In nature we see where God has been.  In our fellow men, we see where He is still at work.

                                                                                                                         Robert Brault

As we grow in our life, we are entrusted with the responsibility of management of more and more people. As a child, we are free to be ourselves and enjoy the life the way we wish. However, as we grow, we have to manage people. When you get married, you are entrusted with the management of your family. In your job, you have to manage large number of people who are working with you in the organization.

We know how difficult it is to manage people. Everyone seems to be having his own personality, values, aspirations and goals. In order to organize multitudes of people to achieve a goal for you or for the organization is not an easy task. Even in your family, you find it difficult to manage your spouse and children. As a result, divorcees are increasing and families are breaking apart. Your children also do not listen once they grow up and become independent.  In the organization, we find that the carrot and stick policy does not work as, most often, you do not wield a stick nor do you have the power to give carrot. Yet your boss and the organization expect you to produce results.

When we are so baffled by managing only a few people, think of God, who has to manage billions of human beings and trillions of other living creatures. He cannot exercise much power on them since they are all His children and He loves them very much. Just imagine how God manages trillions of lives on earth so smoothly and efficiently?

God seems to be doing His job quite well as His satisfaction rating seems to be the highest. After all, even in the modern world, more than 95% of the people in the world seem to have faith in God. People do not seem to be unhappy living in this world. Most of them love to live and given a choice, would never like to quit this world. Despite the miseries and pains, they pray to God and seek His blessings for a longer life in this world.

Very few of us can command such respect and success in managing people. Most of us would not get even half the rating from our subordinates. Most of us always fear being discarded or ignored by our family once their dependence on us reduces.

Are there really some fundamental principles in Gods management, which can be helpful in managing people in our organization and family? If these principles appeal you, experiment them in your personal and professional life and see the result. Since these principles are in harmony with the principles of God, you should expect wonderful results, lasting happiness and peace besides success in your personal and professional life.

1. The Virtue of Freedom

The first and foremost feature of Gods management is freedom. He has given free will to everyone. He does not interfere with our decision-making. Every one is free to decide his or her action, even if it is against the will of God. The purpose behind this freedom is that people must learn to take decisions. They must learn from experience as to what is good and what is bad.

The same principle needs to be applied in our family. If you want your children to grow, you have to grant them freedom of thought, expression and action. Limit your role only to that of a guide or teacher.  They may take bad decisions, but they will learn great lessons from it, which would be useful for them in their life. In organizations, too, good bosses give full freedom to their subordinates. They make every person responsible for his actions.

It is only by freedom that people grow and realize their full potential in life. It is a fact that most of inventions and wealth creations have been done by people who had freedom and were born in free countries. There is an old saying in India, A man without freedom does not enjoy happiness even in his dream. Surely, you cannot run an organization full of unhappy people.

2. Laws of Karma

The second most important management principle of God is the law of Karma. Every one has to reap what he sows. Everyone has to bear the consequence of his or her action. Lord Krishna has clearly stated in the Gita (V:14-15):

The Lord creates neither agency nor action for the world; neither does he connect action with its fruit. It is the law of nature that is at work. The Lord does not take upon Himself anyones vice or virtue. It is ignorance that veils knowledge and deludes all creatures.

However, we normally ignore the principle of karma while managing people. We reward people who are nice to us and praise us, while punish or ignore the people who do not obey us. God judges the people on the merit of their karma. He does not punish or kill the people who are atheists, who ignore Him and even ridicule Him, if they do the right karma. He may help His devotees by guiding them properly, yet He favours or disfavours none, as Lord Krishna clearly says in the Gita (IX: 29):

I am the same for all beings; with Me there is none disfavoured, none favoured; but those who worship Me with devotion are in Me and I in them.

Thus a good manager must create a trust in his people that everyone shall be judged only by one’s action and not on the basis of any other criterion. No sycophancy is to be tolerated by a good manager, as laid down in the principles of God.

3.  Equality and Justice

Equality and Justice are the most important principles in the management of God. While man has created hierarchy in every organization, where every one is either above someone or below someone, every one is equal in the eyes of God. For him no work is less important than others. He has given equal life to every one. A billionaire does not live any longer than a common man, nor does a saint live any longer than a criminal. He balances material possession with spiritual life. Any person, who acquires huge wealth in this world, seldom finds peace and happiness which is abundant in life even of the most ordinary man.

Most of us, as managers, are concerned only with the people who are higher in the hierarchy and ignore people who are lower. We leave the job of managing the lower rank people to the subordinates, while we focus only on the senior people. This method runs contrary to the principle of God. It is a fact that managers, who give importance to lower rank people in the organization, run their organizations better.

Jesus Christ said to his disciples (Mathew 5:3):

Blessed are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ..How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God (Luke 18:18-27)

Even in our family, we ignore the weakest member i.e. child. When Jesus was asked, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? he called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Mathew 21: 1-4)

The principle of equality and justice is the epitome of the management principles of God. Mahatma Gandhi used this principle in his life and decided to live the life of a poor. He became the most influential leader of the twentieth century.

4. Delegation

God believes in absolute delegation of power and authority. He leaves no footprints and is never seen by the people. He has delegated all His powers to the Prophets and Teachers. Every such person is given immense power to rule the hearts of the people. God is found in the heart of every poet, artist, and scientist as in the most ordinary man, who has purified his heart from material indulgences. He communicates with them and rules the world through them not by power but by inspiration. The more is the spiritual evolution of man, the higher responsibility He gives to him for the world. God gives higher status to His followers than even Himself. This is expressed in the following verse of the mystic poet, Kabir:

Teacher and God stand before me,

Whose feet should I touch,

I am more thankful to Teacher,

Who took me unto God.

The organization, which is run by the authority of one, hardly achieves lasting success. The most fundamental principle of delegation is that the manager must not do anything that can be done by any other person in the organization. He must undertake the responsibility to make every person as capable as himself or even more capable than him so that he can focus on the larger objectives of the organization.

A good manager must always encourage people to become better than him. Once Mr. Narayana Murthy, the Chairman of Infosys, the biggest and one of the most respected IT companies in India, was asked what his success formula was. He replied:

I have realized that if you want to look smarter, you must surround yourself with people smarter than you. Everybody needs incentives to perform. Every employee must feel an inch taller when talking about the company.

5.  Compassion

Every person as a manager is extremely powerful. The father or mother is the most powerful person in the family. A top manager is the most powerful person in an organization. There is always a temptation to use power to produce quick results. Yet the fact is that power only creates hatred and never succeeds in the long run.

One has to learn compassion from God. His mercy and love are infinite. Despite being omnipotent, He never exercises power on the people and always gives them opportunity to realize their mistakes and reform. The first verse of the Koran says,

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Lord Krishna explains His compassion for mankind in the following words (Gita IX: 30- 31):

A sinner, however great, if he turns to Me with undivided devotion, must be counted a saint; for he has a settled resolve. For soon he becomes righteous, he wins everlasting peace. Know for a certainty that My devotee never perishes.

God always forgives man for his sins if he repents. The Bible instructs us to forgive as the Lord forgave us (Colossians 3:13):

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Compassion is the mot important principle of God to manage people. The organization which runs mechanically without love and compassion to their employees does not survive long. Only he, who shows compassion for the family and friends, lives an enjoyable life.

There is no doubt that one can learn a lot from the way God manages this world. He may not be visible, yet He is manifested in the heart of every human being and speaks through the mouths of selfless and spiritual human beings. Many of us may already be applying these management principles in our family and organization, since this knowledge is known intuitively to every person in this world, who has time to listen to his or her heart. If not, you can use some of these management principles and reap the fruits of success in your life.

(The author, a govt. servant with the Govt. of India, comes from an engineering background and has recently been awarded a Ph.D. in e-governance. He has published over two hundred articles on ‘scienceofsoul.com’ and other websites. The present article has been taken from his recently published book ‘The Mystery of God’)