Act of Leadership

Time was 11:30 at night, city Pune, road was nearly empty. It felt like whole city is sleeping and others are on their way to sleep. I & my brother was travelling towards home. While travelling we reached Chowk. We had two more stranger travelling companions. As it was 11:30 signal were still on. When we reached Chowk it was indicating Red signal. As three of two wheelers saw the red light, reduced their speed. Two of drivers was stable including me & another rider, but the third one was deliberately searching for something. He wandered his gaze everywhere and confirmed that there is no one coming from other roads and Traffic Police is not there. When he was confirmed that there was no any policeman and cars or bikes at higher speed he boosted his accelerator and gone with tremendous speed ignoring the Red Signal. As we deal with human mind, we thought another rider will do the same as one is already broken the rule. But we were surprised to see what has happened and whatever has happened made me think again on his behaviour. Rider, who was with us stayed there until Red turned into Green. As it turned green, without wasting a second he went with speed and crossed the chowk. Even I & my brother increased the speed and went towards our home. But his behaviour made me think on different aspects and I came up with these aspects as I will share ahead on the article. I was wondered if it was really necessary for that person to stop for the signal until it turned green? If it would cost anyone anything if he had gone with full speed? Answer was obviously NO. If he didn’t stop at Red, it was possible that he will reach at his destination few seconds or minutes early. Even if he chose to break the signal and continued his journey, he wasn’t the first person to break it and continue. What made him to stop until Green?

We get plenty of chances from life where we make some choices by breaking some rules just because these decisions will benefit ourselves. Still we are aware that we shouldn’t do this decision or choice, but you continue asking, who will be harmed? Who is going to observe? Why would anyone have knowledge about this? Then let’s continue. By considering those question we decide our actions for the choice. Even if nobody is going to harm, nobody is watching & observing we have to make the choice which is RIGHT. I will suggest a phrase for this, “Do, what is right.” (karo wahi, jo ho sahi). While operating in life we get many choices but we chose those who benefit just us, not what is right. When rider stopped respecting the Red Signal, I call it “Act of Leadership.” Yes, it was an act of leadership. Ordinary person thinks that I will act like him when I will be a leader, but we never observed that these qualities made a respectful leader. When you start acting like you are leader then you will start observing yourself as a becoming leader. For that change, we don’t need any great achievement, any national or international awards or multi-storeyed office. You can start this act by being wherever you are right now.

We might have heard & read many examples of great leaders by various sources. I would like to share one example with you. Chanakya was in his palace. At that time there was no luxury of light. Another person came to meet Chanakya. He comforted the person and continued his accounting work for few more minutes. After completing his work, Chanakya turned the first lamp off and turned on another soil lamp, and started to have conversation with that person. The person was amazed with his behaviour. He asked Chanakya, “There is still oil in first lamp, then why did you turn that off and switched to different lamp?” The answer was awesome, he replied, “I was performing some accounting activity of our state and I used the lamp which was allotted to me by state. But now I am performing my personal activities, hence I turned the lamp off and switched to my personal lamp which was brought by me from my personal expenses.” Nobody was there to ask Chanakya, he was not answerable to anybody but still he chose the RIGHT thing. Small choices like these creates the biggest leaders.

In our lives, we have to make such choices, may that choices will not benefit you or do not harm anyone, but you have to choose ‘Act of Leadership.’ As ocean is created with small droplets, these small choices will make you an ocean one day. These small choices will guide you towards your greatest vision, not only you but many can get benefit of these choices. These person contributes his greatness to humanity, he makes humanity respectful. There are many people who is choosing ‘Act of Leadership’. Even Rahul Dravid decided to give some of share to his team. The photo shown below will express ‘Act of Leadership’.

Above picture talks with you a lot. A soldier who is equipped with latest machineries and weapons and the children who is playing with ball in the same battlefield. While playing, he finds the ball near him, and chooses to return it to the children. Even he was equipped with latest weapons, he knew where to show humanity and where to use his weapons.

Sach ka chehra tum hi, tum hi insaf ho,

Tum daya bhi karo, dosh bhi maf ho,

Tum sipahi bhi ho, tumko ladna bhi hai,

Tum ahimsa bhi ho aur var karna bhi hai

(You are the face of the truth, you are justice. You are kind, forgive the faults. You are soldier, you have to fight, you are ahimsa and yet you have to fight.) May we be blessed to understand, how to be ahimsak while we are fighting, this is Act of Leadership. We are blessed with a lot of power, but still you are humble, this is act of leadership.

I know the trainer, who is very much intelligent and yet expert in his field. He was conversing with one person, but by being intelligent and expert, he was very humble to the next person. Though trainer was expert and they were conversing about his subject, yet trainer was listening him carefully. If you were at the place of trainer you might have said, “I know what you are talking about” and might have gone in your own shell. Whatever choice trainer made was an ‘Act of Leadership’. We will have many choices in our life, but our choice decide if we are capable for ‘Act of Leadership.’ I think the rider who stopped at that night, was ordinary, but was capable of being a leader. This choices give you chance to lead your state, nation and whole world. Every day, every time ask yourself, if whatever choice I have made, is it ‘Act of Leadership’?

Do, what is right. (Karo wahi, jo hai sahi).

Regards,