Are You a Leader?

A Facebook post by a dear friend Col Rohit Mishra, asking for any and all leads to provide for Oxygen cylinders for ex-servicemen hit me hard. If the men in uniform were finding it difficult to procure resources than what about the common man?

A lot had been shared and displayed in the media and the desperate pleas for help for medicines, to oxygen cylinders and for hospital beds had taken over the social media. I had played my bit, when a conversation with a fellow runner and resident of the condominium ruminating over the situation and the apparent lack of initiative and effort by the Condominium Governing body(GB) and the local administration right up the totem pole made it clear; we had to manage this ourselves.

We chalked out the broad guidelines of the plan of creating a fund, to help procure oxygen equipment and to create a nursing station/ triage for moderately ill patients.

What started as an idea soon manifested into creating a pool of close to a Million Rs, contributions by close to 200 households, volunteers running into a few scores and eventual ‘acceptance” and “comprehension” by the GB . To the extent that when we ended up sharing our plan with the local authorities and granting of permissions, not only were we given a nod, but a circular based on our letter was floated in the district for other condominiums to implement the same.

We ended up saving a few lives and helped reduce the stress of managing the difficult times by the 40 odd households which had been struggling with the dreaded disease. Currently there are only 2 households under quarantine.

Leadership comes in all sizes and forms, from corporate leadership the likes of TATAs to the Auto-rickshaw guy in Mumbai who sold his wife’s Jewellery to convert his Auto into an Ambulance.

Often, roles are bestowed, not leadership. That has to be picked up as a responsibility and eventually gravitate towards others following your lead, of commitment and delivery.

The question which each one of us needs to ask, are we gravitating towards problems and solving them or are we simply waiting for situations to be thrust upon us?

Oh, by the way I was eventually able to help contribute to saving the life of the ex-serviceman in Agra, for whom the cylinder was transported from Bahadurgarh for an SOS call which had originated in Dehradun.

It was teamwork which pulled through, but someone had to take up the mantle of the Leader.