“I had a clear vision: if I take up an assignment, I'll do full justice to it; otherwise I'll walk away.” —Kiran Bedi
There are several women leaders who changed the face of India with their charisma, courage, and contribution. The list is endless. In this post, I will discuss Kiran Bedi, her leadership style and the lessons we must learn from her leadership.
Kiran Bedi is an educator, sportsperson, police officer, social activist, spiritualist, author, reformer, politician, philosopher, and above all, a servant leader. She is a multi-faceted personality with immense experience and expertise with the breadth of knowledge in various spheres and depth of knowledge in police force.
Leadership Lessons—Be Your Own Boss
“My motto in life is that nothing is impossible, no target unachievable - one just has to try harder and harder.” —Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi was the first Indian woman to join the Indian Police Service. She is a visionary leader and a strategist. She emphasizes the importance of goal setting to provide you a mental blueprint and save your time thus taking you towards success. She is a great communicator who shares with anecdotes, inspiring examples, and illustrations. She believes that passion must come within you. She implores to have a hunger for happiness. Here are some lessons to learn from her leadership.
- Have an internal locus of control. Believe in yourself. Set your own goals. Work with excellence. Compete with yourself. Raise your bar constantly.
- Be passionate about your profession. Contribute your best without expecting any returns. Work for satisfaction, not for recognition.
- You are the product of your choices. 90 percent of your life depends on you while the 10 percent of your life depends on external forces and factors which are beyond your control.
- Walk your talk. Lead by example.
- Be an effective time manager.
- Be courageous and stand by your principles and philosophies.
- Connect with common people. Participate actively in developmental activities.
- Build a strong team. When your team trusts you they support you wholeheartedly and you can deliver your goods effectively.
- Don’t blame the circumstances. Work with what you have. Remember, it is the bad tradesmen who blame their tools.
- Invest your efforts consistently without an obsession for outcomes.
- Emphasize excellence. Invest your heart and soul in whatever you do. Hate being an ordinary individual. Instead, love being an extraordinary individual.
- Life is an incline either you go up or go down.
- Rise above pettiness and petty people. Stay away from the people who hold you back.
- Empower women. Women must be economically independent to assert themselves.
- Practice gratitude to keep you happy forever.
- Have an inner urge to serve others. Don’t compromise with your efforts. Add value to others consistently and make a difference in their lives.
I served in the Indian Air Force and my first posting was to the Air Force Station, Race Course, New Delhi in 1983 and then posted to Air Force Station, Chandigarh. I heard about Kiran Bedi through the word of mouth and media about her courageous decisions to improve the traffic system and the value she added to her profession. I was personally inspired by her charisma, courage, and leadership.
Be Part of the Solution, not the Problem
“The focus is what is right before you - to give it your best. It sows the seeds of tomorrow.” —Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi is a creative genius who knows what she wants from her and others. She says that the human mind is the traffic of thoughts. Ultimately one thought will supersede which is the ultimate thought to pursue. Sometimes, there is a traffic jam, and to clear the traffic jam, you must relax and meditate.
Kiran Bedi brought revolutionary changes in the prison by reforming the prisoners. She initiated several reforms and brought the change in spite of the scarcity of funds and resources. She says that crime is the product of a distorted mind. She encouraged meditation and spiritualism. She is a courageous leader and a servant leader.
Kiran Bedi kicked up several controversies wherever she went because she followed the rules without any fear. She came out with flying colors because she was just and right. She is upright and forthright. She was referred to as Crane Bedi as she had the guts to toy the Prime Minister’s car due to the violation of parking rules. Everybody was equal to her. She added value to her profession wherever she went and whatever she was assigned in spite of inadequate resources and funds. Succinctly, she is part of the solution, not the problem.
Work for Satisfaction, not for Recognition
“I have always nurtured a zeal inside me to live and serve the underprivileged community.” —Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi is flexible and adaptable. She is sensitive and compassionate. She follows spirituality. She is attracted by the real world, not fiction. She appreciates reading books on leadership, management, and spirituality. She is the founder of two voluntary organizations, namely, Navajyoti and India Vision Foundation.
Kiran Bedi is a self-made woman who rose from the ranks with her hard work, grit, and determination. She received a number of accolades including President's Gallantry Award in 1979; Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 1994; Pride of India in 1999; and Mother Teresa Memorial National Award for Social Justice in 2005. Learn lessons from her leadership to excel as a courageous and servant leader. You are gifted with one life and you must deliver your goods with excellence without craving for any attention and seeking approval from others to provide meaning to your life.
Kiran Bedi remains an inspiration for all Indians especially for women. She will be remembered forever in the Indian history for her courageous and servant leadership. Jai Hind.
“I believe in prayer. I believe in gratitude and serving people.” —Kiran Bedi
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Professor M.S. Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India
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