Leadership Lessons from Subramania Bharati: Reform, Perform and Transform—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

 

"Let the sky fall, when it crumbles, we will stand tall and face it all together." —Subramanya Bharathiyar

அச்சமில்லை அச்சமில்லை அச்சமென்பதில்லையே

துச்சமாக எண்ணி நம்மைத் தூறு செய்த போதினும்

Several leaders changed the face of India with their courage, creativity, and contribution. The list is endless. In this post, I will discuss Subramanya Bharathiyar, his creative leadership, and the lessons we must learn from his leadership.

Subramanya Bharathiyar (Dec. 11, 1882—Sept. 11, 1921)

“Live in the present and shape the future, do not cast lingering looks to the distant past for the past has passed away, never again to return." —Subramanya Bharathi

Subramanya Bharati was a great poet, patriot, nationalist, freedom fighter, and social reformer. He was also known as "Mahakavi Bharati." He is considered the father of the modern Tamil style. He was born in Thoothukudi and lived in Triplicane, Chennai. He lived in Varanasi, where he had a Sikh friend. He loved Sikhs and wore a turban and a beard like a Sikh. He was associated with Mahatma Gandhi during India's freedom struggle. He moved to Puducherry during the freedom struggle and lived there for 10 years. Puducherry is a land of creativity and cultural prosperity where he translated the Bhagavad Gita into Tamil. He died poor in pocket but rich in heart.

Leadership Lessons—Reform, Perform, and Transform

"World will prosper in knowledge and intellect if both men and women are deemed equal." —Subramanya Bharathi

There are several lessons you must learn from Bharathiyar’s creative leadership. Here are some of them.

• Walk your talk.

• Be fearless. Do what is just and right.

• Don’t compromise with your principles and philosophies.

• Advocate for women's empowerment.

• Be rich in ideas despite being poor economically.

• When the going gets tough, tough gets going.

• Emphasize knowledge, not wealth.

Conclusion

“He who writes poetry is not a poet. He whose poetry has become his life, and who has made his life his poetry—it is he who is a poet.” —Subramanya Bharathi

Bharathiyar contributed immensely to poetry and India's freedom struggle. As a mark of respect for his contribution, Bharathiar University was named after him in Coimbatore in 1982; the road was named after him in New Delhi; award was instituted after him by the Ministry of Human Resources; and statues erected in various places including Indian Parliament, Marina Beach, Chennai, and Puducherry.

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.

Subramanya Bharati remains an inspiration for all Indians, especially for Tamilians. He will be remembered forever in Indian history for his courageous and creative leadership. Jai Hind.

“He who forgets not God and fails not in his duty, no matter whatever befalls him and however much he suffers, will at the end attain honor and happiness." —Subramanya Bharathi

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“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand has been numb and paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for empathizing with me. With gratitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJrSRLHPUk&ab_channel=ProfessorM.S.Rao

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Substack: https://professormsrao.substack.com

X: http://twitter.com/professormsrao

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorMSRao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below. I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

Copyright©2025 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

This nonprofit blog will share Professor M.S. Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog; redistribute them by email or post them on the web. The use of this material is free provided the copyright is acknowledged and a reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. Without permission, this material may not be sold, published, or used to provide business services to a third party.

Knowledge Grows When Shared—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

 

Mahatma Gandhi led India to independence through nonviolence and Satyagraha. Very few people know that he took these principles from Thomas Carlyle's book 'Unto the Last'. Mahatma was so influenced by the thoughts and writings of Thomas Carlyle that he experimented with the principles for the benefit of India's independence.

Did the author ever imagine that his ideas would help a country to attain independence and set a trend for others to follow? Never, but happened. Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela also experimented with the same principles for equality and the abolition of apartheid, and they succeeded. Mahatma truly admitted that these principles were not his own but were read and implemented. It is for these reasons that he is remembered as Mahatma Gandhi across the world.

All individuals have great ideas. Few individuals only share. And very few individuals accept and experiment. Usually, the credit goes to these few individuals as they accepted, tried, and tested with courage and conviction. What a great satisfaction the creator of the ideas gets when his or her ideas are accepted magnanimously and tried successfully.

Great individuals never bother with who gets credit for achievements. It is just because they are great. Many people have read Thomas Carlyle's book. But, how many people take his great ideas?

In our real life, we find few people having vast knowledge but not sharing. It does not help in any way. What happens when water stays in one place without any movement? It stinks. As there has to be a flow of water movement, there has to be a flow of ideas.

At any point in time, people will have similar ideas and insights. When opened up, the same can be shared, resulting in the generation of more ideas. This is the essence of the day.

The world is becoming complex every day with the rapidly growing technology. More and more problems are arising as a result of complexity and uncertainty. Having multiple ideas will help to tackle the problems.

This article is dedicated to those unsung heroes and heroines who share their knowledge with others with magnanimity without expecting any rewards or credit. If my blog “Where Knowledge is Wealth” becomes the torchbearer of knowledge, it will give me a sense of great satisfaction and joy.

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand has been numb and paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for empathizing with me. With gratitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJrSRLHPUk&ab_channel=ProfessorM.S.Rao

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Substack: https://professormsrao.substack.com

X: http://twitter.com/professormsrao

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorMSRao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below. I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

Copyright©2025 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

This nonprofit blog will share Professor M.S. Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog; redistribute them by email or post them on the web. The use of this material is free provided the copyright is acknowledged and a reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. Without permission, this material may not be sold, published, or used to provide business services to a third party.

How to Build Your Fame and Fortune?—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

 

 “A writer doesn't dream of riches and fame, though those things are nice. A true writer longs to leave behind a piece of themselves, something that withstands the test of time and is passed down for generations.” ―CK Webb

Most people aspire to earn a fortune and fame in the world. They want to lead a wealthy, healthy, and happy life. But not all are blessed with them. Some people prefer fame to fortune, while some prefer fortune to fame based on their passions and needs. In this post, I will discuss and differentiate between fame and fortune.

Leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr, and Nelson Mandela, had a voice. They had fame, not fortune. In contrast, leaders, including Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffett, have both fortune and fame. It is a rare combination. It is obvious from these examples that some are blessed with fame, some are blessed with fortune, and some are blessed with both fortune and fame. It all depends on the leaders and their passions, principles, and practices.

Some people pay money to receive awards and get likes on social media platforms. Such people have visibility but lack credibility. Instead, they must emphasize adding value to others to enable them to be appreciated for their authentic intentions and actions by the world.

Vision, a lot of hard work, and a little luck are essential to earning fame and fortune in the world. Everything starts with a healthy daily routine with discipline and execution. You must plan their daily routine and follow it religiously. You must set your vision based on your expertise, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities to enable you to enjoy your life and add value to others. There is the least competition when you want to add value to others. People are intelligent enough to assess the right people with the heart to serve others. They respect the contributors for their services and knowledge. Leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, and Nelson Mandela, added value to their societies and served others without expecting anything in return. As a result, they had a voice and earned their fame. Therefore, add value to others and serve humanity. Nothing is greater than serving humanity without expecting anything in return.

"I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke up and I saw that life is all service. I served and saw that service is a joy." —Khalil Gibran

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand has been numb and paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for empathizing with me. With gratitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJrSRLHPUk&ab_channel=ProfessorM.S.Rao

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Substack: https://professormsrao.substack.com

X: http://twitter.com/professormsrao

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorMSRao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below. I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

Copyright©2025 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

This nonprofit blog will share Professor M.S. Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog; redistribute them by email or post them on the web. The use of this material is free provided the copyright is acknowledged and a reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. Without permission, this material may not be sold, published, or used to provide business services to a third party.

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Cross the Thin Line—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

 

 “It's a thin line between insanity and genius" - Oscar Levant.

In my recent leadership training program, one of the participants asked me about the styles of leadership and which leadership style would be the best. I replied that there is no specific leadership style that works permanently, as leaders have to mould themselves as per the people, tasks, and the prevailing situation. Above all, they must stick to their convictions and adopt the style that is demanded as per the situation. I said that there were a number of leadership styles, including autocratic, democratic, delegative, transformational, transactional, and situational. He further probed what type of leadership style both Alexander the Great and Adolf Hitler adopted. I replied to him that both were autocratic leaders. He further probed why Hitler earned a bad name while Alexander earned a good name. Then I clarified his question as follows:

Although both Alexander and Adolf Hitler were autocratic leaders, Alexander didn't go against any community. He wanted to conquer the world, and with tons of difficulties and challenges, he conquered it, and he was considered to be the Great. In contrast, Hitler went against Jews and put them in concentration camps and bringing them misery. It is often the thin line that separates good and bad leadership. So is the case of Alexander and Hitler, as the former crossed the thin line while the latter failed to cross it and failed miserably.

There is always a thin line that separates success and failure. Although Steve Jobs was an autocratic leader, he succeeded as a leader and proved as a better business leader than Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, as the former crossed the line. It is the thin line that separates a good person and bad person. In the Hindu epic, Ramayan, although Ravan was a demon king, he was a great ruler. In the epic, Mahabharat, although Duryodhan was a villain to the Pandavas, he was a great ruler and a great friend to Karna. They failed as leaders by failing to cross the thin line.

It is the thin line that separates professionalism and unprofessionalism. It is the thin line that separates ethics and fraud. When you look at Ramalinga Raju of former Satyam Computers, he failed and came below the line. When you look at Rajat Gupta, former director of Goldman Sachs, he failed and came below the line. He was sentenced to 2 2-year jail terms and a fine of $5 million for leaking confidential board-room information. Hence, leaders must be careful of this judgment and learn lessons to avoid such things because people have lots of expectations of leaders at the top level. Leaders must remember that if they lose money, they lose nothing, but if they lose their character and trust, they lose everything that they have made during their lifetimes. Publilius Syrus rightly quoted, "What is left when honor is lost?"

B.C. Forbes remarked, "We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own." As a leader, if you do ten things, and of which, nine are good things while one is bad, people remember one bad thing rather than the nine good things you have done. Although people are not perfect, they expect their leaders to be perfect and role models. Hence, as a leader, you have a huge responsibility to set an example to others to have an everlasting impact on your followers. Don't get tempted by short-term results. In contrast, look for long-term impact, although it takes a very long time. Learn to understand what the thin line is, and strive to cross the thin line to achieve all-round success and to leave a mark behind for others to follow.

Remember that no person is entirely good and no person is entirely bad. Every bad person has a great virtue, and every good person has a bad quality. Life is a game! The people who know the rules of the game and follow the rules meticulously become successful, and those who fail become unsuccessful. Identify the thin line, cross it, and grow accordingly. Remember the sage words of Benjamin Disraeli, "Life is too short to be little." It is your life! There is only one life. Hence, do what you feel good about, and for the prosperity of the people around you to excel as a great leader. All the best!

"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So, what the hell, leap." -- Cynthia Heimel

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand has been numb and paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for empathizing with me. With gratitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJrSRLHPUk&ab_channel=ProfessorM.S.Rao

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Substack: https://professormsrao.substack.com

X: http://twitter.com/professormsrao

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorMSRao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below. I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

Copyright©2025 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

This nonprofit blog will share Professor M.S. Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog; redistribute them by email or post them on the web. The use of this material is free provided the copyright is acknowledged and a reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. Without permission, this material may not be sold, published, or used to provide business services to a third party.