"Subtle Atal" - The learnings from one of the greatest, humblest and probably the tallest statesman of all times

I was in Bhopal when suddenly the news popped up about the demise of former honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji. When I reached the airport suddenly my gaze went upon the tricolor which was soaring high, fluttering with the wind, meticulously placed in front of the airport facade. A chill ran through my spine as the sight of tricolor amalgamated itself with Atal ji's ever inspiring thoughts, making the entire moment surreal.

As my thoughts recoiled myself into that nostalgia, I was amazed with the versatility of leadership traits and virtues this leader had commanded. The history will always reckon and beckon the contribution made by this great leader who always stood true to the meaning of his name "Atal" – staying “firm” on his actions and decisions.

I don't want to get into the semantics of who Mr. Vajpayee was or what was his journey to become the Prime Minister of world's largest democracy. For a tall leader of his stature, one can find millions of pages of dossiers written on him. What I do want to focus on, is my learnings from this eloquent orator of all times.

Perseverance, Peace, Power, Pluralism, Possible, Patience, Persuasion, - these are the 7Ps that define Atal ji for me. I would now take the latitude of briefly touching upon each of these virtues and the leadership lessons I learnt from each of them that were immaculately exhibited by him.

Perseverance: Atal ji was a visionary, unfazed by the nuances of destiny. He was adamant on giving a strong alternative government to independent India which was not only formidable but creates an era of strong governance. In dramatic sequence of events, he became Prime Minster for 13 days in the year 1996 which was unprecedented. He didn't give up and again formed government in the year 1998 which lasted for 13 months. The tumultuous times when people started losing faith in an alternative solution, we saw "rise of the Phoenix" as Mr. Vajpayee became Prime Minister for the third time in the year 1999 for a full 5 year term. This was inspirational in many ways as it taught all aspiring leaders to persist till the goal is achieved.

Peace: Vajpayee ji was passionate about resolving differences with our neighbouring countries. Throughout his tenure, one can see him working relentlessly to make neighbouring countries of India resolve their differences of the past and create a joint development roadmap for tomorrow. Although lot of his efforts went in vain but he remained unnerved till the last day of his office. What it taught me is the fact that lot of times it's not the result but the noble intent behind some initiatives matter.

Power: When India was back stabbed by its neighbor Pakistan, despite the Lahore declaration, which was an honest attempt and dream of Atal ji to bring in peace and tranquility, he showed his tough side during the Kargil war. Everyone in India knows and is indebted to the armed forces for fighting and winning the Kargil battle but it was also for the Atal government behind the scenes which ensured that forces were well supported. The learning here was that power and authority is a people’s trust that a leader carries and he/she should meticulously exercise that for a wider cause.

Pluralism: Atal ji had vehemently opposed the concept of political untouchability. On contrary, as a great politician, he propagated the concept of a pluralistic approach to people mandate. It's rarity to see in any walk of life to be revered by your opponents and this special trait Mr. Vajpayee carried created various unorthodox partnerships in India’s political ecosystem. His art of turning foes to friends speaks volumes about his negotiation skills.

Possible: Atal ji strongly believed that if we need to change the world dynamics and challenge the dominance of the West, then India need to take the charge and lead from the front. The clandestine approach with which the Pokhran nuclear tests were carried out under the leadership of Mr. Vajpayee and the mind of missile man, ex-President of India - Shri APJ Abdul Kalam (another revered man of great eminence), created a buzz in the world and made what was termed "impossible" as "I-m-possible". The biggest learning here was, in a life of a leader, many times there is no prior reference to an event but a leader has to show indomitable courage, take tough decisions and then own them no matter what the consequences are.

Patience: This is one another very important leadership trait I had learnt from Atal ji. It will be uncanny to miss the fact that not only Mr. Vajpayee's government fell two times before achieving a full term but also the fact that in all these instances he ran a government of coalition. Imagine the kind of restraint and persuasion he would have used to manage this complex scenario and relationships. The key lesson here is that a strong leader understands that the journey he/she has embarked on to will be full of boulders and thorns but it's the capability of the leader to maneuver through these myriad challenges and steer the team makes him/her a dependable and respectable choice.

Persuasion: The last but not the least, Mr. Vajpayee was a true epitome of a persuasive leader. With his unmatched oratory skills, storytelling capabilities and strong character, he was able to forge relationships through persuasion. It is noteworthy that the coalition government Mr. Vajpayee ran was filled with ideologically different parties but his art of enticing people and uniting people for common cause was phenomenal. The biggest lesson here is that it's not the power that a leader always command but the differentiation he/she brings to the society is by creating strong relationships.

One additional P with which I want to conclude my thoughts and which ran as a DNA in Atal ji was Patriotism. My only regret would be, I couldn't see him forming a government with absolute majority in the year 2004, but his contribution to the independent India will always be unfathomable and will inspire the generations to come.

My earnest tribute to Poet, Philosopher & People's man… Atal Bihari Vajpayee!!!

Disclaimer: These are my personal views about a great leader and the leadership traits exhibited by him basis my observations. The views must not be seen in conjunction with the support to any affiliation.