It is time for South Asia to give to other regions: Prof. Mahadevan

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam
As Asia continues to play an active role in leading global economic growth, world-renowned speaker Prof. B. Mahadevan said it is time for the region to invest in showcasing its leadership philosophies to the West.

“Time has come for South Asia to give to other regions. We have taken from the West for 400 years politically and 100 years intellectually. The most valuable exercise we can engage is to invest on letting the world know the wisdom we have,” said Prof. Mahadevan, adding it was time to change the flow of knowledge and wisdom from the East to the West.

Prof. Mahadevan, who was amongst the top 40 individuals nominated globally for the Economic Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Business Professor of the Year Award in 2012, shared these thoughts with Mirror Business in the side lines of the CA Sri Lanka CEOs forum titled ‘Inspirational Leadership: Lessons from Ancient Indian Wisdom’, held yesterday. 

With the West increasingly looking towards South Asia in the area of mental stress, a facet according to the professor that they find challenging to control, he expressed confidence in the region filling that void.

“Our South Asian tradition clearly has something to offer. We must recognize that in the West there is a lack of a number of imperative frameworks for leadership, which we have in place and can provide.”

Prof. Mahadevan added that a collective effort should be made in making the region stand out for its leadership skills. In turn, the move would help its economies progress to the next level, he said.

However, he added a lot of work is to be done within the region to address a major issue, which is the mismatch between what is known and what is practiced.

According to Prof. Mahadevan, the lack of practice happens across the board, be it in political, corporate, or government leadership.  

“We know everything about ethical standards but when it comes to public property, cleanliness, etc. we don’t apply it. What prevents us from doing it?

“If we are diligent in doing this then we as a region will be unstoppable,” he professed.