This was after he had already set in motion a string of measures in the immediate aftermath of Pulwama, signalling his strong resolve that the Pulwama attack was not to be responded in the business as usual mode: giving of free hand to Indian army, eliminating the Pulwama mastermind, the revocation of MFN, withdrawal of security of separatist leaders, diplomatic isolation of Pakistan internationally, and presenting a united front.
Read our piece Pulwama No More Business As Usual
As compared to the UPA government of Manmohan Singh, there is a clear difference in how Mr Modi’s government has taken security issues head on.
When Mr Modi gave a carte blanche to the army immediately after Pulwama, he stood firmly behind the armed forces, just as a strong leader does.
In contrast, in the aftermath of 2008 Mumbai attacks, even when the Indian Air Forces had been ready for an operation against terrorists and its backers in Pakistan, it couldn’t follow it through only because no go-ahead was given from the then Central government run by the UPA.
By emphasising the relative precedence of a nation over group, and a group over individual, the PM has sought to harness the collective energy of the country towards building a strong and secure India while rejecting the narrow and divisive impulses of ‘individualism’.
Manmohan Singh criticises the government over the Indo-China face-off.
But what decisiveness did he show when he faced same challenges during his tenure?
When someone utters the word ‘leader’ we often first think of the Prime Minister of the country, CEO, manager, or team leader.
Some might extend a thought to the man or woman of the house who takes care of the needs of families, support them during the troubles and give them the freedom to thrive with a choice of making decisions and owning mistakes.In short, you don’t always need a title to be a leader.
A leader is someone who “lifts a person's vision to high sights raises a person's performance to a higher standard builds a personality beyond its normal limitations,” as Austrian management consultant Peter Drucker says.Whether it is leading a family, an organization or a country every leader has to face a crisis such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that tastes their leadership prowess.
And during such tough times when your family, team, or citizens of the entire nation is facing the fear of the unknown a leader is the only hope who, as American author John Maxwell says, “knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”However, with every COVID wave, the current global pandemic is bringing thousands of problems known and unknown, seen and unseen.
These dark circumstances require unlearning and relearn leadership in a new light.
And along with embracing the ‘new normal’ of the post-COVID era, leaders also have to inculcate these new leadership traits to lead during the crisis of COVID-19.#1 CandorCandor especially during this time means honesty without ambiguity.
