UdyamGita

Founders put their heart and soul into building a business and protecting the interests of employees, partners, investors, and others.

During tough times, it is very common to see some of these people start leaving you, standing against you, betraying you, and sometimes even joining hands with competitors.

Witnessing this is the lowest point for any business owner. You begin to wonder whether you have wasted your life protecting the interests of such people. Even those who have been with you since day one may leave for personal gain or reasons. You lose heart. You may even think of stopping the active fight to bring the business back on track. You may start questioning the very purpose of fighting when the people for whom you are fighting seem to have decided that they do not want the good things you have planned for them.

At this point, Arjuna is not thinking about the people who are with him, hoping that he will fight the Dharma Yuddha. Instead, he is completely submerged in thoughts about those who have deceived him. He focuses on the betrayers rather than on the people standing with him. This is a trap that every business owner must avoid.

Whenever there is betrayal or heartbreak, instead of focusing on the people who left you or caused you pain, think about the people who are still with you. They are your true strength. For them, you are the leader. You cannot drop the ball because of betrayers. Once you choose to be a business person, it becomes your responsibility to protect the interests of the people standing with you, be it employees, partners, investors, or customers.

Overcome by grief, Arjuna deepens his argument. He questions the very value of victory, pleasure, or even life itself when the people for whom such outcomes are usually sought—teachers, elders, relatives, and kinsmen—now stand ready for battle against him.

His vision narrows. The battlefield becomes a gallery of personal relationships rather than a field of Dharma. Emotion eclipses duty.

Business Insight

This moment mirrors one of the lowest points in an entrepreneur’s journey.

Founders pour their heart and soul into building organizations—not just for profit, but to protect the interests of employees, partners, investors, and customers. Yet during tough times, it is painfully common to see some of these very people walk away, turn adversarial, betray trust, or even join competitors.

When that happens, leaders often ask themselves:

“Was all this effort worth it?”

“Why should I keep fighting if the people I fought for don’t want it anymore?”

This emotional spiral is natural—but dangerous.

Leadership Lesson

Arjuna’s blind spot here is subtle but critical: he focuses entirely on those who have turned against him and forgets those who still stand with him.

This is a classic leadership trap. Betrayal captures attention more strongly than loyalty. Loss feels heavier than support. But leadership is not measured by how deeply betrayal wounds you—it is measured by how responsibly you act toward those who still believe in you.

In business, when some leave, many remain. Employees who stay. Partners who trust. Customers who depend. Investors who believe in the long-term vision.

A leader cannot abandon the mission because of those who walked away. Leadership duty is first toward those who stayed.

Once you accept the role of a founder or leader, protecting the interests of people who stand with you becomes a responsibility—not an option. Dropping the ball because of betrayers only compounds the damage.

Key Takeaways

• Betrayal distorts focus: Pain from those who leave can blind leaders to those who stay.
• Loyalty deserves priority: Leadership responsibility is toward people who still believe in the mission.
• Don’t let heartbreak redefine purpose: Emotional wounds should not dictate strategic withdrawal.
• Founders owe clarity and courage: Others depend on your ability to rise above personal hurt.
• Leadership means holding the line: You fight not for those who left—but for those who stand with you.