Soon we shall be celebrating our nation’s Independence Day once again. A day to remember and commemorate the sacrifices made by our martyrs and the struggle thereon to liberate ourselves from a foreign rule.
While we remember our great leaders and pay homage to their astute contribution in giving us the freedom that we celebrate, let us also remember the countless others who supported the cause. Whose wholesome participation and selfless intent created the mass uprising the world shall ever witness. Faceless, unheard and unsung. Were they, not leaders? Were they not equally important in the outcome of the independent movement? Who were these people?
The answer to these questions is as simple as it is profound in its existence. They were simple, homely, peace-loving citizens. Mere farmers, bookkeepers, peons, traders and factory workers. Citizens with common dreams, aspirations and a passion to live a life free of subjugation and penury. Choosing to live a life of free will and individual choice. They detested their past and regretted their present, but that did not relent nor deter them from altering the future. They invested in a future that became our present. Creating a nation from their bold actions that boast itself as the largest surviving democracy today!
Leaders are not necessarily famous and popular. Leaders need not have followers who do what the leader says. Leaders are also not those who get to envision, influence and move masses. Leadership is an existential trait all humans possess. It is the essence of social life. Every human being is a leader, chartering his own story on the evolutionary journey of mankind. Just like our forefathers whose display of unflinching loyalty and commitment to the cause for ‘Poorna Swaraj ‘ brought forth a new nation on August 15, 1947, we too should realise that there lies a latent leader in all of us. A leader who shall rise to resist anarchy and social mayhem. A leader who stands for the preservation of his nation’s culture and heritage. A leader who protects himself and his people from the effects of a dysfunctional and threatened society.
Let us also believe just like those who lived before us, that we shall live a life of free will and abundance of choice. Where the mind is free to think and express. Where life is lived in opportunities and discovery. Let us believe in the leader in us, not bound by fear or doubt. Free from manipulated opinions and selfish agendas. Independent from biases and influence. We are all leaders. Leaders of a nation that was created from the cradle of Servant Leadership, where we live and let live.
Our country is truly independent when each Indian is independent in thought, aspiration and commitment. Free from the perils of a delinquent society. Free from the trappings of the fragmented cause. That will happen when every Indian realises that he is a leader within, someone who can make the difference that he wishes to see around him. The true torchbearer of a legacy earned by spilling blood, sweat and tears. Let us not wait to follow, let us not wait for leaders to show us the way. Instead, this Independence Day, let us bring forth the leader in each of us, to lead ourselves and our great nation into a more vibrant and enlightened tomorrow.
Unfortunately, there is no certification program in the world which can create or change a person into a leader overnight. As a Colonel from the Indian Army, I shall share with you a secret which will make the leader in you emerge.
Just take an Action which would help you and others around you.
Emerging the leader in us and creating leaders around us is the true essence of nation-building. There can be no other cause more patriotic than this. I have been part of Leadership-Tribe helping co-create leaders. What is stopping you from taking the first step in discovering the leader in you?
