:: Lt Gen (Retd) Arjun Ray ::

More joy, more reality, more connectedness

01-January-2015

"...More joy, more reality, more connectedness, more accomplishment and more opportunities for people to grow."

New Year greetings are exchanged at this time; resolutions are made and there is widespread hope that all of the above will be achieved. Why are these wishes realistic and achievable? Because they are what constitutes human potential; what paves the road to self-actualization, for every human being.

We wish for you this year, the good life: which we describe as :

A growing openness to experience, allowing personality and self-concept to emanate from experiences that are rich, varied and challenging. This results in excitement, daring, adaptability, tolerance, spontaneity, and a lack of rigidity and suggests a foundation of trust. Existing codes and social norms may prevail, but openness to experience teaches one to trust their own sense of right and wrong.

Freedom of choice - Young people must receive this gift from experienced and wise parents and teachers. They must believe that they play a role in determining their own goals and so feel responsible for their own behavior.

Creativity - At school, when potential is just waiting to be released in order to grow, like a bud on the verge of blossoming, learners must feel freer to be creative. Conforming keeps them on the beaten path. Responding to their individual creativity encourages them to innovate and contribute. Confidence and self-belief are quick to develop

Reliability and constructiveness - If children can be trusted to act constructively, they become independent and balanced individuals. They venture into new fields of possibility.

A rich, full life is not necessarily an easy life, but it is exciting, it rewards you with finding your own treasure, your own potential. It keeps out all hope sapping negatives.

To feel joy of achievement, disappointment (for that too is constructive), love and approbation of people around is our wish for you in the New Year. May it be a year of discovery, of exploration and of exploiting your true and unique potential!

(This is the essence of the message brought to newly elected Leaders of The Indus Student Council at Bangalore, by Lt. Gen. Arjun Ray (Retd.), CEO of the Indus Trust on the occasion of The Ceremony of Investiture on January 26th, 2012)

Creating Leaders of Tomorrow at Indus

01-August-2014

In "The Pilgrim's Progress", written by John Bunyan of the 17th century, the author calls upon the reader never to lose sight of one's destination. In life and at work, in leadership, the destination is the vision of the school, of the individual. A leader must note:

Never to lose sight of the destination - the vision.

Knowledge is experiential and must lead to transformation.

The spiritual quest is not just a solitary journey; you need the support of the community.

Vision and purpose go hand in hand, the purpose that drives human motivation; not money, power or position

The purpose of education, especially in an interconnected, uncertain and globalized world, cannot be mere academic excellence, or college placements, or career. At Indus we earnestly believe that the purpose of education is preparation for life. This will encompass:

Survival competencies for happiness, potential and being successful, like character, creativity, critical thinking, persuasive communication, resilience and reflection.

Bringing out the student's potential.

Being an engaged citizen, one who participates in civic life, but pays back to the community.

The purpose of teaching and education is not merely to teach; it is to transform the child, to enable the child to realize her full potential - self-actualization. Teachers are, therefore, agents of change.

(Talk to Teachers at the Beginning of New Session 2014-15)

What really is success?

01-June-2014

Success means different things to different people. But most people, (and even the dictionary), define success as winning - being rich, being famous, and being powerful. So success is all about a heady cocktail of money, power, and influence. Many people are inspired by wealth and extreme individualism, like that which was proclaimed by Ayn Rand in her novels, demonstrating that "selfishness is a virtue"; Gordon Gekko, Michael Douglas' character in the film 'Wall Street' famously said "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works." The economic collapse of 2008 can be ascribed to greed. The rampant corruption in India is also because of unlimited greed. As Milton Friedman said, "The business of business is business".

Mine is an alternative view of what success is. Wanting to be number one in whatever we do, winning the race should never be the sole objective. Life cannot be reduced to a rat race, because even the winner still remains a rat! Coming first, is a byproduct. What matters is the effort that one puts in. We should not be losing the race for want of effort.

It does not matter whether we win or lose. What matters is how hard we fought for what we believed in. When we talk of goal-setting, the issue is not whether we achieved our goal or not. It is how hard we tried. What is more important is what you become in the process of achieving your goal. Success is becoming what you are capable of becoming.

Success also means making other people successful and happy. In Zulu/Xhosa culture from Africa, there is a phrase, Ubuntu. When translated it means, "I am what I am because of who we all are." In other words, the very essence of being a human being is to be interconnected to other human beings. The Zulus say, "A person is a person through other persons."

Therefore, to be successful in life, you need the close and intimate support of other people, the team. We win nothing on our own, unless we give support or take it. After all, we live in an inter-connected world.

(This message for June, 2014 is excerpted from the CEO's message at the Graduation Day ceremony for the Class of 2014-IB)

Lifelong Learning

01-May-2014

Lifelong learning is a key competency to survive and flourish in the 21st century. This is because knowledge is getting outdated rapidly. The greatest challenge is the process for re-learning, which involves unlearning and then re-learning. Unlearning is difficult, because our ego and personal experiences get in the way of unbiased, objective reflection. Unlearning can happen through cognitive dissonance and crucible experiences. These processes call upon our ability to think critically and to measure the applicability of the knowledge and experience we posses.

Common to both these processes of change through cognitive dissonance and crucible experiences, is the art and science of reflection. If an individual cannot reflect, experiences are meaningless. I went to war in 1965 and 1971, but learnt nothing. Absolutely nothing. How many business leaders consciously reflect or know how to reflect? It is a process to be learned and cultivated. It is what liberates us from becoming static and hidebound. It is what makes us strong in the face of change.

Dissonance can be caused by a book, offering contrarian views to what the reader believes in. A guru or friend or mentor can challenge your present views and provoke you to re-think. In the process she or he can get you to reflect. From a leader-perspective it is, therefore, very important to be surrounded by subordinates who are more competent, if not more than you are. From the leader-perspective you must be an avid reader and listener. As a leader, you will need a mentor.

A corollary to lifelong learning is learning about oneself. That is how self-awareness arises. It will firmly put one on the road to self-actualization. If leaders are not aware of their potential or their shortcomings, success and happiness will always elude them. Conversely, an unhappy negative leader cannot evolve, cannot inspire and eventually, cannot lead.

The real self is dynamic and if a leader is true to herself and is a lifelong learner, who reflects and rebuilds experience and thought, there will be no dearth of future leaders, who will emulate and adopt such qualities of leadership.

The Essence of a Good Human Being

01-April-2014

There is a fairly large number of young men and women out there in the world, who do not want to be either leaders or even followers. The political class and their lack of accountability, staggering corruption and lust for power and ill-gotten wealth, sends many a well- meaning youth in the opposite direction, away from leadership dreams and responsibilities. Systems and processes can replace leaders, such people believe.

Many parents are wary of their children having aspirations of leadership, for fear that their focus should be on personal progress alone, which does not need creativity or social concerns or the desire to fulfil onself as a whole human being. There are no parents would not wish their children to grow into good human beings.

The essence of leadership is to be a good human being. Good leadership is not demonstrated by a corrupt politician or an alpha male. True leaders have exemplars in the Dalai Lama and Gandhiji. They lead by example and principles. Both leaders valued peace and non-violence above all means of action.

Rosa Parks, now deemed the first lady of the American Civil Rights movement, registered her protest against racial discrimination against the Afro American people in a non-violent way; by refusing to give up her seat in a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Leaders may, at times have to go it alone. Nelson Mandela was armed with nothing but vision when he chose non-violence and persuasion in South Africa, when the majority of black people, including his wife Winnie, felt that freedom had to be gained at any cost, even through violence and loss. Gandhiji lived and acted by his belief that the principle of non-violence was more important than political advantage that accrues to a demonstration of violence.

An academic institution and an educational one are different.The former prepares its students for a job; the latter prepares them for life. Human goodness is the foundation of self-actualization.

The essence, soul and pre-requisite of good leadership is basic human goodness. Man is innately good, it is believed, as in the Hindu belief of aham brahmasmi. Man is not born evil; he can become evil because of circumstances. Being a good human is a common denominator for a believer, an atheist, a leader and a follower.

Characteristics of a good human being include:

Be good and do good. One must lead by example.

The ability to love and be compassionate.

Forgiveness, which steers clear of retribution.

Leading an examined life of contemplation and reflection.

Considering means as important as ends.

Respecting all life, all beliefs and religions and believing in the brotherhood of man.

Belief in non-violence or ahimsa.

Following the middle path of moderation, harmony and balance.

Despite individual differences, we can serve a common destiny, because no man is an island unto himself. We rely on interconnectedness with each other to succeed in life and be happy.

The Transformers : Leaders for change

01-February-2014

Transformational leaders come in varied avatars. They can be statesmen, politicians, business leaders or scientists, or educators, but all display some common characteristics. The common factor is that they influence, motivate and inspire people. They do not use just the power of position, but their personal "power" to lead change in people and in society.

Transformational leaders become who they are through their personal visionary charisma, and their ferocious commitment to purpose. They are innovative risk-takers, they are authoritarian when they need to be, and they provide intellectual stimulation for their teams and followers by creating cognitive dissonance, inspiring and eliciting creativity. Such leaders encourage independent thinking, but keep for themselves the responsibility of decision making. Transforming others is never easy, it is a long process, requiring patience, risk taking, faith in others, and freedom from bias about people and issues. Transformational leaders do not mistake authority for power nor do they misuse their positional power. Transforming others is a leader's goal; consensus is a milestone in achieving this.

Leadership style is strongly influenced by culture. Indian culture lends itself to transformational leadership because there is a respect for hierarchy and a preference for action (Karmayog), personalized relationships and a universal respect for duty and obligation. Leadership therefore invests in a personalized rather than contractual relationship. Preference for action and very strong commitment to goals is or should be the hallmark of a leader, who transforms by example rather than rhetoric; adopts the path of a Karamyogi and shows a preference for action without personal gain, He/she considers duty and obligation to be the motive for change, action or protest.

Leaders who make a difference lead by vision, by their conviction, even in the face of challenges and initial failures. Conviction is the power of the leader's beliefs, his ideas and those of his team. Conviction has the power to draw a following, in spite of the rocky path that must inevitably be taken. The transformational leader races ahead and shows the way. Yet he is behind those who follow! His purpose is to win over people to his strategy, not to please and be popular! Being an effective communicator, such a leader engages his team, facilitates agile thinking and builds his followers, individual by individual.

For this, leaders must be empathic by nature, easily accepting their group's failure as a challenge to overcome, rather than a stumbling block. Sacrifices from such a leaders, both personal and aspirational, lie at the heart of achieving for the general or public good. The good news is that such sacrifice a rewards a leader in drawing others into her /his way of thinking and effecting transformation. Moreover, personal sacrifices strengthens a leader's credibility, as they support his/her conviction. A great leader is a conviction leader, not a "Mr. Nice guy".

Decentralization of decision making and power, while it is the order of the day, requires a strong, transformational leader to retain at least twenty percent of such authority and power, to take crucial decisions, lead through situations of crises and conflict. He may be seen as domineering, authoritative, and a centralized thinker at such times; but he must be decisive and his subordinates must show faith in his quick decisions. Delegation is not a synonym for abdication.

The leader's intuition must provide the basis for strong and important decisions, in the absence of accurate or ready information. "Big picture thinking" of a leader, is required for decision making at such times. Detailed consultations are not always possible for lack of time and leaders must take strong decisions with or without consensus. Critical situations call for quick decisions and the group or the team should trust and back their leader when such decisions are to be made.

What then, distinguishes a transactional leader from a transformational one? First and foremost, there is a great deal of personal transparency which the leader must have. He or she must be seen as a moral exemplar. Only if leaders possess this idealized influence can they bring together the diversity that defines any group of people, in a team, an institution or even a nation. Such a leader's aim is to win the trust, respect and loyalty, without which there are often negative reactions to a leader's strategy and decisions.

A leader must bring purpose and meaning to the group and convey this not just by words, but by unflagging optimism towards the goal. Positivism brings strength to any work, project or mission and if the leader has it, the followers will have it. It is often called for in times of stress, failure and reverses. It infuses a mission or project with vitality and a predilection for success.

So here we have it, the transformational leader must be many things in one person; a strategist, an achiever, an example, but even more of a facilitator and an engager. In addition he must be self-sacrificing, morally upright, driven by commitment, a strong believer in people and a cause. Only then can he take others forward towards change, improvement and progress.

Empathy

01-October-2013

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

-Leo Buscaglia.

Leadership has its roots in the human value of Empathy. This quality has been described as the ability and capacity to recognize emotional levels in both other humans and to a certain extent, animals. It is the first step in feeling compassion. It is the basic and ultimate requisite of a leader who is respected, loved and followed.

Sadly, too many children grow up today, without this great cognitive/affective quality of empathy. In school years the connection is made between acquiring knowledge as the exclusive key to success. Cut-throat competition in academics and sports is perceived by most educators as a healthy indication of ability. The ability to reflect, to interact, to nurture is given the go by.

But in the world of work, where human interaction is a huge part of the scenario, there is a frequent requirement of the ability to read and understand people and be in tune or resonate with others. Future success of organizations is seen as the collective work of the team and not the division of responsibility in a hierarchical context.

Theodore Roosevelt's quote, "No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care", requires reflection by each leader. Each person has "empathy capacity". Early childhood is the opportune period in life to bring out the best in caring and sharing. Nascent empathic skills need to be honed as early as infancy. This paves the way for becoming a good communicator, to be able to connect positively with others through speaking, through writing, movies and the arts.

Human empathic skills do not make one a "softie" or an individual who cannot survive or rise above physical, academic or professional competition. In fact they are the facilitators of successful strategic planning. Leaders with a high empathic quotient, can and do identify with others or the masses whom they lead. They earn the credibility of those they lead without great effort because they genuinely feel and realise the reality of situations they have never been in themselves.

An "energy empath" feels and is in sync with another's highs and lows. Physical, intellectual and spiritual energy is infectious and is an essential ingredient of a leader's charisma. Such leaders can reach out and transform the most anti-social, apathetic, ineffective people. They can appeal convincingly against violence or precipitate action.

Empathic concern is appreciated and well received by the staunchest resisters to an idea or plan. Having at heart the welfare of others, even at a cost to oneself or one's family rarely goes unnoticed. Ideally this implies experiencing and feeling another's physical or emotional pain, another's loss or deprivation, or the disability or inability of others. This is what lies at the root of inclusive education, which we practise at our Indus Schools.

Human survival is under grave threat unless we explore and bring to the surface of our behaviour this unique innate resource, the quality of feeling with and for others. It is this lost quality that lies at the base of all conflict and violence, whether it is personal or perpetrated on a mass scale. It is this loss which makes humans stoop to base levels not ever known before. Empathy is what prompts outrage. In a true leader it should be a motivating force to action, to reform and to positive human and humane growth.

Transformational Leadership

01-July-2013

Transformational leaders come in varied avatars. They can be statesmen, politicians, business leaders or scientists, but all display some common characteristics. The common factor is that they influence, motivate and inspire people.

They are visionary and charismatic, they are innovative risk-takers, they are authoritarian when they need to be, and they provide intellectual stimulation for their teams and followers by creating cognitive dissonance, encouraging creativity and encouraging independent thinking.

Leadership style is strongly influenced by culture. Indian culture lends itself to transformational leadership because there is a respect for hierarchy and a preference for action (karmayog), personalized relationships and a universal respect for duty and obligation.

Transformational leaders lead by vision, by their conviction, even in the face of challenges and initial failures. Conviction is the power of the leader's beliefs, his ideas. Conviction has the power to draw a following, in spite of the rocky path that must inevitably be taken. The transformational leader races ahead and shows the way. His purpose is to win over people to his strategy, not to please and be popular!

Sacrifices from such a leaders, both personal and aspirational, lie at the heart of achieving for the public good.

Decentralization of decision making and power, while it is the order of the day, requires a strong, transformational leader to retain twenty percent of such authority and power to lead a following through situations of crises. He may be seen as domineering, authoritative, and a centralized thinker at such times; but he must be decisive and his subordinates must show faith in his quick decisions.

The leader's intuition must provide the basis for strong and important decisions, in the absence of accurate information. "Big picture thinking" is required for decision making at such times, from the leader. Detailed consultations are not possible for lack of time and leaders must take strong decisions with or without consensus.

Start-up organizations, like Indus, essentially need transformational leadership, which does require direction to be centralized. This does not detract from a leader being caring and considerate towards his people. It is, indeed a prerequisite of survival and advancement. It is what effects change, success and progress.

Educating the Whole Child

01-June-2013

To survive, to succeed, and to be happy in a global world, students should be prepared to think and act creatively, to become critical thinkers, be enabled to solve complex problems and very importantly to communicate persuasively.

A strong foundation in academics (although important) is not enough. There has to be a balanced approach, and a new approach to education. At Indus, this is happening through whole-education, but not at the cost of academic excellence. Whole education goals are not limited to success in narrow terms, in examinations and graduating from high school or college. It is geared to enabling and empowering a child to face life in a world he does not know and cannot imagine, a world beset by new challenges.

Whole-education begins with our belief and understanding about the purpose of education. The purpose has to be relevant and deal with these challenges in society.

Currently, the severest threat to our planet is sustainability we inhabit a world which is teetering on the verge of climate collapse and resource collapse. We live in times of uncertainty, chaos, and high speed change.

Consequently, we need to go beyond narrow academic goals. At Indus we believe that education must: prepare children for life's challenges, and reconnect them with Nature and Community.

In order to fulfill the purpose of education, educating the whole-child is an imperative. Schools must be responsible for developing the child's cognitive, emotional, spiritual and aesthetic personalities. In simple terms this means, synthesis of the Left and Right brain and harmony between the Head and the Heart. Such a symbiosis encourages the development of competencies that will help you to be prepared for all challenges: these are

Character

Curiosity

Creativity

Critical-thinking and problem-solving

Compassion

Collaboration

6Cs

Traditionally whole-education is usually described as "co-curricular" activities. These are planned and directed from top-down. For greater meaning, whole-education should also be bottom-up, or student-centric, with innovation and critical-thinking as their driving force. Wholeness can be achieved by addressing and catering to the needs of the whole child, not just the student or the school-goer.

We must ask ourselves these questions:

Are we going to leave a creative legacy for everyone to admire and emulate?

Can we identify a problem in the school or neighbourhood community and provide a solution?

At the end of the day, whole-education must make a contribution to the wider community. Today, more than ever, "No man is an island, entire of itself."

Educators and parents cannot and must not ignore this fact. They must nurture children to be the sustainers and healers in society. The Whole Child has the potential to overcome and to take on these roles.

The Face of Sustainable Leadership at INDUS international Schools

01-May-2013

Tomorrow's challenges are already at our door. The clash of civilizations, religious wars, genocides, armed conflict, nuclear proliferation and crashing markets are now becoming less relevant. The new realities are staring us in the face:

The struggle between the underprivileged and the privileged over our planet's fast depleting resources.

Climate collapse, where there has been irreversible damage already.

Resources collapse; our consumption exceeds production and renewal, five times over.

To make matters worse, competition is at an all-time high. Children are growing up more self-oriented and ruthlessly competitive. They need to be sensitized and taught survival competencies. Under such circumstances, schools must become the engines of change. Learning and teaching must evolve into leading for sustainability. New curricula must have, for their objectives, leadership and whole education. These will create survival skills in learners.

Students must be sensitized to the vital values of compassion and becoming pro-poor. They must be motivated to innovate, to find solutions, to develop ideas, design and use technology to meet the challenges of living. Education must alter its vision from "preparation for life" to "preparation for sustainability of the planet". Children and youth must think, not of "my life" but "our Life". This focus will still centre around leadership and education, as we have always done at Indus.

Raising the emotional quotient, (EQ) of our students is crucial, and the only way in which we can sustain what we have and what is left of resources and human potential.

Ignorance, greed and indifference must give way to knowledge, to altruism and concern for the oppressed, the underserved and needy in our societies. This then, is the new meaning and context of leadership. Our love for our planet and its bounty must express itself in ways that are real, that are deserving of provision for today and tomorrow.

Prev Beginning Next