Leader and not consultant

नेतृत्व की सफलता के लिये आवश्यक है कि दूसरे को कुछ करने के लिये कहने से पहले स्वयं उस कार्य को कर के दिखाया जाये, ताकि जहाँ एक ओर इससे सहयोगियों का मनोबल बड़े वही दूसरी ओर आप के प्रति उनका विश्वास और ज्यादा सुदृढ़ हो।

इस परिप्रेक्ष्य  में उच्च हिमालयी चरागाह या बुग्याल की हरी घास के मध्य बाड़े में कैद हमारे बूढ़े पहाड़ी बैल की यह कहानी अत्यन्त प्रासंगिक है जिसे बाड़े से बाहर निकलने की विधि से सम्बन्धित  परामर्श तो सहज ही मिल जाता है पर असल में बाहर कैसे निकलना है खुद कर के कोई नहीं दिखाता। अतः हमारे बूढ़े पहाड़ी बैल की कोशिश सफल नहीं हो पाती है और परामर्श के अनुरूप की गयी कोशिशों में बूढ़ा बैल घायल हो जाता है।

This is a story of an old bull highlighting the importance of leadership.

Old and ailing was the bull that was confined to a certain space by a wooden fence amid lush green high altitude Himalayan pastures called bugyal in local parlance. Most grass within the fence was already consumed, and the greenery all around the fence made the bull all the more desperate.

The pitiable condition of the bull was noticed by a passing by Consultant who advised him to cross over the fence.

As the old bull expressed inability to cross over, the Consultant gave a detailed presentation with equations of dynamics as to how he could run from a distance, gain enough momentum, take a leap, and cross over the fence to enjoy the lush green grass on the other side.

Acting on her advice the bull tried hard, but only to hit the fence, and getting hurt.

After a few weeks the Consultant returned; grass within the fence was all  trampled by the efforts of the bull, and he was still inside. The Consultant asked if he did not act upon her advice. The bull simply showed her the wounds that failed attempts had imprinted on his body.

The Consultant seriously reviewed the ground realities; precisely marked the point from where the bull took off, measured the distance of the fence from that point as also the the distance of the point from where bull started to run, together with height of the fence.

All this data was then fed into various equations to calculate the speed of the bull at the time of take off, together with other relevant details. This was not at all easy and instant; she however could conclusively demonstrate that his speed was not enough to keep him afloat to cross the fence. Moreover, it was also demonstrated that the leap was taken a bit early.

So, in order to rule out ambiguity of any kind the Consultant clearly marked two points on the ground; one from which the bull should start to run, and second from which he has to leap.

Seeing the grass around the bull was but desperate, and so reposing confidence on the Consultant he moved into action. Though he could not decipher as to where he was going wrong, he continued to put in his best. The magnitude of the impact and injury however increased as he tried harder.

If not anything, in this process the bull learnt the harsh reality of Newton’s third law of motion; every action has equal and opposite reaction. So harder the effort more was the injury.

Fence was really high and strong to be negotiated with the capabilities of the old bull. So to be content the bull diverted attention from the grass around and tried focusing on other activities so as to keep his mind undistracted.

The bull thus started to feel content, satisfied and happy.

This was however only till the time of third visit of the Consultant.

“You are still in there despite I providing you a state of art solution?” asked the Consultant expressing surprise.

“You would not have, for sure tried the way I told you?”, she added.

“I have done this many a times before, and am sure of the results.”

“I have done exactly what you told”, the bull replied hiding the scars on his body.

“Look, this is exactly from where you asked me to run and leap from this.”

“What more should have been done?”, he added expressing his frustration.

“Something has certainly been missed”, the Consultant said pondering over the equations on her laptop and asked, “What exactly is your weight?”

“Not checked for long.”

“It was around 116 stones.”

“But then I would have been reduced to half by now”, the bull replied.

The Consultant was busy with her equations to suggest yet another way of getting past the fence.

Not in a good condition to sustain any more impacts, the bull pleaded, “I believe you know all the tricks. Why don’t you jump in and actually demonstrate; from where run, how much speed to maintain and exactly from where to leap?”

“But then, I am a Consultant!”

“I am not supposed to give demonstrations.”

“May be, you have to engage an Instructor for coaching you”, replied the Consultant.

So it was a Consultant and not the Leader.

The real leader would have jumped in at the very first instance and borne the impact of failed attempts.

He would also have encouraged and cheered the bull and lastly he would have been the last to jump out – only after the old bull comes out safe.

Under fast changing ground rules Consultants are certainly getting treated like heroes but then, the Leaders do stand apart and actually command a following of motivated believers.

So, always lead from the front by setting personal एक्साम्प्लेस, and motivating the followers.