Leadership lessons from Armed Forces

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM INDIAN ARMED FORCES

Leadership lessons from Armed Forces

The Indian Armed Forces has been leading the nation in times of uncertainty and fear. They have always been faithful in their commitment to serve every individual by avenging the nation. They become the hope of every individual when pressurized by external aggressors. In the midst of all this, they always provides us leadership lessons to learn from. Leadership spirit is embodied in the DNA of the Indian Armed Forces which inspires others to take charge of their life regardless of the tough and turbulent circumstances in life. They are the perfect example of leading in times of crisis and we can learn by following their example.

Ability to exert influence or the group:

Success in life lies to great extent, in knowing how to change men’s minds. Dealing with people is the greatest problem that all of us have to face. It is the mastery of this art that makes successful lawyers, politicians, preachers and even top executives. To some degree or the other, each individual possesses this quality of exerting influence on their fellow beings. But the difference between them is very wide.

We have had men like Mahatma Gandhi, who radiated influence in the darkest corners of the country, without coming into personal contact with millions of people. And this hold on the masses was so strong that they used to rise like one unit at his bidding, while, on the other hand, we have the uninterested and unsocial persons who, instead of exerting influence, arouse feelings of antagonism.

No one seems to perceive the ‘personal magnetism’, yet we all have experienced the power of such a magnetism in our leaders. Some people’s attractiveness, impress us or interests us deeply, while others unfailingly repel us. But influence is there all the time. There are people whose mere presence has a sublimating influence upon others. It was said of Socrates that ‘no one who met him was ever the same again.’ It is this personal magnetism which plays the vital part in exerting influence on others and it is worthwhile going into some qualities or conditions which bring it about. You can check my blog post to learn about the keys to influence.

Initiative: This is a very important quality of Leadership which the Indian Armed Forces teaches us. Initiative is the ability to take the first or introductory step and to act, usually in a new situation.

Initiative is  very much an acquired quality and  can be imbibed by a congenial environment. In the early stages of life, the parents or school teachers may want to create this environment to a great extent. By allowing the young officers to shoulder responsibilities independently in a processed dose fosters development of their initiative. Initiative enables them to act in a new situation and also to take the first or introductory step in any encounter. Some other qualities are also intimately inter-related with initiative and there is a mutual balancing effect or interplay which gives initiative its final effective form in any particular field of activity.

Leadership lessons from Armed Forces

Adaptability: It’s no secret that officers in the armed forces adapt and adjust to every situation they face in. They are calm and composed even if something unexpected happens. Some people become miserable if anything happens to interrupt their routine. Some are knocked off balance when life refuses to go according to their plans. There are others who are old-fashioned, out-dated and find it difficult to change their opinions.

This is because they lack adaptability. Adaptability means to quickly adjust to the changing environment, and may be manifested in several physical ways, but basically it is the quality of mind and depends upon the outlook and thoughts of a person. A rational and open-minded person would invariably be more adaptable than the rigid, orthodox or unadventurous type.

Solving any situation requires a judicious weighing up of the various factors involved and arriving at a conclusion. If a person loses his balance of stability, he will not be in a position to make a proper use of his resources. In our daily life, we come across many people who clearly shows us how varying types and degrees of stress play on their mentality. Business leaders can learn  this quality of Adaptability from the armed forces and adapt themselves and their organizations to the changing business environment.

Leadership lessons from Armed Forces

Sense of Duty & Responsibility: The qualities of sense of duty & responsibility are very much related to our daily life. To a layman, both duty and responsibility are occasionally used in one place or the other as if they are synonymous terms. Every one of  us is faced with certain tasks or actions which come within the orbit of being recognized as our duty. Sense of responsibility is a quality which is one of the general aspects of leadership and is intimately connected with it. It is our responsibility to manage and use our time in the direction of our eternal destiny and armed forces can be the best example of commitment to duty and responsibilities.

These were some of the things from the lot that I have personally learned from the Indian Armed Forces and applied in my life. What are some good leadership qualities that you learned from Indian Armed Forces. Let me know by commenting below.

Until next time,

Gagan.