Two Birds in a Tree, Ram Nidumolu
Two Birds in a Tree, Ram Nidumolu
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Two Birds in a Tree
Timeless Indian Wisdom for Business Leaders

Author: Ram Nidumolu

Narrator: Jim Manchester

Unabridged: 6 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/07/2013

Categories: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Hindu


Synopsis

Looking back to the ancient knowledge of the Indian scripture, the Upanishads, Ram Nidumolu finds the core philosophy of sustainable leadership thats needed today. In this remarkable book, he uses a powerful parable from these scriptures to create a business vision that our world desperately needs. There are two birds, two sweet friends, who dwell in the selfsame tree, says 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 worldthis 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 Nidumolus 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? Rams 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.

About Ram Nidumolu

Ram Nidumolu is a
celebrated entrepreneur, business scholar, and student of Hindu scripture. He
was lead author of the 2009 Harvard
Business Review cover story “Why Sustainability Is Now the Key Driver of
Innovation” and has also written for Stanford
Social Innovation Review. He served as an assistant professor at Santa
Clara University and University of Arizona. He has founded and led two
companies since leaving academia, Gandiva and InnovaStrat, and is currently CEO
of the latter. Nidumolu recently served as research director of the Corporate
Eco Forum, speaks frequently to business audiences, and continues to teach
classes at the University of California, Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and the
Institute for Transpersonal Psychology.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Alice

Finding a deeper sense of purpose. Important for businesses to always take into account that they are not separate from humanity and nature. Everything is interdependent. As we have seen and experienced, there are dire consequences to all and the earth when profit is the only consideration. "Being-c......more

Goodreads review by Yaman

The cases of mentors covered by Professor Ram and the personal experiences really make a good, convincing and powerful case for Beingful Leadership. His insights make the book more than just a study. It's an insightful, personal and humanistic way of looking at Leadership in the corporate world.......more

Keep it REAL: Recognize there is something Higher than yourself Experience a connection to something higher than yourself Anchor yourself in a vision that higher than yourself Leadership by being a servant leader......more

Goodreads review by Ashish

An inspiring read when you are tasked with leading a team. Helps create a mindset of a people centered leader......more