There are two birds, two sweet friends, who dwell in the self-same tree,
says the ancient Indian scripture the Upanishads. The first bird, dwelling on the lower part of the tree, lives "in sorrow and anxiety." Unable to see beyond the branches it hops around compulsively indulging its appetites, eating every fruit, sweet and sour. The other bird, higher up, can see the whole tree and the wider world - this perspective puts it in touch with its innate sense of being, the quality of existence that it shares in common with all other living beings and the natural world. Content, it "looks on in compassionate silence" at the other bird.
Ram Nidumolu's provocative book on business leadership uses this allegory from Indian scripture to highlight why many businesses are distrusted by the public and contribute to social ills like environmental destruction, wealth inequality and climate change: they mimic the bird on the lower branch. But can business, compassion, and stewardship really coexist? Ram's surprising insight is to hearken back to the earliest Indian philosophical texts to reclaim their lessons for acting in accordance with our connection to Being. He outlines a four-part framework for what he calls being-centered leadership and offers examples of this kind of leadership in action, from companies such as Harley Davidson, Timberland, Puma, Pepsi and many others. It is time, he writes, to "look up from our rickety perch on the lower branch of a storm-tossed tree and begin the journey to the higher branch."
