When silence speaks volumes

Thirukkural with the Times explores real-world lessons from the classic Tamil text ‘Thirukkural’. Written by Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, the Kural consists of 1,330 short couplets of seven words each. This text is divided into three books with teachings on virtue, wealth, and love and is considered one of the great works ever on ethics and morality. The Kural has influenced scholars and leaders across social, political, and philosophical spheres.Motivational speaker, author and diversity champion Bharathi Bhaskar explores the masterpiece.The art of taking cues is older than management schools, strategy books, perhaps even older than written language. Long before people spoke of communication skills, there were those who understood without words.There is a story about Krishnadevaraya and Appaji. The king and his minister were once roaming in disguise through the streets, wanting to understand how ordinary people lived. As they passed a small house, the aroma of boiling soup drifted into the street. The king slightly raised his eyebrow — just half a centimetre. No words were spoken. But Appaji understood.He said, “Oh King, the soup lacks salt; that is why the aroma is different. If a woman cooks without sensing the aroma, it means her husband is not at home. This street is not where traders live, so he has not gone for business. There are no wars now, so he has not gone for battle. It can only mean he has deserted his wife, and she lives in distress.”The king said nothing. He simply nodded.The next day, Appaji brought a man to the royal court — the husband who had abandoned his wife. With a stern warning from the minister, the man agreed to return home. The woman, unable to control her tears, thanked the king and wondered how he had understood her suffering. Appaji simply said, “The king knows everything and protects everyone.”The story may or may not be real, but its truth is undeniable. A leader is only as strong as the person who stands next to him and comprehends what he does not say.In modern organizations, we call this “alignment with the boss.” The greatest leaders in history often had an intuitive second-in-command who could read their minds, anticipate decisions, and act before instructions were given. It is a symbiotic partnership — silent, efficient, and powerful.Our history is full of such silent conversations.Between the 8th and 10th centuries, when Zoroastrians fled Persia (Iran) to escape persecution, they landed in Sanjan in Gujarat. Their leader, the grand old mother of the clan, wanted to seek permission from the local ruler, Jadi Rana, to settle in his land. She sent him a beautifully decorated vessel — empty.The king understood. He filled the vessel to the brim with milk and sent it back — a silent message that his land was already full and could not accommodate more people.The leader understood the cue. She added sugar to the milk and sent the vessel back again. The message was elegant and clear: “We will dissolve, and sweeten, like sugar in milk.”The king opened the gates, and that is how the Parsis came to India — through a conversation in symbols.Taking cues is the ability to see what others miss and what they do not say.Thiruvalluvar understood the importance of this long ago. In the chapter on understanding unspoken intentions, (Kuripparidhal) he writes in Kural 708:“Mugamnokki Nirkka Amayum; AgamnokkiUtradhu Unarvaar Perin.”If a leader is blessed with a person who understands his mind by reading his face, the leader needs to just give a look — everything else will be done.This is true not only in kingdoms and organizations, but also in relationships.