PRACTISED LEADERSHIP-6 : TO BECOME A LEADER-QUOTES 11 TO 15
This series is a must read to understand that leadership is not what we perceive. It cannot be taught. These articles answer cover the basics of ‘PRACTICED LEADERSHIP’.
PRACTISED LEADERSHIP-6
Quote-11
CHARACTER is the bedrock on which leadership has its foundation. Simply score out a person’s name if he has even ONE-character flaw.
DEVELOP CHARACTER BEFORE WANTING TO BE A LEADER
– Col Sanjay Pande –
It is assumed that everyone is a leader soon as the course curriculum for leadership is covered and some random questions are answered in the exam. Let me assure you, if you don’t have a strong character traits, just forget that you will ever become a leader. Do not confuse this with promotions or professional success. Character is not required for promotions. Professional competence on one end of spectrum and ‘managing’ and ‘manipulating’ the boss on other end are sufficient to get promotions. If you become a General in Army, to even think that the person is a leader is downright ridiculous.
A person lies, cheats, has grey integrity and is highly competent professionally will never be followed because he is a leader, he will be followed since the service rules will be violated. I have seen hundreds of senior officers, may be in single digit fulfilled the character requirement. Now, there is no point having a character if you do not possess professional competence. It is not important how high you go on the ladder of hierarchy, what is important is that you become professionally capable and have a character. You will have very strong following for decades.
Drop a person like burning coal soon as you see a character flaw. That persons DNA is designed to betray. Exploit the strong points of such person, be aware of where he is being employed and let him not enter the pious realm of the leadership circle where unsuspecting may fall for him. These people are destined to betray.
Soon as you develop a strong character, your value will increase on daily basis. Each meeting, each interaction and each action will prove to others that you have strong character. They will become your mouthpieces. Your reputation will precede you. You are already on way to become a leader.
Quote-12
CHARACTER. How do you know if you have one for a leader? When people who knew you decades earlier break line to say ‘hello’, you know it.
ITS OTHERS WHO JUDGE YOU.
– Col Sanjay Pande –
The more time we spend in public space, the more people we meet and the more people we interact with. Each person assesses other at all times and carries an impression. If you are reading other person, he is reading you too. Be assured that if there are 100 people around you for some time, 99 people will have their opinion about you. How would it be if all 99 have different opinion about you? ‘Disaster’ in one word. How did they get different opinions? Each either interacted with you or obtained information from someone who interacted with you. ‘You’ send the messages out. Ideally what is it you will like the opinion to be? As steady as possible with most people agreeing with one another. Its you finally everything falls upon.
Leave a good impression, which is only possible if you were truthful, honest, had integrity and competence that ‘others’ notices consistently. Rest be assured, people will deliberately cross your path with just one aim, to ‘smile’ and say hello. It’s a concern if it is not happening.
Quote-13
MORAL COURAGE – If a person does not have it, score him out from the list. Can you find leaders in Corporate, Politics and Public Life ?
Yes, Very few.
TO HAVE COURAGE, HAVE MORALS FIRST.
– Col Sanjay Pande –
This one is very easy to explain. Split ‘Moral Courage’ into two words, ‘morals’ and ‘courage’. Courage can be mental or physical. Physical courage has different connotation. It may be brute force or a relative force. It gets controlled by brain. ‘Morals’ are the set of behavioral conduct that is ‘correct’ and very close to good character. Morals give you courage to accept weakness, fear, shame, mistakes and further with a good character give you strength to accept them publicly. Acceptance may cause great harm but the ‘morals’ convince you to not only accept the pain but give further strength to improve upon. Moral Courage sets the leaders apart from professional successful people. The people around must be very sure of your stand towards an issue without discussing with you.
Political career, a Corporate job, a Military career etc. have the singular attraction of ‘power’ that accompanies the position. A small time corporator dreams to get into the legislature, a corporate guy wants to enter board of directors, a military man wants to become a general. If they take path of ‘moral courage’ they fear that they would not get to their goals. Ambition will be crushed. In the desperation, they sacrifice character, moral courage and enter the F1 race to get to their goals completely forgetting that people around are watching them.
Unless you have morals is courage of any use? Moral Courage is the strength of character that tells you to side with what is ‘right’ and not what ‘should be done’.
Develop moral courage if you want to be a leader.
Quote-14
There is nothing called ‘Moral Courage”. If you have morals, courage comes automatically.
MAKE A LIST OF ‘MORALS’ FOR YOURSELF
– Col Sanjay Pande –
If you have morals, courage comes automatically. What are morals? Morals ae nothing but a set of correct behaviour that you set for yourself. Let other person have space. Give him right to be what he is. Try and see everything from his point of view. Do not judge people. Learn to take as much flak as possible. Be patient. Let people be confident even if they commit mistakes. Forgive and teach them. Be loyal. This is the trickiest part. Loyal to whom? Your senior? Peer? Junior? To be a leader people of all ages and seniority must follow hence you cannot take sides. Work out your loyalty rules. These will define you. Being impartial, treating every one similarly, being generous equally etc. are all the type of set of rules that are included under ‘morals’.
All of above must be overshadowed by your humility.
When you make the rules of ‘morals’ for yourself, read them over and over again to see how they may harm someone. Amend if required. Follow them strictly. It takes time. With morals being practiced, the courage component builds up on its own. This is not a temporary arrangement but your life.
Quote-15
‘BEEN THERE DONE THAT’ does not make leaders. Continue being ‘there’ and continue doing ‘that’ makes you one. Stability of mind and character matters.
BE CLEAR IN WHAT YOU WANT TO BE & THEN GO FOR IT
– Col Sanjay Pande –
I one spoke truth. I once was very patient. I once was very generous. This doesn’t make a leader. It is not a ‘touch and go’ game. You need to practice this daily for years and decades to let it become your signature behaviour. Stability of mind and character will come only when you make this a habit. It’s a big challenge.
Be very clear on what you want to be and then start your journey to achieve it.
Earlier
PRACTICED LEADERSHIP – 1 : “IS LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS CONNECTED?”
PRACTICED LEADERSHIP – 2 : “YOU LEARN MORE FROM WHAT NOT TO BE, THAN, WHAT TO BE”
PRACTICED LEADERSHIP-3 : IT ALL STARTS HERE – TRUTHFULNESS’ https://colsanjaypande.com/practiced-leadership-3-it-all-starts-here-truthfulness/
PRACTICED LEADERSHIP-4 : TO BECOME A LEADER-QUOTES 1 TO 5 https://colsanjaypande.com/practised-leadership-4-to-become-a-leader/
PRACTISED LEADERSHIP-5 : TO BECOME A LEADER-QUOTES 6 TO 10
To Come
PRACTISED LEADERSHIP-7 : TO BECOME A LEADER-QUOTES 21 TO 25
Col Sanjay Pande
© Copyright
Recent Posts
Mr Macha was born about two weeks ago. He is the first case where he grew each day by one year! He is 19 years old today. Mr Macha is all fun, frolic, health conscious and really cares about...
2012-Present : Advisor-Consultant for MNCs (Multi National Companies) Details covered separately on the website. 2012 - Present Kshemin Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Founded an independent...