Book Review: Shubha Vilas’ ‘Live Lead Love’ Goes Beyond Self-Help, Turning to Scriptures for Leadership Guidance

Live Lead Love by Shubha Vilas is not just a self-help book for leaders, but a book that gently pushes you to revisit your scriptures for guidance. It tells you to revisit the stories that you heard as a child and look at them differently.

‘Strip away the chariots and the crowns, and what remains is unbearably human: personalities trying to live without breaking, lead without losing themselves, and love without disappearing into someone else. That is not history. That is Monday morning.’ (sic) says the author in his introduction. This explains his approach to the book.

Segregated in three parts – Live, Lead and Love, the book explores all aspects of leadership, management and training. It helps you understand uncertainties of business, sacrifices of a leader, attitude of a leader etc. He also talks about emotionally damaging leadership and balance of life, relationships etc.

He uses scriptures to elucidate his point. In the Chapter Why Leaders Should Hug More, he explains why a hug can gain more trust and impart more trust and recognition for an employee. He gives the example from Ramayan where Rama embraces Sugriva who was still reeling under the effects of betrayal and disappointment. That warm, comforting hug from Ram consoled Sugriva and he intuitively decided to trust Rama. In the same chapter he talks about how Rama hugging Hanuman led to lifetime dedication. The author emphasizes the importance of a hug  - ‘A hug, especially during difficult times, speaks more eloquently than any leadership.’ (sic)

An equally important chapter is Find Yourself A Dhaumya. Dhaumya was the was the advisor of Pandavas during their most difficult times – time when they chose to be hidden after Duryodhan’s attempt to burn them alive. It was Dhaumya who gave them advise that changed the way the perceived themselves forever. ‘This is the true power of a mentor: they just don’t rescue you from your problems, but they also empower you to become stronger.’ (sic) says the author while reiterating the need of a mentor for a leader and the leader to become a mentor.

In Cheering Others Ahead, the author says that it is important for a leader to cheer up the employees and peers every now and then. He uses the Krishna ans Balaram story for that before saying, ‘To truly cheer someone on is about reminding them of the wonderful and powerful person they truly are…’(sic).

The book ends with Secrets of Lasting Relationships where he shares five tips using Krishna and Sudama story. These tips are useful in professional and personal life.

Live Lead Love is an interesting read that simplifies secrets of balanced life in an interesting way.

Book: Live Lead Love

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico

Pages: 252

Price: Rs 399