Commanding With Confidence, Courage And Intelligence

This series unravels the dharmic dialogue between Narada Muni and Raja Yudhishthira in the Sabha Parva of Mahabharata. Part XVI dealt with the need to moderate one’s sleep; Part XVII follows..In the previous article we saw how gently Narada Muni questioned Yudhishthira, ‘Hope you have not become a slave to sleep?’ and how moderating one’s sleep is key to maintaining a satvik mind. Now, Narada Muni moves on to an eight-point guidance on leadership. The first of which he asks, ‘Does the commander of your forces possess sufficient confidence?’ Is he a man with self-belief and confidence?’ As we go higher in our life, in career and in relationships, more responsibilities come our way. We need to make tough decisions. For this, one must believe in oneself. A confident mind can also respond with clarity in difficult situations. Even if a person is qualified with the right skills, technically or academically, but lacking in self-confidence, it would be a disaster. The talent does not reflect in the actions. So, Narada reiterates that it is not only enough to have a man of military might in the top spot, but also one who believes in himself and can act with clarity. Such a leader would be able to deal with the consequences of their own action..The second question the sage asks is, ‘Is the commander courageous?’ The commander-in-chief should be fearless. Not just in the military, any leader or administrator should possess these qualities as a prerequisite. One can imagine how glorious such a personality would be: fully confident and fearless. If we notice our history carefully, we will observe that our leaders, and ancestors from the scriptures were just like this.We can see this exemplified in Swami Chinmayananda, brimming with confidence and roaring with fearlessness. Yet another example is Swami Vivekananda. Not only did He live a life of fearlessness, but He also made it a telling point in all His works. Every page of the Master’s works is filled with quotes like, ‘if you read the Vedas, you will find this word always repeated—fearlessness—fear nothing. Fear is a sign of weakness. A man must go about his duties without taking notice of the sneers and the ridicule of the world.’ Swami Vivekananda lived true to this message Himself..So, if we gather from the points thus far—a well-rested satvik mind, a confident personality, a fearless leader—we can see how such a person is capable of thinking deeply and acting with total conviction. They own up to their decisions and do not fear the consequences. This also means that they do not hesitate to act. They do their duties well because they know that what they are doing is their dharma. What is there to fear in that case? Why hesitate?Third amongst the eight qualities, Narada proceeds to ask, ‘Is your commander-in-chief intelligent?’ Does he possess all the right information and act according to it? One must acquire all the data in a subject of their choice. Intelligence comes from acting as per right information. The intellect feeds on data. If one does not supply the intellect with sufficient data, they are bound to make wrong decisions. Whatever be the subject of your choosing—be it arts, sports, economics, science, languages—we must take all efforts to be well-informed.In whatever field we perform our actions, to make quick and right decisions, we need to stay aware of the happenings. Intelligence can arise only from a well-informed intellect. Therefore, it is imperative for any leader to be intelligent, just as he/she should be confident and fearless.

Commanding With Confidence, Courage And Intelligence

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