DISSONANCE

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“Before Rama, the king,? sets on for your destruction with his incredibly strong and unfailing arrows which are equal and as powerful as the rays of furious sun, let Seetha be given away to Rama"

—Yudha kanda(Book of War)?

The evil king felt that he had to avenge the insult done to his sister. He rejected the sane and wise advice of his brother and abused him of being a traitor. The huge bubble of ego which he built around himself blinded his vision obscuring his own evil. He felt that he was smart, reasonable, and? a moral person, despite taking hostage the wife of a noble king. His brother advised him that abducting another person’s wife is dishonourable and inexcusable, flouting values and ethics, and derogatory on the part of a ruler of a kingdom. He was hurt by the words of his own brother who pointed out his slimy behaviour. He looked down upon his brother as a coward who warned him about the bravery and valour of the opponent. He cursed his brother upon being told that they were facing a formidable enemy, who is righteous and noble, who will inflict defeat and destruction on their kingdom.?

The noble king was Lord Rama.?

The evil king was Ravana and his brother, who tried advising him was Vibhishana.?

“Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalise, ignore and even deny anything that doesn't fit in with the core belief”, said Frantz Fanon, the French Afro-Caribbean psychiatrist and a political philosopher.

When leaders or trainers try to change an organisation or encourage personal growth, they often meet resistance. This resistance is partly due to cognitive dissonance. People might feel that the new information challenges their self-perception as competent and capable.

Ravana was swayed by cognitive dissonance. He was irrational in his decision-making process which was driven by emotional conviction rather than objective reasoning, stemming from a deeply held moral belief. He felt that his authority was being challenged. He ignored and denied information that conflicted with his existing belief.

American social psychologist, Leon Festinger explains avoiding cognitive dissonance as, "Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources. Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point”.

Effective leaders navigate complex human dynamics, including conflicts and contradictions. They are acutely self-aware, practice mindfulness to steer away from dissonance which results from conflicting ideas, values or goals. Good leaders avoid interpersonal conflicts and remain consistent towards organisational values.?

Leaders understand that dissonance can have far-reaching consequences on the team, like decreased motivation and engagement. They comprehend that dissonance leads to reduced decision-making effectiveness. They acknowledge that leadership is always associated with vision, strategy and decision-making. They are open to communication, clarity of values and goals, and align themselves towards the organisational values.?

“We are anxious when there is a dissonance between our "knowledge" and the perceivable facts. Since our "knowledge" is not to be doubted or questioned, it is the facts that have to be altered”, said Nathaniel Branden, the Canadian-American psychotherapist and writer.?

Good leaders introspect even if it means challenging their own knowledge. They are ardent and active listeners and encourage different perspectives. They engage in collaborative problem solving. They seek feedback and solicit constructive criticism.?

1. Develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence?

2. Foster open communication and collaboration?

3. Clarify personal and organisational values?

4. Prioritise empathy and understanding?

5. Seek feedback and constructive criticism?

Learn to manage cognitive dissonance effectively, by understanding and addressing internal conflicts to foster an environment of continuous improvement and genuine learning, thus to become a better leader.

“I suspect that a lot of the stress we see around us arises from the cognitive dissonance set up by one side of the brain hearing very plausible spin while the other side knows it just ain't so”. — David Palmer.