How does one become a leader?
Long Walk to Freedom is such a fascinating autobiography! We read just an excerpt and it made us think about and discuss numerous pertinent issues. There is so much to learn about human nature and to discover about our own selves, through the lives and experiences of others - specially of such great souls like Nelson Mandela.
During the class, Likhit Sethi raised a question which made us all reflect upon the nature of leadership and what makes a great leader different from a mere leader. Please add your answers, insights, or further questions to the discussion in the comments section.
Here are glimpses of the discussion held on this tough question:
How does one become a leader?
Likhit Sethi: Why was Nelson Mandela seen as a leader even
though there were many others who were fighting?
Aaditya Shukla: Likhit, even in India Mahatma Gandhi is considered a Leader when there were many who fought alongside him.
Likhit Sethi: Why Nelson, Why Gandhi???
Likhit Sethi: Why did people come to him to join the African National Congress when he was just a common man?
Priyansh Jain: How did Nelson Mandela become
so famous and inspiring?
Atharv Rangole: What made him choose his country over his family? He obviously knew beforehand about black discrimination, even before he took their cases to the court, so why did this not infuriate him earlier?
Priyansh Jain: Why was he seen as a leader, many others were also fighting?
Advaita Shukla: Personality affects who the people accept as leader.
Neel Jadia: They suffered the most.
Likhit Sethi: Neel, how can you be so sure...there may be
others you don't know about but had suffered more than Gandhiji.
Aaditya Shukla: Everyone has abilities and these were people who recognised their own abilities and helped others to recognise their abilities. That is why they are leaders.
Advaita
Shukla: Atharv, I think that the answer for your second question would
be that he got upclose and personal with the injustice that was taking
place with the people for whom he faught the cases which infuriated him.
Neel Jadia: he must have read about the freedom struggle in INDIA and got inspired.
Pranatpal
Sharma: Nelson Mandela must have had a personal experience of
discrimination on the basis of the race and color. That might
have infuriated him.
Siddhika Pahwa: Can he be called stubborn because he had decided to fight for the freedom and equal rights of blacks and he fought for it?
Bhoomi Gupta: We need to be stubborn and dedicated when we want to achieve something just like Maria Sharapova
Aaditya Shukla: Not stubborn but adamant
What do you think?
very beautifully written an amazing topic taken up.....and the conversation looks amazing
ReplyDelete-stuti.
That is a deep and strong discussion!!!
ReplyDeleteThis was a healthy discussion!
ReplyDelete-Bhoomi
Why Gandhi? Why Nelson?
ReplyDeleteHmm, we had a similar discussion in class once. Though it's true that it's one's personality that makes someone seem important (a leader), I think it's also our tendency to believe that one person is the most important. In many cases, you naturally find someone seen as the leader- no matter if others might also share the same passion. It's not bad- but we want someone to look up to, and so we know these names!
What makes Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi different from other leaders? What makes them different from Hitler or Napoleon?
ReplyDeleteMahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela are different from other freedom fighters or leaders because firstly, they mass mobilized public opinion, led mass movements and were able to spread their ideas or thoughts to a larger group. Secondly, they had a unique thought process and a distinct approach towards their goals. Thirdly, they just not restricted their efforts for the welfare or liberation of a particular community or region but worked for their country as a whole which the regional leaders unfortunately couldn’t achieve. But we must always acknowledge the struggles of our unsung heroes.
Leaders like Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi are very different from Hitler or Napoleon as they not just wanted to emancipate their nations from the colonial rule but also liberate their countries all kinds of evils like poverty, discrimination, oppression, gender inequality and sufferings. They never believed war and hatred as a solution but peace, humanity, love and fraternity as the ultimate goal. They very well knew that greatness not lies in great power but in great deeds. They always believed in shared prosperity and never ever accepted the development at the cost of an innocent life. Fear never earns true respect. Even if we hate a single individual though it may be the oppressor then we are only a dictator not a leader. Their names evoke deep respect, love and devotion whereas Hilter’s name universally evoke fear and repulsion.
In my opinion a leader seems to be an inspiration not just a person. He is the one who huides his people to the right path and helping them recognise themselves, to discover the truth of life and break the bonds of all traumatic feelings one has to face in life. A leader is the one who makes sacrifices for his people, no matter how big the sacrifices are. The leader surrenders his life for the welfare of the people under his wing, he or she helps people rise above their limitations and acheive what we call true peace.
ReplyDeleteVery well written and the efforts to conserve all those conversations of class are really appreciable. Also I would like to give one qoute-
ReplyDelete'When someone lives with his own miseries he gets weak, but if he lives with problems of community he becomes powerful' taken from quotes of Krishna of 2013 Mahabharat. -Neel