LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE "KID IN BLACK".

In a world of social media trolls, like-follower currency and #YouOnlyLiveOnce philosophy, kids getting involved in physical activity is something I really appreciate.

There's a park in front of my building. You can find a particular group of 6-7 kids who sing latest songs and end their every game by a loud "Bharat Mata ki Jai". Judging by the comments they make and games they play its safe to say they are 7-8 years old. My mother and I indulge in some serious conversations in balcony :-P and that's exactly when we see them. They are always singing, calling each other by names, jumping, etc. At this age every kid is witty, an attention seeker and a king/queen of his/her own world. They want to be treated with respect and love. One cannot deal with them by the use of force. They just want to play and have fun.

26 October 2017

I saw the same group playing and I never imagined the lessons of leadership I was about to witness. They taught me the real meaning of leadership in the most practical way. No fancy words just the point. The group had 3 girls and 4 boys. The most interesting kid was the "one in black t-shirt". I saw kids forming a line. They were lining up for ride on a swing. The "kid in black" told others to stand in line and wait for their turn to ride on the swings. At first I thought he was quite controlling or that others were simply listening him because they had the fear of missing out. But I made a mistake of judging him quickly.

I observed that a game was being played at the subconscious level. It was more important and interesting than the physical one. The same children had silently and unknowingly (unconsciously) selected the kid in the black t-shirt as their leader. These were 7-8 year kids and some conflict was bound to happen. There were moments when some of them did fight and shout to get the first turn. The method in which he handled all of them was mind-blowing. I've never seen a 7-year-old handling 6 other 7-year-old so patiently. Instead of fighting and disrupting the whole system he said very firmly - "Meri chance bhi toh baad mein hai, ek karke sabko chance milegi. Tujhe pehle chance lena hai toh lele. Mai last mein chance lunga". This is not what we expect from a 7 year old on a playground. After his turn, he said, let us sing and they all started singing. No one objected. Someone wanted to play hide and seek and the moment he supported it, the rest of the group simply followed him. It was like the whole group was waiting for his approval. It's not like others weren't allowed to do what they wanted to, in fact, some of them did their own thing, but ultimately they got back to the kid in black t-shirt. It was clear - he was their subconsciously chosen leader.

WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!

The kid in black who seemed bully at first was the unanimous leader of 6, 7 year old kids.

Again at ~11:30 am when i went to see them, the kid surprised me again. I heard him saying "Ruko, mai sabke liye ghar se water bottle lekar aata hun". He could have gone home and returned empty handed or asked someone else to bring the water bottle, yet he chose to do it himself. It was a serotonin boost or God knows what but he did bring the water bottle and shared with other kids. My love for psychology made a new record!

Being a leader has its own perks - the love, respect and loyalty of the people. When we inspire people they receive us in their best form and that's everything we could ever ask for. Nobody wants to wake up and be managed or bossed. Everyone wants to be motivated. Don't be a manager. Be a leader.

28-October-17

Today I saw this trash and thought kids must have done it as they were in the park. The kids were playing and I saw the street cleaners scolding the kids. They thought the children did it as one of them was holding a piece of paper. Street cleaner said "tum sabke ghar par complaint karenge. Tumlog kachchra karte ho". Kids were scared. They said they didn't do it but "ghar par complaint" scared them. I heard the same kid (wearing different t-shirt today) saying : " Uncle hum logo ne kuch nhi kiya. Hum log Swachch Bharat bana rahe hain" :-)

The street cleaners were surprised too. They understood what he meant. They had a smile on their face and they went away. The kid in black was probably scared too but he chose not to show it . He stood up. He did the unexpected. He understood what being a leader meant without knowing the literal meaning. His actions spoke louder than words.

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM 'KID IN BLACK.'

It is very important to achieve personal goals in life. It is also important to stay motivated and lead others. Every one of us is a leader but we must learn the art of leading. This is because - let us say I have excellent tunes/music in my head and I know they're awesome but I cannot tell you how they sound and feel because I lack the skill to make music. I can definitely learn and master it but it takes time. Likewise you can learn the art of leadership. 

DREAM BIG BUT START SMALL.

Start by caring about the people sitting left and right of you in your school, college and company. Ask them how they are and if they need any help. Inspire them when they're down. Help them in every way you can and with time you'll be astonished to see the changes in their behaviour and mindset. This will inspire you more and with more serotonin in your body a chain reaction will start. Leaders are ordinary people with a vision and a sense of responsibility.
Stop selling yourself that - leadership is a trait you're born with. It maybe true but I've enough experience to tell you "hard work (skill learning) beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." 

Be willing to give more than what you get, genuinely care about people, be grateful, stand in front when shit goes down and accept when you commit a mistake - exactly like the kid in black t-shirt. That's what true leadership is.
Be like the kid in black t-shirt.

God bless us all.

God bless India.