In the pursuit of rapid growth, many contemporary organisations function in a mechanistic manner. They pursue relentless efficiency, impose rigid hierarchies, and micromanage every outcome. However, this approach frequently results in elevated stress levels, employee disengagement, and systemic vulnerability.

Why? Because life—and by extension, business—is not a machine; it is an ecosystem.

There’s an alternative, a model inspired by the Vedic concept of Ṛta, one of the most ancient ideas of cosmic order and natural harmony. In a time when leadership feels increasingly disconnected from human and environmental needs, Ṛta offers a blueprint for building living, sustainable organisational ecosystems.

What Is Ṛta?

Ṛta represents the natural order, the cosmic rhythm that holds the universe together. It is the principle of universal flow described in the Ṛgvedaḥ, governing the cycles of nature—the sunrise and sunset, the changing seasons, the tides, the migration of birds, and the ethical flow of life itself. It is the law of balance, interdependence, and natural self-regulation.

A key verse from the Ṛgvedaḥ  says: “Ṛtam satyam bṛhat”, which means, “Ṛta is the great truth that sustains existence.”

Ṛta is the foundation of harmony, sustainability, and ethical behaviour, and it provides a powerful metaphor for organisational life.

Why Modern Organisations Struggle

Companies, like natural ecosystems, function best when they honour the natural order—balancing growth with rest, creativity with reflection, and individual roles with collective purpose.

Most companies ignore these natural principles. They:

• Push for endless productivity without rest, leading to burnout.
• Operate in silos, disrupting flow and collaboration.
• Treat change as an emergency, not a cycle.
• Focus on short-term wins rather than long-term balance.

The result is fragile organisations that are reactive, stressed, and prone to collapse—much like ecosystems that have been overexploited.

Applying Ṛta: Building Organisational Ecosystems

Leading from Ṛta means shifting from control to stewardship.It is akin to a gardener tending a living system, not like a mechanic fixing a machine. Here’s how leaders can align their organisations with Ṛta:

1. Choose Interdependence Over Isolation

Nature thrives on mutual support, not competition within the system. Similarly, businesses should foster cross-functional collaboration, not departmental turf wars.

• Map the organisational ecosystem. Identify flows of energy, information, and relationships. Where are they blocked? Where do they thrive?
• Encourage shared goals, open knowledge sharing, and the understanding that success is collective, not individual.

A Ṛta-aligned leadership removes obstacles to natural flow within the organisation.

2. Honour Cycles Of Growth And Renewal

In nature, there’s time for growth and time for rest. Organisations must also embrace cycle awareness.

• Map out cycles in your work: innovation, burnout, reflection.
• Build cycle transitions into strategic plans. Plan periods of pause, reflection, and renewal after intense growth phases.
• Accept that not every project will succeed; some ideas naturally complete their lifecycle.
• Build sustainability into innovation, avoiding burnout-driven ‘constant scaling’.

A Ṛta-aligned leadership prevails through the long-term cycles of industrial transformations and ensures enduring growth.

3. Enable Self-Regulation

Bird flocks and forests don’t rely on central control; they self-regulate through simple rules and real-time feedback. Organisations can do the same.

• Empower teams to make decisions locally.
• Encourage emergent problem-solving, rather than top-down mandates.
• Replace rigid rules with flexible guidelines that evolve with the system.

A Ṛta-aligned leadership nurtures conditions for engaging employees and grooming future leadership.

4. Use Feedback As System Intelligence

Ṛta maintains balance through constant feedback loops. Organisations must implement similar response systems.

• Make feedback ongoing, analytical, and two-way, not just during annual reviews.
• Make appreciation a part of the feedback parameters.
• Treat mistakes as data for adjustment, not reasons for blame.
• Listen to customers, teams, and the environment as part of continuous recalibration.

A Ṛta-aligned leadership creates an innately trustworthy system intelligence.

The Ethical Heart Of Ṛta: Leadership Beyond Profit

Ṛta is the universal, all-pervading principle for maintaining the order of the cosmos at large. It is also an ecological principle which sustains the balance and interrelationship of all life. Out of all living beings on this earth, only human beings have Buddhi, or the discriminative intellect, therefore there is a possibility that only they can violate the Ṛta.

Ancient Indian philosophy, therefore, outlines an empirical order which is known as ‘Moral Ṛta’. To maintain the Ṛta it is imperative to follow and protect the ‘Moral Ṛta’. Dharma is identified with Moral Ṛta. Dharma is the a moral law governing ethics and duty that regulates human conduct.

Correspondingly, in organisations, applying the Ṛta blueprint cannot be just about systems thinking or flow management; it must also about ethics and cosmic responsibility. In Vedic thought, when individuals or societies act against Ṛta, Adharma (disorder and imbalance) arises, resulting in suffering and eventual collapse. Hence, this principle applies not only to nature but to organisations and leadership as well.

In business, ethical misalignment might not trigger immediate failure, but over time it leads to:

• Employee disengagement and burnout
• Loss of trust from stakeholders
• Environmental degradation or resource exhaustion
• Unsustainable growth models that eventually break down

When ethics are compromised, the system deteriorates even if profits temporarily rise. Leaders who understand Ṛta must therefore commit to decisions that support systemic harmony, not just short-term gains.

Here are the key ethical reflections for Ṛta-aligned leadership:

1. Are We Benefiting The Whole Ecosystem, Not Just Shareholders?

In a living system, no part thrives at the expense of the whole. Similarly, organisations must consider:

• Community impact: Are we contributing to the well-being of the local and global communities we serve?
• Customer care: Are our products and services improving lives, or exploiting needs?
• Employee welfare: Are we creating conditions for human flourishing, not just productivity?

A Ṛta-based organisation measures success by the health of the entire ecosystem, not isolated financial wins.

2. Are We Respecting Resource Limits—Human And Environmental?

Nature thrives on regeneration and balance. Overexploitation leads to collapse, whether it’s deforestation or workforce burnout.

Leaders must ask:

• Are we extracting more than we replenish—from the planet, our teams, or ourselves?
• Do our deadlines and demands honour the natural human need for rest, creativity, and reflection?
• Are we operating sustainably, or carrying forward the costs of overuse to the future?

Ethical leadership acknowledges limits as a source of wisdom, not inconvenience.

3. Are We Building For Legacy Or Just The Next Quarter?

Ṛta teaches us to think in cycles and continuity, not isolated achievements. Leadership rooted in Ṛta considers:

• How will this decision affect future generations?
• Are we creating systems, cultures, and products that will stand the test of time?
• Is our legacy one of balance and contribution, or depletion and short-lived dominance?

Sustainability is not just about environmental care; it is about building adaptable organisations that can evolve with time without collapsing under their own weight.

Conclusion

In the Vedic worldview, life sustains itself through interdependence, cycles, and balance.Organisations that embrace Ṛta create cultures of creativity, well-being, resilience, and enduring growth. Moreover, in a Ṛta-aligned model, ethics is not a policy checklist; it is a reflection of systemic health.

 When an organisation operates in integrity with the natural law, it experiences:

• Trust from stakeholders
• Resilience in times of change
• Internal harmony and reduced conflict

Reflection for leaders:

• Are we forcing outcomes instead of facilitating flow? Where in my organisation are we doing so?
• Are we respecting the limits of resources—human and environmental? Or are we ignoring the natural cycles of growth, rest, and renewal?
• Are we making decisions anchored in ethics? Do they support collective well-being?
• Are we building an ecosystem that self-regulates and evolves naturally into a long-lasting success?

The future of leadership may not require inventing new systems, but remembering ancient wisdom: “When we align with Ṛta, we stop fighting life and start flowing with it.”

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© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Sujata Khanna’s book, ‘The Eternal Law’, explores Sanātana Philosophy in its elemental form. Available on Amazon worldwide: India, USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherland, Poland, Sweden, Japan

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