Very often, people think mastering technology, marketing, innovation or possessing high qualifications will automatically confer leadership mantle on them. True, they lead to leadership positions in the concerned areas but at the end of the day, these skills have to be converted to a strategic advantage. This means somebody has to be behind, driving them. Ultimately, it is the leader behind the business who matters for its success or failure. All other qualities or attributes are added benefits or advantages. Enough has been written about leadership and its theories by brilliant minds and we do not want to repeat them. Repeated research has also shown that good communication, human relations and team working skills are the most important requirement for good leaders. While some have it in them instinctively, all can be trained in these areas. Most importantly, one need not be a General or a CEO or a President or a Chairman to be a called a leader. It is required at every level. Any vision must be turned into reality. In this page, we will give examples of great leaders from real life and history.
Mother Theresa:
She was an Albanian catholic nun in a convent in Calcutta. She always saw some beggars, who were also lepers, whenever she looked out of her window. She could see fear, no hope and desolation in their eyes. They knew they would never be loved and nor will they get sufficient medical attention. She decided to do something about it. She left the safe walls of the convent and started her 'Missionaries of Charity', which is a globally known institution with branches all over today. Her institution has cared for nearly 200,000 lepers till date. She had a vision for the poorest of the poor. Only she could have done it and she did it.
She was in New York to address the UN members. She went to the maximum security prison there. She saw four prisoners for life and they were suffering with AIDS. AIDS is a modern day leprosy. The people with AIDS are as shunned as people with leprosy. In biblical times, the Romans used to keep the lepers in dungeons. Mother Theresa went to Mr. Edward Koch, who was the then Mayor of New York. She asked him to telephone the Governor and wanted to speak to him. When he came on line, she asked for those 4 prisoners to be released to her. The Governor said they had 43 people with AIDS and he was prepared to handover all of them. She said she wanted only 4 and would take the rest later. She had a building in mind and asked the Governor to pay for it and he agreed. She then asked Mr. Koch to organize the legal formalities in a day. Mr. Koch seemed to have replied "As long as you don't make me wash the floors".
Mother Theresa was so small and frail that she could have been carried around like a child by any able bodied man. She had people like Robert Kennedy and Edward Kennedy, visiting her in Calcutta and willing to do anything for her. The popular notion that a leader should be tall, dark, handsome or beautiful and well built is plain stupid. These notions are popularized by mediocre minds. Napoleon Bonaparte was short by western standards. Gandhi was short and frail. He had so much energy that the tall and hefty English soldiers who were guarding him, while in prison, could not keep up with him when he went for his morning walks. Mother Theresa received the Nobel prize and is being beatified as a saint by the catholic church. Whoever met her always spoke about her Intensity, Devotion & Conviction. Great Leaders have intensity, devotion and conviction. They also have extraordinary energy.
'Mahatma' Mohandas K Gandhi:
Since he is well known we are not giving any details from his life. His greatest strength was Empathy. Great leaders have empathy. In Sanskrit, which is the mother of all Indo Aryan languages, 'Mahatma' means a great soul.
Abraham Lincoln:
His story is also well known. Nobody can handle failures like he did. He is the ultimate symbol of Perseverance. Great leaders have perseverance.
Sir Winston Churchill:
His greatest strength was Courage under adversity, when England was under a great threat from Adolph Hitler. England was lucky as nobody else could have saved it, except him. He rallied the entire country behind him with one great speech. He was also a great writer. Unfortunately, people classified him as a crisis manager. A great crisis manager can be a great growth manager. People who talk otherwise, do not know what they are talking about. Crisis managers always get thrown into crisis situations all the time and then get branded. Great leaders have great courage and are great communicators.
General George S Patton:
He was a fighter and very few can match his fighting abilities. No doubt the World War II saw some famous generals like General Douglas Macarthur, General Montgomery and the Supreme Commander of the allied forces, General Dwight Eisenhower, who later became the President of USA. The Nazis had some very good generals too. General Erwin Rommel was an expert in desert warfare and known as 'The Desert Fox'. The only Indian Field Marshal, Sam Maneckshaw is one of the best in recent times. The strategy and tactics used by him in 1971 Bangladesh war with Pakistan will be discussed as a classic in IMA, WestPoint and Sandhurst. Patton was a not an astute politician. He was a natural and straight forward man. He remained a simple soldier who knew only how to fight. He was not fit for politics and the backstabbing/politicking that goes with it. Benjamin Disraeli was absolutely right when he said that politics is the last refuge for scoundrels. He can be classified as the model operations manager or COO. No doubt, he made some mistakes, but had the courage to admit them. He could not tolerate cowardice but at the same time cared for the ordinary soldiers. Leaders are good fighters, bold and fair.
Alexander the Great:
He is the best strategic planner the world has ever seen and the youngest one at that. There was no limit to his ambition. This 17 year old Macedonian lad, crossed the Mediterranean sea and conquered the whole old world with just a few hundred soldiers. Egypt, entire middle east Asia and India were under his feet. Only Chinese civilization remained untouched because of Himalayas. Great leaders are ambitious, think big and are good strategic planners.
Julius Caesar:
He invaded what is now known as England along with his legions. When he landed in Dover, on the south coast of England, he did something unthinkable. He burnt all the ships they had used to cross the channel. His soldiers had no choice except to fight the savages who roamed England then. Great leaders have self confidence and a positive mental attitude. They always expect to win.
Sir Thomas More:
Anybody familiar with English History would know that he did not compromise on Integrity, even under death threat for high treason. Great leaders have integrity, principles and values. They do not compromise on them. Great leaders have unimpeachable integrity.
Lord Horatio Nelson:
As a kid, he asked his mother "what is fear?" because he had not seen it. Great leaders have no fear like babies. They overcome it.
Napoleon Bonaparte:
One of the best leaders of men. His strength was fortitude, courage and ability to withstand high stress. Great leaders have fortitude and handle stress well.
The above qualities are mostly God given and such people are the chosen ones and all the leaders mentioned had all the above qualities in different degrees. Most of us can only try to emulate them. There are other qualities, but are of mundane nature and which can be learnt and acquired. The above qualities differentiate the great and the good ones. We have plenty of good leaders, but very few great ones.
copyright. October 2007. www.madgopes.com . All rights reserved.
To learn more about this author, visit Madhavan T Gopalachary's Website.
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Madhavan T Gopalachary
(Visit Madhavan's Website)
Madhavan Gopalachary, nick name "madgopes"
(g pronounced as in go) given by IIT
classmates, is a Mechanical Engineer and
an alumnus of Indian Institute of
Technology, Madras having passed out
specializing in IC Engines &
Thermodynamics.
He has nearly 35 years of experience in
the Corporate World. He started off as a
trainee and handled sales, marketing,
manufacturing, product management, profit
center management, strategic planning and
corporate development including R & D in
various organizations and at various
levels before becoming a CEO. His last two
professional assignments were at CEO level
before embarking to start management
consultancy business on January 01, 1998.
He has worked for British, Swedish MNCs as
well as very large Indian business houses.
He has spent a large portion of his time
from June 1998 till date in East African
Countries practicing as an independent
Management Consultant.
More details can be obtained at the
following web sites:
mmg.name/
mtg.html
mmgconsu
lting.biz/
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