Sharing The Knowledge

Globally With Everyone.

The Leader in You

Rajat Garg 

- Feb 28th 2018

comment-icon

0

I love watching kids go about doing things they do. It is my so called ‘therapy’, my quiet moment by myself, sitting at a corner watching kids play, interact, fight, compete, cry, laugh, being silly and simply being happy.
From these observations, I noticed that leadership qualities actually start to develop at quite an early stage. Once I witnessed a group of kids dutifully forming a line behind a stern-looking girl. She dictated what they were going to play that day, and decided on ‘catch’. It was a game where one child is ‘selected’ to be the hunter & her role is to ‘catch’ anybody by touching or tapping that person. Once that is done, the new person becomes the hunter. As I sat watching the group of kids play, questions start to form in my mind. Why does the stern-looking girl have the authority to decide what game to play? Who gives her the authority? Why did the others follow? Why didn’t anyone object? What special characteristic does this girl has over and above the other children?
What defines a good leader? I think the answer to this question vary according to which angle you are looking at. In the context of an organization, if you ask the shareholders of a Company, the definition of a good leader will be along the line of ‘those who is able to lead the company to achieve the highest return on investment or profit’. Ask the employees of the company, their answers will probably be ‘those who takes care of the needs of the employees’. A good leader to the managers could be ‘those who inspires you to do better’.
Some leaders are strong in character and their leadership skills may be easily recognizable. Others are less obvious, opting to walk beside rather than in front, they prefer to urge and encourage, rather than order and dictate. So which is better? Often judgment is based on outcome rather than the method. If this is the case, then the leader who delivers the results will be labeled as a good leader, irrespective of the method he so chooses.
We are all leaders, in one way or another. Even those who may not be shouldering a management position in the organization where they work, are leaders in some ways. A manager is a leader to everyone under his department. A supervisor is a leader to those he supervises. A senior clerk is a leader to the junior clerks. Even the junior clerks are leader to a few. All mothers are leaders to their children, at some point of time. Most older siblings assume the leadership role over their younger siblings, and a quite few retain this authority well into their adulthood. Husbands are leaders to the wives and children. Your community representatives are leaders entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that the safety and other needs of the community, is taken care of.
So there is a leader in all of us, shouldering that bit of responsibility we are meant to shoulder.
Therefore, the question is, what kind of a leader are we?

About The Author

  • ‘Roslina is a  mother, a wife and a daughter. The youngest girl in the family yet an older sister to many. A friend to talk to, a shoulder to cry on. A source of strength when strength is needed. A slave of Al Mighty above all others.’

Rajat Garg

Rajat is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) with over 18 years of industry experience and over 2500 hours of coaching experience, helping people and organizations attain maximum effectiveness. His background includes working with CXOs, senior managers, managers and board of directors of small private companies to multi-billion dollar publicly traded organizations.

Recent Blogs

To Become a Coach

To become a Coach: My journey to discover the world of coaching began quite organically. As a Yoga practitioner and teacher for many years, my interactions outside of a yoga class were mentoring and supporting my students in different areas of life. And that is when I noticed, this could be my calling and the … Continue reading "To Become a Coach"

Unlocking Success: The Secret Ingredients to a Winning Coaching Relationship

Hey there, fellow coaches! Ready to dive into the magical alchemy that makes our coaching sessions sparkle with success? Spoiler alert: it’s not just about us, the wise wizards of wisdom, but also about our enchanting coachees. Let’s unveil the secret ingredients that turn a coaching relationship from meh to marvelous! Openness to Growth: The … Continue reading "Unlocking Success: The Secret Ingredients to a Winning Coaching Relationship"

When Coaching Happened in 3 Minutes

It is said that “One minute is enough to change your attitude and in turn, it is enough to change your entire day”. I have never felt comfortable with this idea of time. I have always believed that wonderful things take time to manifest. This was one of the reasons that I always struggled with … Continue reading "When Coaching Happened in 3 Minutes"

You are your own Sunshine

A couple of years ago, in one of the workshops, I was asked to draw how you want to see yourself or what do you want your life to look like. I drew a childlike painting of a girl just standing with open arms enjoying the sun and she is happy. For years I was … Continue reading "You are your own Sunshine"

Purpose-driven learning

One word that best describes me is – Learner. In the last few years, I have made a conscious effort to invest in learning outside the job. After my last course in Design Thinking which was hugely fulfilling, I was exploring what was next for me. Arriving at the decision of upskilling in Coaching took … Continue reading "Purpose-driven learning"

Coaching from a consultant’s point of view.

Being a consultant has been a very tiring journey for me. From getting up to going back to bed I have been reminded of the consultative approach or a “consultative mindset,” every step of the way. There has always been a plethora of prework before entering into a new client relationship. From suggesting solutions to … Continue reading "Coaching from a consultant’s point of view."