#096, Not every one is born to lead

The word "leadership" has been extensively discussed in Management Science. Now, we shall see Swami Vivekananda's views.

FACTS He wrote to Margot (Ms. Margaret Noble)( Sister Nivedita ) from Kashmir on Oct. 1, 1897.

" ... Some people do the best work when led. Not every one is born to lead. The best leader, however, is one who "leads like the baby". The baby, though apparently depending on everyone, is the king of the household. At least, to my thinking, that is the secret ... "

" ... The great difficulty is this: I see persons giving me almost the whole of their love. But I must not give anyone the whole of mine in return, for that day the work would be ruined. Yet there are some who will look for such a return, not having the breadth of the impersonal view. It is absolutely necessary to the work that I should have the enthusiastic love of as many as possible, while I myself remain entirely impersonal. Otherwise jealousy and quarrels would break up everything. A leader must be impersonal. I am sure you understand this. I do not mean that one should be a brute, making use of the devotion of others for his own ends, and laughing in his sleeve meanwhile. What I mean is what I am, intensely personal in my love, but having the power to pluck out my own heart with my own hand, if it becomes necessary, "for the good of many, for the welfare of many", as Buddha said. Madness of love, and yet in it no bondage. Matter changed into spirit by the force of love. Nay, that is the gist of our Vedanta. There is but One, seen by the ignorant as matter, by the wise as God. And the history of civilisation is the progressive reading of spirit into matter. The ignorant see the person in the non-person. The sage sees the non-person in the person. Through pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow, this is the one lesson we are learning. . . "

BLOGGER'S VIEWS
*Swamiji presumed that he was a born leader.
*presumed that there were several contendors for his attention. 3. He also presumed that there was jealousy among them. 4. Why should Swamiji pluck out his heart? 5. He presumed himself to be a sage and others as ignorant.

At two or three other places, Swamiji wrote some good Leadership and Management principles. I shall collect them and analyse them here, all at one place.