Ratan Tata, 87. Many Happy Returns in our thoughts.
It appears Aryan invasion and migration theories have collapsed. People come and get absorbed in it. It is out of India theory. Indians went out and started mixing.
Manmohan: Can we learn integrity, humility from him? Can we stop worrying about acquiring credit, projecting ourselves? Can we just ‘hang on’, not worried about power nor wealth? Can we be useful, do useful actions? Can we use our sharpened intellect for the greater public good? Period.
How do we lead? Cause change in self and others. Order, direct, control, influence, guide, support, serve others individuals, teams, organizations, networks, states, and countries. Play of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage and discipline is leadership. Authoritarian, democratic-participatory-shared, laissez-faire, paternalistic/maternalistic, servant – which style? As per the need and time, may be a mixed, hybrid style. Initiating, considering dimensions – need to work on these two dimensions simultaneously. Task orientation and social orientation, going hand-in-hand. Three layers of leadership – public – working with 2+ people; private – one-on-one; and personal – on one-self. Leadership presence increases by increased know-how, skills, tools; increased time, energy, inclination for being and relating with people; self-mastery. Being authentic, servant. Useful, relevant, current. Transformational, without short-changing at transactional level. Leader-member exchanges benefit leaders with results, members with guidance, support.
We are born leaders. Our leadership ability is nurturable, developable further. There are no leadership genes as such. Our traits and our leadership behaviour are related. Leaders would like to lead because: joy of doing leading-related activities; sense of obligation, duty; being there.
Can we nurture leaders, authentic leaders, servant leaders, transformational leaders? Can we lead ourselves? Can we work to change mindsets and behaviours towards public, global, collective usefulness, relevance? Can we lead, even if we are not called leaders? Can we meditate, reflect inside, or outside. Can we lead, being supportive; driving results; seeking multiple perspectives; and solving problems? Can we lead, picking up strategies based on the situation? Can we be unlearning, learning following-leading? Can we follow human, humaneness? Can we pace ourselves, with pauses of meditation in between races? Make the race into a series of walks with breaks. No compromises on minimum air, water, diet, sleep. Can we lead non-toxic, stress-free? Servicing planners, directors, controllers. Physically, cognitively, analytically, conceptually, emotionally. Can we lead by listening, understanding, dialoguing, and delegating? By resilience, handling chaos. Can we lead by mentoring, sponsoring, assigning apprenticeships?
Study: 50% CEOs, leaders fail within 18 months. Let us be in the other half. Looking long-term; ignoring immediate uneasiness to disrupt; being purpose-driven. Sharing the big picture, vision, results matrix in a nutshell, beyond the micro-details. Seeking opinions publicly, privately. Creating openness, space for conversations. Pressing forward with ambiguity, uncertainty, stress, vulnerability set aside, not to come in the way. Celebrating. Can we?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, keep flowing. Invest in L-presence. In N? saganayoga for 7L.
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