Bala Sir on Academic Leadership – Learning Step 1

A Leader Needs to have a Positive Attitude???????????????????????

Richard Wiseman, Professor of Public Understanding of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, UK has authored a book “The Luck Factor” which has been published in 14 languages and in 25 countries. In this book, he quotes his research on people’s attitude towards luck.

He positioned this interesting question to 400 individuals from diverse backgrounds:

“You walk into a bank to cash a cheque and as you are standing in the queue, someone decides to rob the bank. In the confusion, a gun is fired and you are shot in the leg and wounded. But you survive. What would be your response?”

The answers included the following:

• Why is it always on me?
• I am always at the wrong place at the wrong time.
• Life is so unfair to me
• Well, it could have been worse. I am happy to be what I am
• I am lucky to be alive.
• Wow! That’s lucky – I could write a book about it!

The question has been the same for everyone, but the responses were different. Clearly, it can be gathered that a number of the participants looked at the positives in the situation, while the others focused on the negative elements of the situation. A good leader, as one can imagine, always looks at and presents a positive perspective on anything.

What lessons can this help us glean about leaders and leadership?

An effective leader is able to see the island in the midst of the sea; an oasis in the desert; a hope in despair; a triumph between defeats. It is important that we should let positive forces dominate over the negative forces. Any number of years behind the bars didn’t let Nelson Mandela lose his hope on freedom! Any amount of suppression couldn’t let Gandhi leave his struggle for independence! Any amount of poverty didn’t let Marie Curie leave her pursuit for the glowing metal!

A leader has to necessarily be a positive force for his team members.

Let us ask ourselves everyday a question – “Do I see the light?”

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G. Balasubramaniam

Chair – Advisory Council, Former Director Academics – CBSE

‘Bala’ Sir, is the Chair of the Advisory Council at CLLE. A thought leader in education, he was the former Director (Academics) of CBSE, Delhi. He is a passionate teacher, teacher-trainer, curriculum designer and mentor for various educational institutions and leaders across the world. He has to his credit a few hundred plus articles on various subjects published across several magazines. He has authored a number of books for teachers, educational administrators and school leaders. He has served on several committees on education both at the national and international levels. Currently, he is the Chairperson of the Board of Advisors of International Council for School Leadership, Delhi; Consultant to Grey Caps and The Teacher Tribe. He brings his extensive experience and wisdom to propel various learning partnerships and initiatives at CLLE.