UdyamGita

Many times an entrepreneur has to wear the hat of other employees when certain things have to be fixed. When an entrepreneur does this, different employees, vendors, and partners look at him through different lenses. Some of them start thinking that the entrepreneur’s capabilities are only as good as what he has shown while fixing issues. They see him as being as good as any other employee at that level. These are usually negative people who constantly spread negativity in the system. They consider themselves equal to the entrepreneur and hence stop respecting him. They stop listening to him even though he is working for the welfare of the employees. This comparison of the entrepreneur with themselves blocks such employees from seeing anything positive in the system, and over time they start spoiling the culture of the organization as well. A simple litmus test to identify such people is to do their task once and observe how their behavior changes.

Then there are some people who keep praising the entrepreneur, never say anything against him, and always appear positive and aligned with him.

There are also people who remain completely focused on their work. They are hardly impacted by the tasks the entrepreneur takes up, the roles he plays, or the corrections he makes. They simply do their duty well. They are not disturbed by the external environment.

Then there are people who constantly observe the entrepreneur, who want to learn from him, and who dream of becoming entrepreneurs one day.

The essence here is that an entrepreneur should understand that people carry different personalities and their approach to work differs. By dealing with them according to their personalities and understanding their strengths and weaknesses, people can be assigned to the right kind of work. This is nothing but the six hat concept. A team needs all these types of personalities, and their skills and approaches should be utilized in the right places.

Krishna explains a timeless paradox of leadership and divinity. When He appears in human form, many fail to recognize His true nature. Limited by their own conditioning, they judge the infinite through a narrow lens.

Those trapped in confusion reduce the extraordinary to the ordinary—and in doing so, their efforts, hopes, and understanding collapse into futility.

Yet, Mahātmas—the mature souls—recognize the source behind the form. They stay anchored, devoted, disciplined, and humble. Others approach the same truth through different paths—oneness, separateness, or multiplicity—yet all are shaped by their inner lens.

Business Insight

When an entrepreneur steps into execution—fixing issues, solving problems, wearing “employee hats”—people interpret him not as he is, but as they are.

• Some reduce the entrepreneur to an equal operator:

“He’s just like us.”

These individuals often turn negative, lose respect, resist direction, and slowly poison culture.

• Some become constant praisers—always agreeable, never critical.
• Some remain unaffected—quietly focused on doing their job with excellence.
• Some observe deeply—learning, absorbing, and aspiring to lead one day.

The same action by the entrepreneur produces four different perceptions. The variable is not leadership—it is mindset.

Leadership Lesson

This becomes a powerful diagnostic tool.

A simple litmus test:

Temporarily do someone’s task—and watch how their behavior changes.

Reactions reveal character. Respect, insecurity, aspiration, or indifference surface immediately.

The entrepreneur must understand that people do not respond to roles; they respond from personalities. Hence, leadership is not uniform treatment—it is intelligent alignment.

This is the practical wisdom behind the “six-hat” mindset:

different thinkers, different temperaments, different energies—all essential, if placed correctly.

Key Takeaways

• People project their inner state onto leadership; perception reveals more about them than the leader.
• Not all praise is loyalty, and not all criticism is wisdom—discernment is key.
• Behavioral shifts are leadership diagnostics, not personal attacks.
• High-performing cultures need diverse personalities, aligned consciously, not accidentally.
• The entrepreneur must see beyond reactions and assign work based on strengths, not sentiments.