Sadhguru: 'Making of good leaders'

IF ONE has to become a leader, he has to transform himself into a larger possibility. What was essentially an individual concern becomes, in some sense, a little larger concern.

A leader is expected to possess a unique vision that surpasses the perspectives of others. They needn’t possess superhuman capabilities or extensive knowledge. Instead, many leaders have limited knowledge, but possess the ability to discern what others overlook.

Their skill lies in uniting individuals towards a shared goal. That is what makes them leaders.

Who you are – what your mind is, what your emotions are and how you are right now – will manifest in every action that you perform in the world.

When you assume a leadership role, every thought, emotion, and action you express influences numerous individuals, ranging from a few hundred to millions, depending on your sphere of influence. Given this vast impact, aspiring leaders mustn’t solely concentrate on their external performance but also nurture their inner selves. This internal harmony is crucial for effective leadership.

It would be irresponsible for a leader not to be constantly striving to transform himself first. Essentially, leadership also means that either you are directly transforming people’s lives or you are transforming situations, which will, in turn, lead to the transformation of life for other people.

So, transformation and leadership cannot be separated.

Whether you are leading a company or a community, a city or a country, leadership is the art of making people realise that somewhere, deep down, all our aspirations are the same.

The first time I was at the World Economic Forum, people looked at me resentfully. Somebody said, “What is a mystic doing at an economic meet?” I thought I should speak their own language, so I asked, “What do you do? What is your business?” This person said, “Well, I am working for the second largest computer manufacturer.” I said, “You are building computers…” I pointed out someone who was in the automobile industry and I said, “He is making cars. Somebody there is making a safety pin. It does not matter whether you are making a computer, a car, a safety pin or a spacecraft, what is the fundamental business?” He said, “What? My business is computers.”

I said, “Your business is not computers. The fundamental business is human wellbeing, isn’t it? You might have forgotten why you are making a computer.

Essentially, you are manufacturing computers to make human life better. Somebody is manufacturing a safety pin to make human life better. The essential business is human wellbeing and that is my business too. That is why I am here.”

What people expect from a leader is, first, that they are straightforward. People do not appreciate being manipulated. You do not have to be brilliant, a genius, or a superhuman to be a leader.

Being straightforward – maintaining your integrity consistently – and having some vision and insight into a few things, that is what makes you a leader.

When you are truly inclusive, you naturally gain insight into everything. The right kind of people will naturally gather around you when they perceive a certain level of integrity in you and things will happen accordingly, based on your capability, of course. You can never equate people’s capabilities. People come with different capabilities, which is fine, but the question is simply this: Are you able to utilise yourself to the fullest extent or not?

If you yourself are an issue on a daily basis, you cannot handle issues on the outside. If you make yourself in such a way that you are not an issue anymore, now you can attend to the outside issues to the best of your capability and your leadership will happen effortlessly, without being stressful to you, or to anyone, for that matter. That is transformative leadership.

 . Ranked among the 50 most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and bestselling author. He was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan India’s highest civilian award, in 2017, for his exceptional and distinguished service.