True leader must be able to put aside what he wants

In search of a true leader PRAMOD PATHAK, The Pioneer Sunday Edition Agenda SPIRITUALITY Hiddensouls SATURDAY, 04 FEBRUARY 2012 There may be lack of agreement regarding the problems the country faces today, but one challenge that leaves little room for disagreement is the leadership crisis. India needs a leader of stature and credibility, one who commands respect and is acceptable to all. As we march past yet another Republic Day, it is time we figured out what is wanting in most of our leaders claiming to fit the bill. Here are a few tips from the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

The first and foremost requirement of a true leader is that he must be able to put aside what he wants, and wishes to know what God wants. He must have the ability to distrust what his heart, his passion or his habitual opinions hold as right , and must seek to know what God has set down as right and necessary. This is what Lord Krishna told Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. He must be strong in his faith that whatever is right will inevitably happen as the outcome of his due fulfillment of the kartavyam karma. He must have faith in the wisdom of divinity.

An important precondition is not to have one’s own personal interest as a goal. The first qualities needed are boldness, courage and perseverance. A true leader must be conscious that he knows nothing compared to what he ought to know, that he can do nothing compared to what he ought to do, that he is nothing compared to what he ought to be. He must have an invariable will to acquire what is lacking in his nature, to know what he does not yet know, to be able to do what he is not yet able to do. He must constantly progress in the light and peace that come from the absence of personal desires. The true leader must always set the example; he must always practise the virtues he demands from his followers. He must be patient and endearing. To forget oneself, one’s own likings and preferences is indispensable in order to be a true leader.

To forget oneself is important as it will make him think above selfish interests and want nothing for oneself and consider only the good of the the whole. To be a leader, one must master one’s ego. He must be more eager to know truth than success. Truth is the rock on which the world is built — satyena tisthate jagat. Falsehood can never be the true source of strength. When falsehood is at the root of a movement, that movement is doomed to failure. Diplomacy can ensure progress only when it is based on truth. There is no greater courage than to be truthful and honest.

A true leader must be vigilant. To be vigilant is not merely to resist what pulls you downward, but also to be alert enough to grab any opportunity to progress, any opportunity to overcome a weakness, to resist a temptation, any opportunity to learn something, to correct something, to master something. A true leader must have complete control over oneself. He must be equal with everybody. He must be master of himself in order to be master of others. Let us honestly find out how many people claiming to be our leaders have these qualities. The writer can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com The Pioneer Sunday Edition Agenda SPIRITUALITY Educating the mind and soul [The power of one - Indian Express Sat Jul 31 2010 at 9:39 AM]