Lessons from forgotten Indian - Jai ho Subhas!

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I . . . I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Robert Frost.

If any one asks me to define life, I would knock on his head and say” Life is a Game, and every day ,each one us play the part and some times we loose and some we win”. But the facts remains very insensible, whether you loose are win both are impermanent. Some time all you have are old songs in a dark night when you are so lonely. Writing can be both Sin and bliss, it some times makes you go wild, a writer can describe the most horrible creature as the most beautiful one. Well some times we sleep with devils and very rarely with angels, but every second we cherish.

I would like to dedicate today’s article to one forgotten heroes of Indian independence and his life is such a great leadership lesson. I feel it’s the wise who things wise and otherwise, very less people can be wise. You must be wondering who this demigod I m talking about, well any leader for some odd reasons considered as demigod. Now being a leader is not as easy as everyone thinks it’s the most, toughest and the best admired Job on earth. Let me not keep you guessing, we are so busy in our life that we forget to enjoy the life and beauty which has been bestowed by the greats. The person I m talking about said once while our grandparents were slaves “Give me Blood, I will give you freedom”.

Subhas Chandra Bose was born in a Bengali Kayasth family on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack (Odiya Baazar), Orissa, to Janakinath Bose, (ADVOCATE), and Prabhavati Devi. He was the ninth child of 14. He studied in an Anglo school at Cuttack (now known as Stewart School) until standard 6. He then shifted to Ravenshaw Collegiate School of Cuttack. From there he went to the prestigious Presidency College where he studied briefly. His nationalistic temperament came to light when he was expelled for assaulting Professor Oaten for his anti-India comments . Subhas Chandra Bose assaults Oaten, 1916. He was the most brilliant student in the class, and he scored in flying colors in Civil services examination and he was inducted automatically. I still remember what my uncle once said; he was an Iron man who could have swum against the river tirelessly.

Although we are not so blessed to live along with these legends, I have made an effort to learn something out of his great life; no body knows where he is now. But for some Indians he is still alive in their very heart and soul!

When you look at legendary Subhas Chandra Bose’s Life, one thing you can learn being a leader is all about taking the risk. In corporate world they say we must be ready to take calculated risk. For some odd reasons I have never understood what does that mean? It’s the same thing like you are at the top most part of the building and if it starts burning wouldn’t you take a risk of Jumping? Well you can hardly calculate the distance and say I suppose I might loose couple of legs. Life some times pushes you so hard that we don’t have a choice to calculate the risk.

Subhas Chandra bose took the risk of being a leader in very early age; he resigned from civil service to fight for the country. He left Congress because of his ideals and difference in interest with Gandhi. He took risk of going to different countries and building an army. I suppose he lived a life as Karl Wallenda beautifully said "Life is being on the wire, everything else is just waiting." What a great leader he was, he risked everything and gave up everything for the people and the country.

Now you must be thinking why should we take risk?

Look at the great leaders, all have one thing in common in their life, they have taken the risk at least once in their life time. I suppose that’s why we consider them as our beloved leaders and some are most hates as well. Let me define the RISK ‘Taking Risk as a leader means, giving up, all pleasures, personal gains, life for the betterment of society and people”.  I m not proposing that you should not wear good clothes, eat good food or give up your life. If you can do all these things it’s simply great!! But I do understand that we cannot, but what we can do rather, before we die, as my Uncle right quoted “Do something before you die”.

All we are is because of the amount of Risk we have taken, look at the top organization and ask their leaders how did they build it? They will surely say they have taken more risk than others who failed to take.  Great leaders from generations have taken risk in their own life, like wise to build great organizations these top notches have risked their own life as well. Bill gates took a risk of building Microsoft, Steve Jobs who was fired once took a risk of taking over the same company, and our own Infy man took the risk of starting a company.

Some times its hard to take risk but one day we must do it, why wait for one day, lets do it today and now.. Cardinal Newman in 1890’s said it "A man would do nothing, if he waited until he could do it so well that no one would find fault with what he has done”.

Every one wants to be like Bill Gates, Subhas chadra Bose, Gandhi and many other but what makes us not to do so, even though we all know the only way to do certain things and to lead our real life is to take some Risk..  We are scared of loosing; it’s the fear of being no where. We are happy in our own shabby comfort zone which takes us no where. Stop thinking about what will happen next second, if you want to do it. Then do it right now, don’t worry about the future or the past. If you want to be leader then you must move out of your comfort zone and take risk of being a leader..

“Let’s make a dent on the Universe” Steve Jobs.