Be Fearless
“Leaders are bold enough to express their mind”
Opening Case Study :
An Exemplary Fearless Leader –Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhash was born at Cuttack in Orissa, in an upper middle- class family. His father was a leader who rose to be the Government leader and public prosecutor of Cuttack. Subhash was one of a large family of brothers.
He had a distinguished educational career and always topped the list. He went to England and there he competed for the Indian Civil Service, standing first. But the glamour of Indian Civil Service did not hold his heart. He was burning with a patriotic zeal to serve Mother India. He resigned the I.C.S. within a year and became a soldier in the struggle for India’s freedom.
He was a born leader of men. He was a revolutionary of the type of Mazzini and Garibaldi. He possessed all the sterling qualities of head and heart. He combined with the patriot’s enthusiasm and inspiration, the adventurer’s love of daring and decision.
He was a man of daring schemes and unflinching determination. His self-discipline and spiritual inspiration were remarkable. Destiny had cut him out for great things. He never hankered after fame, ease, comfort, money and family. He cheerfully renounced all as if to fulfill a mission for which he was born and destined. In the beginning, he was an ardent follower of Gandhi. With
the speed of lightning, he rose from one distinction to another. In 1938, he became the President of the Indian National Congress for the second time. As the President of the India National Congress, he had some sharp differences with Gandhi. The rift between the two widened.
He resigned from the Congress and founded the Forward Bloc. He never slackened his duty towards India. The World War II had, about this time reached a critical stage. The Allies were having a difficult time. This foremost adventurer and revolutionary ran away from his home in Kolkata eluding the police.
To sum up, Subhash was a born leader of men. He was cast by nature in the mold of greatness. He fought the forces of evil with the straightforwardness and boldness of a missionary. His gifts were God- given. He was cut out by nature as the pre-appointed agent for great things. Few men can equal him in the absolute purity of character, consistency of principle and grim determination to see things through. He refused to be cowed down by any person. He clung to the last, little caring for the consequences, to what he considered to be right, morally and ethically. “I stand for truth; I fight for truth and I shall die for truth,” said Subhash in one of his memorable speeches in Singapore. He did not fear even death. “I am immortal till my work is done”, he used to say. May the soul of the mighty architect of India’s liberation lead us and show us light in the country’s moments of frustration, disappointment and dejection.
If you want to understand fear and trust in the workplace, the first thing to know is that everybody feels fear.We all feel it. People we think of as fearless, feel fear the same fear we all do, but they handle it differently than other people.Fearless leaders feel the same adrenaline racing through their veins that other people feel when they get fearful.A fearless leader feels the same anxiety but keeps breathing. He or she knows that everything happens for a reason, and that mistakes teach us more than our successes do.
Strong leaders take responsibility for everything that happens in their departments — the good and the bad. They don’t blame their employees for mishaps. It isn’t hard to shift your focus from fear and control to trust. It only takes patience and self-awareness.It requires you to trust yourself enough to trust your teammates.
Since fear is always about the future outcome, most of the time it is imaginary and psychological rather than logical. Fear leads to worry. Few fears may be genetic but most of the fears we learn during our nurturing, from parents, teachers, fellow students and surroundings.
Want to Be a Fearless Leader? Follow These 5 Steps. The following tips apply to all leaders who want to stop fearing and start leading:
1. Embrace your inner boss
To be a fearless leader, you need to embrace the role. The first step to embracing your inner boss is to believe in yourself.
Some people believe that leaders are born, while others believe they are made. Whether you were born with a special talent for leading or you’ve acquired the skills along the way, don’t let anyone make you doubt your role. Both men and women can sometimes perceive leaders negatively, and this is not a reflection on your true character.
Fight the notion that you are being too “bossy” when you assert yourself. Being confident and embracing your inner boss is what will allow you to make better decisions that benefit your entire team.
1. Say no without regret
As a business owner, you’re presented with more invitations, requests for meetings, and invitations than you can accept. Giving yourself permission to unapologetically say no to the opportunities you don’t want to take can be challenging. You might not want to hurt someone’s feelings or don’t want to come across as ungrateful.
When you’re feeling tempted to say yes when you really want to say no, pause and consider the impact. Overcommitting to things that distract you from what you care about most can drain your energy and leave you feeling resentful. Getting comfortable with saying no takes practice, but you’ll discover people respect you for the honesty and decisiveness.
2. Have a core set of values
As a business leader, it’s important to have a core set of values by which you stand firm. These values will help you make tough decisions and keep pushing you towards your goals.Know what means the most to you and be transparent about it. People look up to those who stand by their beliefs and will respect you as both a leader and a business owner.
3. Share praise
One of the most underrated qualities of a great leader is their ability to share praise with their team. Although it may be your vision or strategy that is propelling your company forward, your