cooking, sewing, psychology, zoology, biology,

archeticture etc. etc., etc.

 

There is no one in recent history that we can compare Amma to. The

lives and works of Sri Ramakrishana- Shrii Sarada Devi –

SwamiVivekananda,.....Padre Pio,......Mother Theresa come to my mind,

but none of their organizations expanded so much so rapidly.

 

I would suggest that it might be good to interview Steve Schmidt in

Sanata Fe about Amma's leadership style. Listening to his story

of how the Santa Fe ashram came into existence is very interesting,

and is a good practical example of Amma's leadership skills.

Steve is a lawyer, and probabaly has had contact with a lot of other

CEOs and organizations.

 

Good luck with your presentation.

In Amma,

sarama