Wisdom Towards Unity: Developing Managerial Talent Through Development of Consciousness

Abstract

This chapter examines the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of cognitive development in the management of wisdom towards unity. It begins with a landscape review of the change drivers impacting our world today. It then describes the need for transcendence and wisdom in the classic literature of the Bhagavad Gita and envisions the development of higher consciousness for higher order thinking towards wisdom and unity consciousness for a flourishing humanity. The mechanics of transcending are described in the metaphor of unfreezing from conventional, superficial, and narrow thinking. The layered nature of consciousness, thinking, values, and paradigms is described. The technique of Transcendental Meditation is proposed as being effective in the development of consciousness. The dissonance within human cognitive development is discussed towards resolution by the development of wisdom in unity in diversity which provokes pragmatic action in businesses and organizations. Examples of organizations in emerging countries that represent the value of unity consciousness operationalized in their vision and mission are described. These examples are selected as they are well known and insightfully represent the essential nature of the glimpses of unity consciousness in their founders to underpin their practical inclusivity of stakeholders in their environments as extensions of their own Being or Self. In conclusion, the pace of globalization, accelerating change, and increasing diversity today necessitate integrative thinking by unifying diversity, not by freezing or arresting change, nor by the top-down imposition of uniformity or sameness. The process of transcending, refining the intellect, and integrating with a clarity of experience seems ideal for the goal of cognizing unity in diversity.