:: Lt Gen (Retd) Arjun Ray ::

Leadership through Music

01-April-2013

It may not be a coincidence that the nation that produced the greatest tank commanders also produced the largest number of the greatest music composers in Western classical music. I speak of Germany, ofcourse.

This is the genesis of the idea of Leadership through Music. At Indus, music is not for aesthetics and accomplishment only, but for development of leadership as well.

In its most decanted form, music is spirituality, and comes next to meditation. Devotional music in nearly all religions are forms of prayers that connect the devotee to God, and help in self-awareness. Devotional songs are prayers set to music and abound in all religions -

Bhajans, like those composed by Kabir, Meera, Tulsidas, and Surdas.

Sufi Quawwali.

Church hymns like Amazing Grace, Abide with Me, and Let There be Light.

African-American gospel music and the Blues.

Baul music, a fusion of Sufi Muslim and Vaishnava Hindu tradition which greatly influenced Rabindranath Tagore.

Music has been used successfully for political mobilisation of large masses of society against injustices such as India's freedom struggle, the civil rights movement in the United States, the Vietnam War, and apartheid in South Africa.

Music goes beyond emotions and spirituality. Research findings conclusively prove that music makes us smarter, because it improves mathematical and memory skills, develops empathy, and improves language skills. It may be of interest that in Ancient Greece, music was a part of the mathematics curriculum, because music and mathematics are based on the language of numerals.

Musical training has a positive impact on education. Neuroscientists have established that music and language share the same neural networks, and musical training, especially instrumental, enlarges parts of the cerebral cortex that are centres of high brain function.

Music is also known to refine our emotions, make us more aesthetic and empathic. In its wider sense, aesthetics is the ability to see beauty in ugliness and good in the bad.

Scientific evidence supports the hypothesis that, man is wired for music and is born musical. Music is an intrinsic part of human instinct. Musical training can, therefore, be effectively used for leadership development, especially in the fields of mindfulness, empathy, aesthetics, critical thinking and spirituality. It is no surprise or chance, therefore, that music at Indus is part of leadership training.

Music enhances leadership training by developing and refining leadership skills like creativity, discipline, coordination and collaboration, and above all, humanness. Music is a powerful tool that unites the mind, heart, and soul of an individual.

(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)

Student Engagement

01-February-2013

As a facilitator, the teacher challenges, questions, and stimulates the students in their thinking, problem solving and self-directed study. Is this really happening?

The current scenario in almost every school, in every society will reveal that students of any age are showing a sharp decrease in the quantum and quality of learning. Decreasing attention span, aversion to reading any kind of text, poor articulation and vocabulary, and lack of interest and relative indifference to matters academic are symptoms of general and widespread disengagement.

In the blame game played by parents and teaching, the current generation of young students are losing out to boredom, indifference, ennui, lack of purpose or goals and is heading for failure in the ability to lead useful, productive and fulfilling lives. It is up to the teaching community to seek and apply the cure for this increasing malaise.

This challenge must be taken up by addressing very seriously and thoughtfully, the 3 domains of cognitive, emotional and behavioural learning. For here it is that the beliefs and values of young people are formed, their motivation and feelings grow and mature, and their habits and skills take shape.

We notice that often, students are unresponsive to the best of teachers. Such teachers have a solid academic background, a scholarly temperament and all the right attitudes to steer their students towards academic success. Then why is engagement not taking place? Clearly the answer lies in reflecting on what else students require to become engaged, involved and responsible for their own learning and growth. Teachers must take note of the fact that students respond not so much to text as they do to images. Learning can no longer be a passive activity, but different and varied strategies must be used to deliver knowledge content. Inquiry rather than unquestioning acceptance of the teacher's wisdom is the order of the day in a learning environment.

The Indus Schools are guided by the firm belief that continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers is essential for student and teacher growth and achievement. Teachers are facilitators of student engagement. They must strive to develop new skills and interests. Theirs must be a dynamic academic and social personality, so that students can be drawn to them as inspirers, confidantes and role models.

Active learning strategies must be planned and practised by teachers. The reading habit must be exemplified by teachers and encouraged in students of every age. Teachers must be able to match reading materials with individual students and identify significant gaps that might require a change in instructional strategy. Students are not bored with everyday learning because of the emphasis on creativity, relevancy, and a hands-on approach.

The teacher also is required to act as a guide--a role that incorporates mediation, modeling, and coaching. Often the teacher also is a co-learner and co-investigator with the students.

Teachers must be excellent communicators, and develop one on one relationship with their students. Learning must be personalized, within a culture of rigorous and relevant learning. Sensitivity in a teacher will allow him/her to pick up on differentiated needs in all 3 domains of learning. Communication will be established and used with ease and effect. An emotionally safe classroom must be created and preserved.

Number 1 International School in India

01-January-2013

In September of 2012, Indus Bangalore was announced the number 1 International School in India, having moved steadily from position 3, to second , to # 1 in 2012. Indus Hyderabad came 11th in this category with Indus Pune 13th. IELC Hyderabad was #1; and IELC Bangalore ranked 3rd in the category of schools providing pre-school education.

Growth is a habit at Indus. Whether we add to our student numbers, establish more institutions, or invest in the number and quality of teachers, it cannot be denied that we have "walked the talk". In other words, we have extended our goals, we have stretched our horizon and we have as several teams, worked assiduously to gain the accolades that have come our way, year after year.

Our collective pride is great and justified. We celebrated with much happiness and felt gratified that everyone's effort, however large or small, had paid off. This was an indication of the strength behind our goals and to our learning from year to year. In November, at the celebratory dinner in Bangalore, we recognized the commitment, dedication and hard work of people who have been with the Indus family since inception or near it. There are scores of others, too many to name, who came after them and have contributed very significantly too.

It takes firm resolve to continue to succeed as well. When accolades come our way at Indus, and many have, especially in the recent past, many ask, "what now?" Where can we go after we have reached the top? After being declared the most respected and admired International School in India, what more can we do?

But then, we always believe that success is not a destination, it is a journey. So our journey must continue. Having celebrated and enjoyed our successes, we get up and get going. There is work to be done, records to break, other heights to conquer.

It is creditable to meet several of the 14 parameters of excellence, we must create new ones. The challenge is in seeking newer, higher goals; the joy is in the climb to achievement.

Effort is what is needed; effort is the only thing that counts. Effort has always got us where we wanted to be.

We can overcome, we shall achieve, we must continue to excel!

Moral Imagination

01-December-2012

This evening I wish to share with you the scientific and ethical idea of moral imagination for children. This is a key missing ingredient in leadership development especially in young minds. Moral imagination is a personal belief of the child and her world view that:

Man is innately good.

Character will always beat brains.

Moral laws and principles guide society and our daily conduct.

All religions have their vision of the Golden Rule - Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you. The Golden Rule, the law of reciprocity, is the core of all religions, of spirituality, and leadership. It will help to bring back compassion on our personal agenda.

There is nothing esoteric about moral imagination; it is a neuro-reality ? a reality based on the scientific finding that, the critical window for learning concepts and morality is in the primary years. Science and faith now agree that the moral foundation of a child is best developed in childhood.

Therefore, parents and teachers have a great responsibility to develop and nurture moral imagination in children by the following important steps:

Reading, reading and reading that leads to ethical reflection and imitation of moral and spiritual values. Any reading will not do. If child's imagination is going to be crammed by Pokemon, Tin Tin, and Terminator, that will become her aspiration. Any reading may improve language and vocabulary, but it may not develop the moral imagination. Reading, followed by reflection, has to be specific. Lists of books like Lord of the Rings, that arouse moral imagination, have to be drawn up.

We seldom help children to reflect on what they read. Even adults find reflection difficult. To read without reflection is as good as not reading. This is an area where parents and teachers need training on how to assist the child. To reflect. To enable a child to make sense of what she has read, the moral concepts have to be identified and explained with examples. Thereafter, they have to be made relevant in the daily life of the child.

Give them a first-hand experience of the world and experiential values through community service. Once again, doing community service without follow-up reflection is meaningless.

Practicing the core values of the school must become a habit by strictly following certain do's and don'ts and code of conduct. Habitability is the byword.

Music, dance, and art provide deeper and wider access to a moral world, and capacity for reflection.

Re-connect with nature as much as possible because it touches the depth of our spiritual lives.

Right from birth children start imagining what is good and bad, and what is right and wrong. Children tend to think in opposites, in black and white. Their character formation thus starts very early and, therefore, the importance of moral imagination. As such, teachers and parents have a heavy responsibility because moral imagination is an inspiration that elevates man from a base to a moral level.

Leading with Diversity

01-November-2012

Our school has been named after the Indus River that flowed past my house in Leh, the capital town of Ladakh. As you all know, the name India is derived from the Indus River. This great river, the cradle of early civilization, symbolises diversity and internationalism as we understand what it means today.

Originating in the Himalayas in Tibet, the river flows through Ladakh into Pakistan and merges with the Arabian Sea after a journey of 3180 kilometres. The River is home to the Indus Valley Civilization, the birth place of the world's four great religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism; and the confluence of Taoism, Confucianism, and Islam. Each of these religions has taught us unity, unity through diversity.

Our children demonstrate through varied activities the gains of of whole-education and what it is to be internationally-minded. In essence, the two are part of one idea - the idea of diversity, the courage of being able to acknowledge and welcome the power of being different. The more similar we are the less international minded we will be.

Internationalism is about diversity and not homogeneity; and about differences in perspectives, and not similarity. Internationalism is not restricted to cultural and religious difference; rather, it is more about different mind sets and different world views. Diversity is about building teams that are heterogeneous and not homogenous, team members who are a collection of individuals with different backgrounds - thinkers, doers, organisers and networkers.

The plays, music, and dances which our students perform from time to time, have great significance for diversity leadership, that has been necessitated because of globalization. With hierarchies crumbling and the world become flatter by the day, diversity is a reality. As 21st century leaders, we are practitioners of diversity leadership. Diversity in thought is driving innovation and greater business growth.

Diversity is not merely living with different cultures. Diversity is more about living harmoniously and working with four distinctive generations.

Diversity is acknowledging that women now form our future work force. It may surprise many to know that women make up 75 percent of the consumer base and 50 percent of the talent pool. They control $12 trillion of the total $18 trillion in consumer spending. Their distinct gender traits like empathy, networking, and the power of relationships are key competencies for 21st century leaders.

Indus day is an affirmation to our commitment to whole-education and inclusivity, but not at the cost of academic excellence. It is also an endorsement of our belief in the essentials of being human - purpose, meaning to life, relationships, reason combined with faith, empathy, and the ability to exercise choice.

Celebration Speech on 15 September 2012

01-October-2012

Indus, Bangalore recently celebrated an extraordinary phenomenon, it has been ranked as the best international school in all of India within a short span of nine years. The ascent has been breath-taking and spectacular. Mountaineers conquer peaks to conquer themselves and cleanse their inner self. That is the sensation and exhilaration that prevailed at our celebration.

Success has come not because of sprawling campuses; or because of reputation. We were competing with international schools as old as 150 years, with larger campuses, well proven systems and processes, and decades of branding.

I offer three explanations of how this came to be.

First, this evening's celebrations is a vindication of the purpose of education we espouse at Indus. We believe that schools must prepare students to deal with the challenges of a future we do not know, a future that is uncertain, turbulent, and unpredictable. We believe that the purpose of education is also to create engaged citizens who think global and act local. Localism is a pre-condition for globalism. We cannot become world citizens at the cost of losing our cultural identity.

Second, the school redefined what success is. Each one of us is capable of becoming much more than what we are, provided we put in the effort. The question we must ask of ourselves is that did we give our best? Success is therefore not winning; success is the effort we put in. Winning is a by-product. The only competition is with ourselves. Indus Bangalore is, therefore, not competing with 150 other international schools in India; it is competing with itself. That is what excellence is about. That is why success is becoming a habit.

Third, coming Number 1 in India is an affirmation of Mrs Sarojini Rao's dynamic leadership. She is the game-changer with powerful leadership qualities. A role-model for teachers and students in all Indus schools, she leads from the front with very high visibility, and lays down exacting standards. Also compassionate and empathic towards the poor and suffering, She has inspired her team to give their best, and to accept nothing but the best and this is most commendable.

The daunting thought that looms large in everyone's mind is that having come first, how does one sustain this kind of success? I say to Mrs Sarojini Rao and her gallant team, that this is least of your worries. The question is not how will we sustain our ranking? The question is: did we give our best. In the end it is the effort that matters. In life what matters is not whether we won or lost; what really matters is how hard we tried. Did we stand-up for the values and cause we believed in?

The RTE: A big step for India, a giant leap for Indian children!

01-September-2012

Two years ago, the Indian Legislature of India brought in a new law that would herald change in the lives of many children and adults. The Right to Education became law and some underprivileged and underserved children became the beneficiaries of an education that might mean liberation from grim poverty through education; good, not so good or not good at all. But education was to become the transformer in their lives, when they could receive free education between the ages of 6 and 14. Children, who could not dream of anything, could now join their more fortunate counterparts in other parts of society and enter and study in proper schools. The dream lay in their path!

The implementation of this law has been tardy, at best. It was not met with spontaneous or genuine acclaim. Schools, particularly unaided ones, object to the speed with which they were required to provide free education and all requirements to avail of it, expressing their indignation at the terms of the bill and the manner of implementation. Unaided privately managed schools have been vocal about how "unfair" the bill is to private edupreneurs who start and run schools with a vision and purpose, but cannot risk huge losses in supporting an increasing percentage of their student population, which is unable to pay for anything. These people and institutions feels that it would make better business sense to shut down their schools and move into some other industry.

Flip to the other side and the picture of a fully literate, numerate and educated India, in this very millennium, comes into view. This seems a very distant dream indeed! But realities cannot be created without dreams. Social justice has been a long time coming to the Indian populace

There are anomalies and even absurdities in the Act. There is lack of clarity, ambiguity, and justified doubt in the promises of subsidies or payments from the government/ governments. But everyone, barring none, should join in this major effort of the powers that be, to bring to every child in primary classes and every youth in middle school that golden world of opportunity that comes only to the educated and the literate. Can there be any doubt about the need for education to empower, to equalize opportunity and to steer democracy in the right direction?

Our social orientation at Indus has always envisaged reaching out, servant leadership and 'acting locally. We will welcome the fortunate few, these 25% who will have a share of what is rightfully theirs. Problems are huge but none which cannot be overcome. It can be said we preempted this need for action in the spirit of social justice and equity. Our Indus International Community school has doubled its capacity and enrolment this year. We will welcome the mandated "25%" with open arms and hearts with sensitivity. Payback time is upon us! Let us embrace the challenges with hope and positivism.

Motivating Students

01-August-2012

Lack of motivation and enthusiasm is common in classrooms over the world. While the cause of obvious symptoms like the utter lack of intrinsic motivation, to distractions, to decreased empathy quotient and extreme individualism, may lie in our changed family environments and values, learning is not being affected in the way it should. The collective results could be disastrous for the future.

These challenges must be met by changing our mindset. Teachers must be the change agents. They must acquire and update knowledge on a strong base of pedagogy and deliver it in context a relevant to their students. Teacher dispositions must improve very deliberately in order to ignite young minds. By "dispositions" we imply that intrinsic motivation must be fused with engagement with the school vision. Success must be redefined in order to inspire and motivate.

How can teachers and schools motivate? Experience demonstrates that the carrot and stick approach does not work. Nor does the principle of higher rewards for better performance. External motivation fails to motivate on a sustained level. The resultant use of short cuts and unethical behaviour are to be consciously avoided.

Intrinsic motivation within the student is a reflection of a teacher's disposition, which exemplifies intrinsic motivation within herself. The fountainhead of this is Purpose, the why of who we are and why we do what we do. It is the golden key to self-actualization or happiness.

The levels of purpose which a student cultivates through the reflection of a teacher's dispositions is: life, which transcends one's work and organization. The second level pertains to the profession, which transforms the child and the third level is the school, which prepares students for the life of an engaged citizen.

The all-important 5 Cs which prepare students to be engaged citizens are Character based values, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication which is convincing and persuasive.

Teachers must constantly revisit and re-examine the purpose of their consciously chosen profession. They have the formidable but rewarding task of transforming children they teach through their own sense of purpose and motivation. Whatever it takes, the path of mindfulness, meditation, reflection or even dissonance, the teacher of today is charged with the responsibility of finding the pathway to fulfill the purpose of her life.

Autonomy of task, team and time, a prime requisite of teacher motivation, must be fused with accountability. Schools must provide and support this autonomy.

Student-driven learning (through the new practice of flip teaching) aided by technology and the spirit of enquiry is bound to strengthen student motivation.

Collaborative learning feeds the desire to learn by contributing important inputs to a task, which in turn feeds motivation. Peer tutoring works the same way for students and affects their learning disposition in a positive way.

Re-examining the meaning of success, we conclude that it is ultimately the unfolding and realization of one's full potential. Once that is understood and grasped by teacher and taught, motivation will increase and progress will come about, in the measure required to meet the goals of success in every sphere of life.

Student Motivation

01-July-2012

"The tough problem is not in identifying winners: it is in making winners out of ordinary people." K. Patricia Cross

Motivation should create a desire, a need for participation in learning. It affects the cognitive processes. Motivation enhances performance and this feeds self-esteem, and this in turn strengthens the desire to learn deeper, better, constantly and consistently. Motivation directs student behavior towards particular goals. The challenge of student motivation is a pervasive and increasingly problematic barrier to personal student success and to the effectiveness of progressive schools and colleges, which look beyond just examination results. Today, teachers and parents "offer" education, but many students are not buying what is being offered.

Ennui on the faces of most students, erratic attendance, un-submitted homework or assignments, teachers racing to complete programmes of work, this is the current scenario in schools, not only in India, but all over the world. There are too many competitors for a child's or young person's attention. But apathy and disinterest keep our students away from the rewards offered and assured through diligence, perseverance and self-belief.

In our examination driven goals of teaching and learning we give priority to extrinsic motivation. This approach bases motivation on external factors; e.g. prizes, rewards, promotions, admission to the best colleges. Apart from creating stress in both teacher and taught, constantly teaching and studying for the test fails to motivate the large majority of students or to bring about real learning.

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, requires conditions for creativity, innovation and the opportunity to solve problems. It is the surest path to excellence. Students who are intrinsically motivated perform well because they love the learning itself and enjoy every step it takes to achieve mastery. Here learning is the motivator and the reward itself. The rich environs of a school that encourages experimentation and freedom of thought and opinion feed motivation. For the long run, it is intrinsic motivation which gets students to set individual goals, which will sustain their interest and help them to understand and make sense of the world around them.

Self-directed learning is the key to being intrinsically motivated and performing well. This task can no longer be just the teacher's responsibility. Relevant content, stimulation of curiosity, prompt and positive feedback will enhance effort and energy. Being constantly involved in the learning process will bring about and enhance intrinsic motivation and a disposition for success. Therefore, each student becomes her own teacher!

Goal setting and leadership are two sides of the same coin. For this reason, we believe that at Indus, students must use their inherent spirit of inquiry, their curiosity for finding answers to motivate them into becoming leaders. Greater active participation in the learning process through inquiry, discussion, debate and collaborative learning will point the way to successful learning.

Activities such as athletic teams and musical and dramatic arts, which are mechanisms for feeling successful and making progress, are

"extracurricular" activities rather than "curricular" ones. Parent involvement and interest must be regular and contributive, never demanding and unrealistic. Both parent and teacher must emphasize mastery and learning rather than grades. There is no magic formula required or available, genuine faith in each student or child and her potential is the greatest spur to involvement, effort and achievement.

Whole Education

01-June-2012

Whole education can be understood only if there is clarity and unanimity on what the purpose of education is? For example, if the purpose is to provide good careers, then scoring high marks in examinations becomes the objective. At Indus, we believe that the purpose of education is preparation for life, to prepare students to succeed and be happy in life, and become responsible and informed citizens. The greatest challenge schools, teachers, and parents face is that, how do we prepare children for a future that is unknown, uncertain, and chaotic? One thing is clear: the 3 Rs, alone are not the answer. Although academics are important, but by these alone we cannot achieve this objective.

The central idea at Indus is leadership. To be able to lead oneself effectively, a leader has to be self-aware. To be aware is not a game of SWOT analysis. To be aware is to be aware of the many selves each one of us possesses. Only an "aware" person can realize her full potential - to become what one is capable of becoming. "What a man can be, he must be."

Traditionally, whole-education is considered to be a mix of academics and extra-curricular activities. This is indeed a narrow understanding of this educational concept. In its wider meaning it encompasses four key aspects.

One, Whole-education, does not come at the cost of academic excellence. We realize that an individual's cognitive capabilities play a key role in leadership, critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, logic, and reasoning.

Two, IQ by itself does not make a person successful. It is now a well established reality that IQ, per se, is responsible for just about 11 percent for our success in our lives. 89 percent comes from social, emotional, spiritual, and aesthetic quotients.

Three, science affirms that IQ is not the only form of intelligence. Human beings possess multiple intelligences - logical and mathematical, linguistic, musical, kinesthetic, spatial, inter personal, intra-personal, and natural. To be whole, curricula in schools need to develop these intelligences in a child to the maximum extent possible.

Four, whole-education is incomplete till a student possesses survival skills and competencies for the 21st century. These are character (this includes values), critical thinking; (asking questions, how to think, and problem solving), creativity; written and oral communication, and collaboration.

It is only through whole-education that a child can identify her passion. The biggest mistake most of us make is to go through life doing what we are not passionate about. We may have money; titles and fame; but life means much more than that.

Life is always a balance between the head and the heart. The head is reason; the heart is whole-education, a whole mind. The head is like mathematics; it tells you how to go. The heart tells you where to go.

I wish to congratulate Mrs. Sarojini Rao for her leadership and vision in designing whole-education in Indus. The journey has not been smooth because the biggest challenge has been to get the right balance between academics and non-academics. Indus is an all-inclusive school. We continue to keep balance; even as we extend our horizons, stretch our goals and add quality to our achievements.

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