Sri Krishna, who altered the spiritual and worldly fate of humanity, was born in Mathura, India, in 3228 BCE. Sri Krishna left a lasting influence on humanity's consciousness during his 125 years on earth. He served as a role model for people in the past, the present, and undoubtedly for generations to come. As quoted by several spiritual leaders “ His eminence is nonpareil. All people, despite their origins, can find joy and inspiration in his narrative.” Hundreds of people today, make their devotions to Lord Krishna and try to put his teachings into practice. His lessons are suitable for everyone, he showed all people the path towards spiritual advancement.

On the auspicious anniversary of Janmashtami, we present to you skills every entrepreneur should adopt from Lord Krishna.

1. Humility

In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna lists humility as the first item of knowledge. He delivers the Gita while serving as a chariot driver, a role he accepted out of love for Arjuna, his disciple. He comes from very humble beginnings. His authentic and grounded approach is highly acclaimed by the audience. Numerous accounts of Lord Krishna, who was raised in a hamlet before his life of kingship, show how he maintains his connection to the community even though he holds the entire world in his hands. Lord Krishna derives his satisfaction not from lauding his glories but from sharing love with his devotees.

2. A Loyal Ally

The bond of friendship is beautiful and irreplaceable. Something as pure and selfless as the affinity between Krishna and Sudama is difficult to find in our current generation. Lord Krishna helped Sudama overcome poverty and put an end to all his miseries without expecting anything in return. In the world of startups and ventures, maintaining such relationships is critical. We all need friends in our personal lives, and some of these friendships may develop into professional ties that help our business grow.

3. An All Rounder

Lord Krishna was a maestro in all spheres. He was an educator, a warrior, a learner and an artist. From friendship to brotherhood to academics and everything else in between, he had something to offer. For an enterprise to prosper, an entrepreneur must possess and master the qualities of passion, goal orientation, creativity, leadership, risk-taking etc.

4. Risk Taking

Lord Krishna was a true risk taker. In the Gita, he quotes “ Take a bloody risk! If it pays off, you will be victorious and enjoy the bountiful kingdom. And what’s the worst that can happen? You will die. You will go to heaven (BG 2.37) So what if you go to heaven – there’s always another chance. Another birth. Another life. Another opportunity. No big deal (see BG 4.5).” He has even risked his own life several times. He plunged into the river as soon as he got to know that the serpent Kaliya was infecting the waters in Vrindavana. As an entrepreneur, taking certain risks for the sake of your business is indispensable.

5. Time Management

In the Gita, Lord Krishna says “ ayuktah prakrtah stabdhah satho naiskrtiko ’lasah visadi dirgha-sutri ca karta tamasa ucyate ” which translates to :

“The worker who is always engaged in work against the injunctions of the scripture, who is materialistic, obstinate, cheating and expert in insulting others, and who is lazy, always morose and procrastinating is said to be a worker in the mode of ignorance.”- Bhagavad Gita 18.28. The antidote to procrastination is regulated work, which is a characteristic of the mode of goodness. An entrepreneur needs to learn the skill of time management. Time is the most powerful force in the world, use it wisely.