Fairy Tales: Cinderella to Mandela and what HR Leaders can learn from them

7 months ago 19
<p>Raghunath Kale, HR Director, Fujitsu India</p>Raghunath Kale, HR Director, Fujitsu India

Since the childhood, I person been fascinated with Fairy Tales. I person ever wanted to spot Cinderella, Snow White and her 7 dwarfs oregon unrecorded the onshore of Narnia. In a sense, I person ever belonged to a satellite which is not existent (this volition alteration by the extremity of this article), I emotion illusions/fictions much than the existent satellite and that is truthful good reflected successful Huxley’s quote.

“The occupation with fiction," said John Rivers, "is that it makes excessively overmuch sense. Reality ne'er makes sense.” ― Aldous Huxley, The Genius and the Goddess

As I grew up, I realised that beyond the large creatures and captivating spells, they connection a affluent scenery for intelligence adventure. There is patter successful these stories and Jungian science provides a potent lens to unlock the deeper meaning hidden wrong these seemingly elemental stories.

Beyond Kids Entertainment: Applications successful Modern Life

In our technology-driven world, fairy tales connection an eternal escape. And I mean escape, person you ever paused oregon reflected wrong erstwhile you are seeing superhero movie oregon Harry Potter movie and asked yourself however you consciousness astatine that precise moment, erstwhile you spot Darth Vader oregon Lord Voldemort oregon Arslan. You are connected a antithetic satellite each together. These tales punctual america of prevailing truths: that determination are acheronian broadside to quality life, the powerfulness of perseverance, the conflict betwixt bully and acheronian side, and the transformative imaginable wrong ourselves. By applying Jungian psychology, we unlock a deeper meaning. We tin larn to admit patterns reflected successful the characters, face our shadows (dark sides) arsenic symbolized by the villains, and find inspiration successful the hero's triumphs. Analysing these tales becomes a instrumentality for self-reflection, helping america navigate the complexities of modern life. This exploration is not a one-time event; it's a lifelong travel of self-discovery, fuelled by the timeless contented hidden wrong the pages of these enchanting tales.

I aspire to constitute astir 7 specified fairy tales and gully immoderate parallels successful existent world, beneath is the list.
1. Cinderella
2. Beauty and the beast
3. Rapunzel
4. Litle Red Riding Hood
5. Hansel and Gretel
6. Sleeping Beauty
7. Snow achromatic and 7 dwarfs

And arsenic for my emotion for Cinderella, I volition commencement with Cinderella oregon Aschenputtel (The small ash girl), which is the archetypal name. We cognize the tale, truthful I volition rapidly summaries it.

Cinderella, a benignant and beauteous young woman, lives a miserable beingness nether her cruel stepmother and lazy stepsisters. Forced into servitude, she dreams of a amended life. When a expansive shot is announced astatine the palace, Cinderella desires to attend, but her stepmother forbids it. With a sprinkle of magic from her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella is transformed into a imaginativeness successful a beauteous gown and a breathtaking carriage. At the ball, she captures the bosom of the handsome prince. Lost successful the magic of the night, Cinderella loses way of clip and flees astatine midnight, leaving down a azygous solid slipper. The heartbroken prince vows to find the mysterious pistillate who fits the slipper, embarking connected a kingdom-wide search. When the prince arrives astatine Cinderella's house, the slipper miraculously fits lone her, revealing her existent identity. The prince whisks her distant to the palace, and they unrecorded happily ever after.

Let america look astatine Nelson Mandela’s beingness successful elemental communicative form, delight wage attraction to the patterns.

Nelson Mandela, calved into a South African tribal royalty, witnesses the brutality of apartheid, a strategy of radical segregation, from a young age. Inspired by the injustices helium sees, Mandela joins the African National Congress (ANC), a question warring for equality. He becomes a salient figure, starring peaceful protests and civilian disobedience campaigns. Despite his efforts, the South African authorities cracks down connected the ANC, imprisoning Mandela for 27 years. Enduring harsh conditions and solitary confinement, Mandela ne'er wavers successful his committedness to justice. He uses his clip successful situation to refine his ideology and look arsenic a almighty awesome of resistance. International unit mounts for Mandela's release, and aft lengthy negotiations, helium is yet freed. Stepping retired of prison, Mandela embodies forgiveness and reconciliation. He leads the ANC successful talks with the achromatic government, culminating successful the dismantling of apartheid and the archetypal antiauthoritarian elections successful South Africa's history. Mandela becomes the nation's archetypal Black president, starring a state towards healing and unity. His autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom," chronicles his singular travel and serves arsenic a testament to the powerfulness of perseverance successful the look of oppression.

Let america look astatine patterns of some the stories and spot the parallels.

Patterns successful Cinderella’s lifePatterns successful Mandela’s
life
Interpretation
Confined Life with
Stepmother & Sisters
Early Life successful a Restricted World - ApartheidBoth unrecorded nether limitations imposed by outer forces.
(Mandela – Apartheid (would person been precise measurement motherly), Cinderella - Social Status) - Represents the "world of suffering" successful the Protagonist's journey.
Fairy God MotherGandhi, Mentor’s and chap activistic Mandela's "fairy godmother" is much symbolic, a operation of mentors, chap activists, and his ain willpower. Cinderella has a literal magical figure.
Invitation to the BallCall for enactment to join

ANC

A disruption of the presumption quo. Both person a accidental to interruption escaped from their limitations. (Mandela - Witnessing Racial Injustice, Cinderella - Invitation to a spot of dreams)
Midnight DeadlineImprisonmentA forced autumn into a spot of self-confrontation. (Mandela - Literal Imprisonment, Cinderella - Restricted by Time) - Represents the "Ordeal" successful the Hero's Journey.
Glass slipper What is the Glass Slipper here? It is precise absorbing that the solid slipper lone fits her…it is unsocial to her. It is much tangible.
Instead of a carnal object, Mandela's bequest acts arsenic his "unique identifier." It is intangible.
Prince uncovering her and the Shoe fitting her perfectly. Release and ReconciliationFor Cinderella: Reuniting with the Prince, achieving societal status.
For Mandela: Negotiating with the White Government, becoming President of South Africa


Similarities

Both stories picture a travel of individuation. They face their limitations, observe their interior strength, and look transformed.

Both acquisition a "descent" followed by an "ascent." Mandela's imprisonment and Cinderella's isolation astatine midnight correspond periods of self-discovery.

Both stories item the value of perseverance. Neither quality gives up contempt facing seemingly unbeatable odds.

Both animate america to combat for what we judge in. Mandela becomes a awesome of justice, portion Cinderella inspires america to prosecute our dreams.

Key Differences

Nature of the Challenge: Mandela faces a real-world conflict against a societal system, portion Cinderella's challenges are much personal, Cinderella’s communicative is much romanticist astatine archetypal glance, but it is really a communicative of self-discovery, Mandela is each astir societal justice.

External vs. Internal Conflict: Mandela's combat is mostly external, dismantling apartheid. Cinderella's is much internal, overcoming her limitations and uncovering her interior strength.

The cardinal learnings for HR from the Cinderella and Nelson Mandela stories are:

Importance of Recognizing Potential: Both Cinderella and Mandela had the imaginable for greatness, but it was up to others to admit it. In Cinderella's case, it was her Fairy Godmother who saw beyond her circumstances and helped her to shine. In Mandela's case, it was his chap activists who recognized his enactment qualities and encouraged him to instrumentality connected a much salient relation successful the combat against apartheid. HR professionals tin larn from this by being connected the lookout for talented individuals who whitethorn beryllium overlooked oregon underestimated. The emblematic 9 container method for identifying imaginable is utilized successful HR for enactment roles. HR needs to usage antithetic techniques to place imaginable astatine precise aboriginal stage.

Providing Opportunities for Growth: Once imaginable is recognized, it's important to supply opportunities for growth. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother gave her the accidental to be the ball, which yet led her to conscionable the prince. Mandela was fixed the accidental to pb the ANC and combat for what helium believed in. HR professionals tin supply opportunities for maturation by offering grooming and improvement programs, mentorship opportunities, and challenging assignments.

Resilience is Key: Both Cinderella and Mandela faced important challenges. Cinderella was mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, and Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. However, they some persevered and ne'er gave up connected their dreams. HR professionals tin assistance employees make resilience by providing enactment and encouragement, and by creating a enactment situation that is just and respectful.

Belief successful the Power of People: Both Cinderella and Mandela's stories amusement the powerfulness of radical to flooded adversity and execute large things. HR professionals tin play a relation successful helping employees to judge successful themselves and successful their quality to succeed. This tin beryllium done by creating a civilization of empowerment and by providing employees with the resources they request to beryllium successful.

Overall, the stories of Cinderella and Nelson Mandela thatch america invaluable lessons astir the value of recognizing potential, providing opportunities for growth, resilience, and believing successful the powerfulness of people. HR professionals tin use these lessons to make a much affirmative and productive enactment situation for everyone.

I wonderment is the fairy communicative inspiring beingness oregon has beingness inspired the fairy tale, I americium definite that the communal patterns of “Once upon a time”, past the challenges, realizing the challenge, facing that absurdity, taking accountability, and solving the occupation starring to “happily ever after” has inspired each the fairy tales. Oops, which means that determination is nary Cinderella oregon whitethorn beryllium each of you are, infinite similar the stars successful the sky.

The author, Raghunath Kale, is HR Director astatine Fujitsu India.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the writer and ETHRWorld does not needfully subscribe to it. ETHRWorld volition not beryllium liable for immoderate harm caused to immoderate idiosyncratic oregon organisation straight oregon indirectly.

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