I've spent more than 20 years working in business, marketing, leadership and organisational change.
I've also spent years exploring personal development, coaching, Human Design and, more recently, teaching Kundalini Yoga.
On the surface, they might seem like quite different worlds. But the more I work with people, the more I see the connections.
Because whether you're running a business, managing a team, navigating a difficult working relationship or trying to make a decision, so much comes back to how well we understand ourselves and others.
One of the teachings from Kundalini Yoga that I keep coming back to is the Five Sutras of the Aquarian Age.
Sutras are short teachings intended to convey something much deeper. These five are part of the Kundalini Yoga tradition taught by Yogi Bhajan.
Although they're spiritual teachings, I find they offer some interesting perspectives on the challenges we face in modern working life.
Here's how I interpret them through the lens of business and leadership.
1. Recognise that the other person is you.
Think about the person at work who really gets under your skin.
The colleague who challenges everything you say. The manager who needs more information than you think is necessary. The person who approaches a problem in a completely different way from you.
How often do we find ourselves focusing on what's wrong with the other person?
This sutra invites us to recognise our connection to others and consider what our reactions might reveal about ourselves. That doesn't mean everyone is the same or that we should accept behaviour that isn't okay. But it does invite us to get curious.
Why does that person's behaviour bother me so much?
What am I assuming about their intentions?
Am I expecting them to approach things the way I would?
I've seen how much can change when people stop trying to prove that their way is right and start trying to understand another perspective.
In business, understanding others isn't just a nice thing to do. It's fundamental to working well together.
2. There is a way through every block.
Anyone who's worked in business knows that things rarely go entirely to plan.
Projects stall. Relationships become difficult. The market changes. Decisions don't deliver the results we expected.
And sometimes we become so focused on the obstacle that we stop seeing the possibilities around it. What I take from this sutra is an invitation to remain open.
Not every problem has an easy solution. Sometimes the way through requires us to have an uncomfortable conversation, change direction, ask for help or accept that something isn't going to work.
But there's a difference between acknowledging a genuine obstacle and deciding that nothing can be done.
I think this is particularly relevant to leadership.
A good leader doesn't need to know the answer to everything. But they do need to create the conditions where different answers can be explored.
Sometimes the way through comes from the person who sees the situation completely differently.
3. When the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off.
I love this one, although I don't always find it easy to practise!
We can spend an extraordinary amount of time thinking about things we need to do.
The difficult conversation. The decision we've been putting off. The project we haven't started because we don't quite know how to approach it.
And often, the longer we leave it, the bigger it becomes in our minds.
This sutra reminds me that starting doesn't require having everything figured out.
Sometimes the first step is simply sending the email, asking the question, having the conversation or getting your thoughts onto paper.
Of course, not every situation calls for immediate action. Some decisions need time, reflection and careful judgement. But there's a point where thinking stops being helpful and becomes another way of avoiding something.
Sometimes clarity comes from taking the first step, rather than waiting until we feel completely ready.
4. Understand through compassion or you will misunderstand the times.
This might be my favourite.
We're working in a world where change is constant, expectations are high and people are often dealing with far more than we can see.
And yet, when someone doesn't behave as we expect, we're often quick to make a judgement.
They're difficult.
They're disengaged.
They're not committed.
They're resistant to change.
But what if we approached the situation with a little more compassion? What might we discover if we asked questions before drawing conclusions?
Compassion doesn't mean avoiding accountability, difficult conversations or necessary decisions. It means recognising that the person in front of us is human, with their own experiences, pressures and perspectives.
I've always believed that the human side of business deserves far more attention than it often receives. Because organisations don't change by themselves. People do the work of changing them.
And how people feel, how they're treated and whether they feel understood all influence how well they can contribute.
5. Vibrate the Cosmos, the Cosmos shall clear the path.
This is probably the sutra that sounds furthest removed from the boardroom!
In Kundalini Yoga, it relates to mantra, sound, vibration and our relationship with something greater than ourselves. I wouldn't want to reduce that spiritual meaning to a business technique.
But one practical connection I find interesting is the power of our words. Think about the language we use at work.
How we speak about ourselves.
How we describe our colleagues.
What we repeatedly say about the challenges we're facing.
The tone we bring into a meeting.
The difference between saying, "Nothing ever changes around here," and asking, "What could we approach differently?" Or between telling someone they're difficult and explaining what isn't working in the relationship.
Words shape conversations. Conversations influence relationships. And relationships affect what becomes possible.
That doesn't mean positive thinking magically removes obstacles. But being conscious of how we communicate can change the way we approach them.
And in my own Kundalini practice, mantra and meditation also give me an opportunity to become more aware of what's happening internally before I respond externally.
What does all this mean for modern leadership?
I don't think we need everyone in business to practise Kundalini Yoga. And I'm certainly not suggesting that spiritual teachings replace commercial judgement, experience or strategy.
But I do think we could benefit from bringing more of these qualities into the way we work.
More curiosity about other people.
More openness when things aren't going to plan.
More willingness to take a first step.
More compassion when we're dealing with difficult situations.
And more awareness of the impact our words and actions have on those around us.
One thing I've learned through my work is that many of the challenges we experience in organisations aren't simply about processes, systems or strategy.
They're about people trying to understand, communicate and work with other people. And sometimes, a different perspective is enough to help us approach a familiar situation in a new way.
Perhaps the future of better business isn't just about working smarter or moving faster.
Perhaps it's also about becoming a little more conscious of how we work with each other.
About the author
I'm Carly Ferguson, a leadership and career coach, Human Design practitioner and Kundalini Yoga teacher.
With over 20 years of experience in marketing, leadership and organisational change, I bring together practical business experience with a deep interest in what makes people tick.
Today, I work with individuals and organisations to help people understand themselves, navigate workplace challenges, lead in their own way and work better together.
You can find out more about my work at www.carly-ferguson.com.
