Do Yogis Make Better Leaders?

by | Aug 23, 2025 | Mindful Leadership, Yoga for Leaders

(Spoiler: Yep, Turns Out They Do)

Stress + Leadership = The Perfect Storm

Let’s be honest, leadership is stressful. You’re juggling meetings, deadlines, people problems, and oh yeah, somehow you’re also supposed to be inspiring. (No pressure, right?)

And in today’s world, we’ve all seen what happens when leadership goes sideways. Greed, burnout, toxic culture, you name it. Which makes me wonder: What if the secret to being a better leader isn’t another productivity hack… but actually something much older?

Enter: Karma-Yoga.

Wait, What’s Karma-Yoga Again?

Karma-Yoga comes from the Bhagavad Gita and basically says: “Do the work, don’t obsess over the results.” Easier said than done when your boss is breathing down your neck about KPIs, but stick with me.

There are three big parts to Karma-Yoga:

  1. Duty-Orientation → Do the right thing because it’s your responsibility, not because you’ll get a gold star.
  2. Indifference to Rewards → Translation: stop chasing likes, bonuses, or “employee of the month” plaques.
  3. Equanimity → Stay calm whether you’re winning or crashing and burning. (This one’s basically emotional CrossFit.)

The Study: Karma-Yogis in Action

Researchers looked at 205 leader–follower pairs in India and found something interesting: leaders who were strong in duty-orientation were seen as more transformational. In other words, people thought they were charismatic and inspiring, not because they were flashy, but because they consistently showed up and did the right thing. The other two, equanimity and not caring about rewards, helped, but duty was the heavy hitter.

Why This Matters for You (and Me)

Here’s the kicker: you don’t have to be a monk in a cave to apply this. These principles work anywhere.

  • Duty-orientation? That’s showing up for your people even when it’s inconvenient.
  • Indifference to rewards? That’s focusing on impact instead of chasing titles.
  • Equanimity? That’s not losing your cool when the Wi-Fi dies during your big presentation.

Most of us could use a little less ego and a little more Karma-Yoga.

The Bottom Line

According to the research, Karma-Yoga leaders aren’t just more grounded, they’re actually more transformational. And transformational leaders? They’re the ones people want to follow.

So maybe the path to better leadership isn’t about learning the latest management trend. Maybe it’s about remembering this:

Do your duty. Don’t get hung up on rewards. Stay calm in the chaos.

Sounds simple. Hard to practice. But if you pull it off, your team might just see you as the leader they’ve been waiting for.

Ready to put these ideas into practice?

Leadership isn’t just about business strategy, it’s also about strength, resilience, and balance. That’s why I created the free tier of my Stronger With Yoga membership. Inside, you’ll find sample yoga classes, mindset tools, and resources to help you lead with clarity and confidence, on the mat and in life.

Join the free membership today and start building the strength of a Karma-Yogi leader.

References

Mulla, Z. R., & Krishnan, V. R. (2009). Do Karma-Yogis make better leaders? Exploring the relationship between the leader’s Karma-Yoga and transformational leadership. Journal of Human Values, 15(2), 167–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/097168580901500205

Further Reading

  • Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.
    → Classic text on transformational leadership theory and practice.
  • Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row.
    → Foundational work that introduced the concept of transformational vs. transactional leadership.
  • Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 14(6), 693–727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2003.09.001
    → Explores spirituality and values in leadership, a good complement to Karma-Yoga.
  • Parameshwar, S. (2005). Spiritual leadership through ego-transcendence: Exceptional responses to challenging circumstances. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(5), 689–722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.07.004
    → Research on how spiritual philosophies inform leadership in practice.