“True leaders are like statues, whether it rains or it shines, they never bend their necks to look backwards! They never run away from challenges!” - Israelmore Ayivor, inspirational writer, blogger & speaker

Today, we live in a world full of wannabe leaders. Dime a dozen rosy projects, fixated with the word ‘idea’ and ‘founder’ – have now become a job title that winks and boasts, “I will sell my products online, and be so rich…”

The harsh reality is everybody thinks they’re a leader – most are far from it. Inside a start-up bubble, only that leader can continue to play, who is prepared to survive the bubble burst.

Living in the exile or a bubble?

Thousands of years ago, Lord Rama demonstrated the transformational leadership, which was emphasized on the mutual process between a leader and a follower. The whole of Ramayana beautifully elucidates how Rama as a leader was exceptional, especially during the last leg of the Ramayana battle – inspiring his army to inculcate virtues like intelligence, skill, commitment, and building strategy to succeed.

Leading Like Rama

• Powerful vision: The very essence of a leader is that you have to have a vision. In the case of Rama, his vision was to rescue his wife Sita and defeat the evil forces. His clarity as well as the process enabled his soldiers to put their heart and soul to win the battle against Raavan.
• Empathizing and assertive: A good leader will use both these attributes to connect – empathy in sales helps you connect with people, whereas, assertiveness helps in encouraging people to take action. As Rama narrates to Vibhishan: “a leader is like a charioteer and the wheels are made of character, courage, ethics, and the horses drawing the chariot signifies strength, energy, passion. While the reins of the horses resemble forgiveness, compassion, consistency and equanimity.”
• Use leadership weapons: A leader who arms himself with knowledge, strategy, intelligence, skills, commitment and a restraint of ego can fight a mammoth battle. In the words of Rama: “Arm yourself with these and no war will be lost.”
• Use of power, not misuse: True leaders never hesitate to advice, nor do they force their opinion upon people. Like Rama once stated: “I am not saying this to you simply because I have power over you or will say anything that is against prudence or wisdom. I just request you to just listen to me, but do that, which pleases you or you find workable. But if you do feel that I have said something that is not prudent or correct behavior, please feel free to stop or challenge me without fear.”
• Insatiable learners: According to this article Rama was a learning leader. Always seeking the guidance of the learned sages and ascetics. He also learnt advanced techniques of archery and other techniques of warfare, which helped him in strategizing a winning battle against Raavan.

Some leaders are born in exile…
And most importantly, Rama did not drag his feet indefinitely to avoid his fourteen years of Exile to Dandaka forest (in the guise of a hermit). In fact, it was inside this forest that he learnt to face never seen before challenges and opportunities every day. Isn’t that every startup founder’s story too?

At the heart of his experience in exile is the achievement of self-mastery. And a leader with self-mastery not only builds amazing cultures, but also crafts relationships marked by trust, confidence and resiliency.

So what kind of a leader are you? Born in an exile or a bubble?