Shanu Singh Guliani

Do You Follow the Leader…My Boss is Religious and Says Grace Before Each Meal
March 18, 2008

My husband and I went out to lunch at a restaurant surrounded by many corporate offices. It’s constantly busy there and we are always surrounded by people in suits so we tend to go a little dressed up then we normally would. While waiting for our food—I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the deals happening around us—trading stock, companies merging, dollar figures thrown around left and right (Charlotte is home to many Fortune 500 companies and we were in a restaurant surround by many of them). Out of the corner of my eye this table with three tailored suit wearing men stopped talking as soon as their food was placed in front of them, closed their eyes, and began to move their lips. They were Anglo-Saxon Americans praying or saying Grace of some sort before beginning to eat.

I couldn’t’ help to notice one of them seemed very young and a little out of place, maybe new to the company and the boss was taking him out to lunch. I don’t know—but I was shocked to see all three follow suite as soon as their leader bowed his head and closed his eyes.

My industry is run by mostly people of the Jewish and different branches of the Hindu faith. Because of the number of Jewish Americans—most diamond dealers as well as many retailers are closed on Saturdays—the day of Sabbath. I believe these owners do not push their faith upon their employees but I have seen acts that don’t give employees a choice to do what they want. For instance, your boss is sitting with you as well as other owners and they all bow their head in prayer before they eat—Do you follow the leader, he is your boss? What do you do?

My mom prays all day. Everything in her life is because God wanted it to be that way. After opening my new store—I found myself praying when business is slow. I know my mom would say you can’t just ask God for something when things are not going well. You have to believe in him all the time. I do little things—like, I held a prayer in the store before we opened—even had a priest (I practice Sikhism—priest used as a general term for a holy man) to come and bless the store. I do little things like the men who said Grace—yes sometimes an employee might catch a glimpse but I don’t do anything in front of them that would make them feel uncomfortable or make them feel they have to follow suit.

Does religion play a role in your business? How are your employees affected?

Posted by Shanu Singh Guliani on March 18, 2008 | Comments (0)