What it takes to be a leader

While preparing my presentation on leadership for Warwick University, India Forum in the UK, my views have substantially evolved over the last few weeks.

Earlier I used to bunch together ideas on leadership as one group, such as the need for self auditing, trust worthiness, and so on. But it was not the same with this preparation.

This time, soon after the Delhi election results, when I got to know that I was not elected, and was hence free to be my own master and will have time to travel, I confirmed my pending invites, beginning with a talk at Warwick on leadership, women and social work.

As I got down to think and plan, I questioned myself as to which leadership I was talking of? Is leadership of only one kind? Is it not a set of different skill sets in different set of circumstances or positions?  Dependent on the role, does it not need a specific tool kit for success?  If so, which are those qualities?

And are there any common traits across all leadership positions? If so, which are the common ones that are absolutely essential?

It is amazing how one’s mind debates with one’s self. If only one would listen. I penned down my answers and thoughts on a white sheet of paper. I did not want any technology to come in between the thoughts and my paper. I had got hold of a packet of coloured sketch pencils to express the rainbow of my inner thoughts (which became my slides for Warwick).

For the first time I divided leadership in clear segments such as academic, corporate, civil service, social work and finally political (from my new hard-earned experience). It is this last learning which has expanded my thinking on leadership.

It also made me realise how different skills sets are needed for political leadership. I identified, based on my lifelong experience and observations, the key leadership qualities needed under each leadership head/ box.

I listed them down, and realised how each position was different in priorities and how vital it was to know the differences. But I also identified two commonalities across all kinds of leadership that are essential to be a leader — endurance and communication.

Without endurance, no leadership can be achieved and sustained. Endurance is a comprehensive sustaining power. It implies physical and mental tenacity which is learnt, acquired and practiced over the years.

Hence, if women who want to make it to the top in physically demanding fields have not played competitive sports as students, it will be exceedingly hard for them put to compete at the highest stressful levels, for the demands of the position will not be a level playing field.

It requires a reservoir of physical stamina and mental strength. (This applies to both, men and women). Second quality is communication skills. If a leader cannot communicate, he cannot survive.  This means a strong voice with strong shoulders (robust health). Both these qualities of leadership are basic and essential for all forms of leadership.
But now let us look at other forms of leadership.

Academic

The main keys to stay ahead in this category are: depth of research and its communication. Without this, the educator would exhaust his ideas after a while and the students would stop following him.

Corporate

The keys are strategy and vision, without which the business or the corporation will stagnate and perhaps go into losses.

Civil service

He is one who is selected on merit and is there till he retires. The key quality of leadership expected of him is, commitment and being self-driven since he has the most secure leadership position. He stays on in service even when performance is average.

Social Work

Key quality is to have a missionary zeal based on compassion. This is one service which one volunteers to do out of sheer love.

Political

This category demands raw ambition and cultivated networks. All other skill sets follow. But no political leadership can sustain without ambition.

My aim of sharing these critical differences of youth leadership at Warwick was to help students to choose what they wanted.

And that if they make leadership switches they must do it with knowledge of the required skill sets.

And if they wish to cut across what are the essentials, they can ignore only at their own peril. Of course everything in life can be learnt. But how do you do it if you have no time, and at what cost?

At nation’s cost — when the quality of life and the time of millions is at stake? I wanted the budding leaders in Warwick youth to be conscious of these vital needs, to minimise mistakes.

But I began by saying that one is always a person first and then a leader. Ask yourself, who are you? What do you want to be? What do you think is the bigger purpose of your life? Have you thought it through?

Or will you grow up, get married, have children, earn well, grow old and die? If so, then why be at Warwick? Why not at a zoo? Because this is what all animals do. They are born, grow up, bear children, grow old and die.

India needs true leaders, who are authentic, focused, can self evaluate, remain creative, are trustworthy and more.

But other than the basics of endurance and communication, to be successful, every form of leadership demands a special skill set, while knowing yourself.

An open letter to fellow Indians.

An open letter to fellow Indians.

Indian Democracy if it truly wants many well meaning people to stake their experience for mature and good governance, needs a civil culture and law abiding environment. ( I am being mild in saying this) 
Here is my tryst with electioneering.
Hope to see it change in my life time....
-----------------------------------------------
Am relieved my parents were not alive to hear the foul words hurled at me. 

I opted for electoral politics not for position or power but for serving the city which is my home for last over 40 years.  A city which I have served  in various capacities, though thick and thin.
I saw it through various challenges, International sports events, VIP security, political upheavals, communal riots, agitations, and more...

On crime front I saw it through when Delhi was hit by terror from outside. I spent years to catch a wink with boots on and with wireless blaring to get on the street any moment. 
I did crime prevention saving women from being raped in rural areas on dark nights by erstwhile criminal tribes with literally no cops on roles..by involving village young men to patrol at night. While I was personally out 5 nights a week. 

Conducted traffic managment for Asian Games with hundreds of students doing traffic duties, when my senior wanted to send me to Japan on a course, just to edge me out. Traffic was revenue for some...
Another time when a district was ridden with bootlegging I managed to dry them out and rehabilitate them to honourable living...or rag picking children sent to schools, now become community colleges and many of the same children become teachers...

Or opened drug abuse treatment centres from police stations never heard of...
All this became a life long mission and will remain..

I did it all not for any glory,  I did it because the service and situations demanded it...
I stepped into electoral politics because I wanted to give my city all I still had, when i was given the feeling that I could be of value. I wanted to see it get a stable government in alignment with Government of India to get all that Delhi needed. 

I also wanted to not die one day with a guilt that I was commenting only and never daring to pass the ultimate test of electoral politics. 
I have failed the test. And take full responsibility for my decision. 
But inside me has not failed. Because given the time I gave to myself I gave it all the energy and experience I had. Obviously it was not enough. 
In such trying situations one does not meet the challenge alone. There are several factors which play a vital role. And each one did.  I wish to add nothing more. History will keep analysing till cows come home. And as I read them, each one of them makes sense. And worth being reflected upon. 
The wise will read each one, and take due notice...

On the election trail I wish to say, we need to rework the way we campaign. Whole City or State comes to a grinding halt. Should it? 
Roads are in disarray, and work just stops. Everything is too loud,  uncouth at times, insulting to thin skinned, false, insinuating, biased, revengeful,  corrupt, wasteful, highly disruptive of common man's needs,  breaking all laws, and sending all wrong messages. It's not a level playing field for the levelheaded serving people. It's a field for might and muscle in all respects. 
We need to address these. Hope to see it in my life time.
People need services to be delivered. They want integrity, trustworthiness, and professional commitment. But they also want an implementable vision and plans.  But they also want freebies...more you give, more you get.  
They do not get it still, that there are no free lunches in life. If  you rob Peter to pay Paul, it won't be long before all get robbed. 
Also all campaigning must be become lawful, transparent, facts and evidence based, civil, organised, more technology driven, reasonable, unbiased, neutral through different mediums, etc.  
Space could be allocated through neutral empires appointed by the Election Commission as per laid down rules based debates and also grass root work done, and let candidates be chosen on the basis of performance or implementable ideas. Which means widespread use of Television reaching out to the last mile...
Public 'appeals' through use of congregations must be not be allowed and considered a violation of laws. Hence must be banned.

Its time every public servant becomes a stake holder in governing this country. Needs of people have far outstripped what the country can provide for,  be it water, power, roads, public transport, schools, teachers, doctors, jobs, skills, and even girls. Forget about security for women...Only God knows how long women will continue to suffer...

In the end I wish to thank all those who reposed their trust in me. And to say I am sorry I could not measure upto theirs. 

And also all who called me with foulest possible names. 
I am relieved my parents were not alive to see this...

Relieved that my parents not alive to hear the foul words...

I opted for electoral politics not for position or power, but for serving the city which is home to me for the last over 40 years. A city which I have served in various capacities, through thick and thin.
 
I saw it through various challenges -- international sports events, VIP security, political upheavals, communal riots, agitations, and more.
 
On crime front, I saw it through when Delhi was hit by terror from outside. I spent years to catch a wink with boots on and with wireless blaring to get on the street any moment.
 
I did crime prevention, saving women from being raped in rural areas on dark nights by erstwhile criminal tribes with literally no cops on roles by involving village young men to patrol at night, while I was personally out five nights a week.
 
I conducted traffic management for Asian Games with hundreds of students doing traffic duties when my senior wanted to send me to Japan on a course, just to edge me out. Traffic was huge revenue for some.
 
Another time when a district assignment was ridden with bootlegging, I managed to dry it out and rehabilitate illicit liquor sellers to honourable living. I sent rag picking children to schools, which are now community colleges and many of the same children working as teachers. I even opened drug abuse treatment centres from police stations which were never heard of.
 
All this became a lifelong mission and will remain so.
 
I did it all not for any glory; I did it because the service and situations demanded it.
 
Wanted to give Delhi all I still had
 
I stepped into electoral politics because I wanted to give my city all I still had, when I was given the feeling that I could be of value. I wanted to see it get a stable government in alignment with the Government of India to get all that Delhi needed.
 
I also wanted to not die one day with a guilt that I was commenting only and never daring to pass the ultimate test of electoral politics.
 
I have failed the test and I take full responsibility for my decision.
 
But inside me has not failed. Because given the time I gave to myself, I gave it all the energy and experience I had. Obviously it was not enough.
 
In such trying situations one does not meet the challenge alone. There are several factors which play a vital role. And each one did. I wish to add nothing more. History will keep analysing till cows come home. And as I read them, each one of them makes sense and worth being reflected upon.
 
The wise will read each one, and take due notice.
 
Need to rework the way we campaign
 
On the election trail, I wish to say we need to rework the way we campaign. Whole city or state comes to a grinding halt. Should it?
 
Roads are in disarray and work just stops. Everything is too loud, uncouth at times, insulting to thin skinned, false, insinuating, biased, revengeful, corrupt, wasteful, highly disruptive of common man's needs, breaking all laws, and sending all wrong messages. It's not a level-playing field for the level-headed serving people. It's a field for might and muscle in all respects. We need to address these and I hope to see it in my life time.
 
People need services to be delivered. They want integrity, trustworthiness, and professional commitment. They want an implementable vision and plans. But they also want freebies -- more you give; more the demand and in return more the gains.
 
Many do not get it still, that there are no free lunches in life. If you rob Peter to pay Paul, it won't be long before all get robbed.
 
Also all campaigning must become lawful, transparent, facts and evidence based, civil, organised, more technology driven, reasonable, unbiased, neutral through different mediums, etc.
 
Let candidates be chosen on basis of performance or implementable ideas
 
Space for public speaking or visual presentation could be allocated through neutral empires appointed by the Election Commission as per laid down rules based debates and also grass root work done, and let candidates be chosen on the basis of performance or implementable ideas -- which means widespread use of Television reaching out to the last mile.
 
Public ‘appeals’ through use of congregations must be not be allowed and considered a violation of laws. Hence, it must be banned.
 
It’s time every public servant becomes a stake holder in governing this country. Needs of people have far outstripped what the country can provide for, be it water, power, roads, public transport, schools, teachers, doctors, jobs, skills, and even girls. Forget about security for women, only God knows how long women will continue to suffer.
 
In the end, I wish to thank all those who reposed their trust in me. And to say I am sorry, I could not measure upto their expectations.
 
And also, all who called me with foulest possible names. I am relieved my parents were not alive to see this.