Follow the 5D-Path
Dreams->Desire->Determination->Disciplined Dedication->Destiny
Opening Case Study :
A Visionary Leader–Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, popularly known as “Missile Man” was born in a middle class family, seen and faced problems and hardships of middle class, never daunted and depressed of failures, rose to the height of first citizen of India, the president of India, a visionary, a pragmatist, a poet, a good human being, a complete man. He is the architect of India’s integrated missile development program, recipient of Bharat Ratna award, a rare example in today’s world where most of the people are engulfed by mediocrity, hypocrisy & corruption. Born on 15th October 1931 At Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Dr. AvulPakirJainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, specialized in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. Dr. Kalam made significant contribution as Project Director to Develop India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully injected the Rohini Satellite in the near-earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of Space Club.
Dr. Kalamwas religious to a fault and was a rapacious reader of both BhagwadGeeta and the Kuran of the great Tamil Saint Tirvuallurvar. He always shared his achievements and success with his teachers and colleagues. When the award of Bharat Ratna was bestowed on Dr. Kalam, for his splendid achievements, he said, “I couldn’t have done it by myself. Behind me there were thousands of scientists. I only shaped the program.” In a span of 14 years, he lined up.
Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash, and Nag and finished the long pending Arjun Project, pushed forward with an indigenous aircraft engine Kaveri. He vowed to make India self-reliant in military war fare by 2005 AD. An apostle of unparalleled genius, he never took excuses of lack of funds or lack of cooperation etc. in the glorified path of achieving his goal. This dreamer of making India a super power, tells his countrymen and colleagues: “Dream, dream, dream and dream. Turn the dream into thoughts and thoughts will transform into action.”
Dr. AvilPakirJalaluddin Abdul Kalam, is also known for his zest for life and pursuits that might make other scientists astonished. Areader, a lover of classical music and a poet of Tamil, a great scientist, a religiously theist personality and what not, he can be termed as an ideal person, enviable by all. A leading columnist wrote about Dr. Kalam that “India needs a Kalam in every Institution.” He was directing and guiding a team of 7000 brilliant, dedicated scientists and researcher at 50 laboratories of the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization).
In his literary pursuit four of Dr. Kalam’s books – “Wings of Fire”, “India 2020-Avision for the New Millennium”, “My journey” and “Ignited Minds-Unleashing the power within India” have become household names in India and among the Indian nationals abroad. These books have been translated in many Indian Languages.
India is indebted to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and proud of such a brilliant and complete man.
Everyone has the ability to dream, but only Leaders have the willingness to truly chase their dreams.
When we aren’t living our dreams, we often have limited belief systems and are not true leaders. We believe that our current circumstances and/or surroundings are keeping us from achieving the things we want to do in life.
We all have unique sets of circumstances in our lives that we can use as excuses, but learning to find those workarounds in our life that give us the ability to succeed, can inspire us to start implementing changes in our lives that need to be made, to make our dreams come true.
Following the 5-D-Path is the way to go for Leaders. Step 1: DREAM
You are never too old, too poor, too young, or too sick to live your dreams. You might not get there the same way as others but if you start chasing your dreams now you eventually will get there.Dreams are just dreams, until you decide they are going to be something more. When you add passion to your dreams your life circumstances will not keep you from achieving them.
Dream chasing is not something everyone is cut out to do. Dream chasing is for those who dare to take a chance to believe, that their dream is something more, than a thought or possibility. Dream chasers know their dreams are worth chasing.
Dream big. The desire to reach greater heights, pass tougher tests or acquire something more than you have now drives you to work and persist. It gets you up in the morning. It drives you do everything you can to succeed. You need to have a vision of something greater than you now have.
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Step 2: DESIRE
Leaders have a burning desire to make a difference. Passionate leaders have a fervent need to make a difference in the world. They aspire for more than the next promotion or acquisition. Their focus is on the organization, its people and its impact. They have an irrepressible desire to enrich people’s lives and recognize that the best way to make a difference is to continually feed the strengths of the organization’s people.
Just being around a passionate leader helps people discover what really makes them tick – their purpose and passion at work. The passionate leader doesn’t just assume that this inspiration will happen on its own; she orchestrates it through getting to know her colleagues and tapping into what really drives them to be their best.
Step 3: DETERMINATION
Determination is a key trait of successful Leaders. Determined leaders are the strongest and most successful. The most determined leaders are the ones with emotional strength that is not easily shaken. You can see this in business, sports or even certain people fighting illness. Determination is not about the absence of fear, but rather the ability to be brave in the face of fear.
Developing determination is the process of building your mental muscle the way an athlete builds their physical muscles. It requires practice, energy and consistency along with the belief that you’re becoming a stronger leader. It’s ironic, but you must be determined that you can develop your determination before you begin.
Step 4: DISCIPLINED DEDICATION
Self-disciplined leaders are successful and ultimately become better at what they do. They are active, self-controlled, organized, are able to censor themselves and to build great relationships.
Leaders use self-discipline to sharpen their willpower and decisions making skills, to command respect from others and to lead by example, to achieve their goals regardless of their feelings, to gain profit and to look beyond hard work, to stick to their decisions, to evaluate themselves and place boundaries, to compartmentalize their emotions.
Furthermore, self-disciplined leaders have no fear of the future, are respected and dependable.Self-disciplined leaders practice thoughts management, emotional intelligence, time management, character building, self-awareness and team building until they turn those soft skills into habits.
Step 5: DESTINY
Leaders write their fate with their own hands and if they don’t like it, they erase it and write it again. This is a powerful secret of life of successful leaders. We have such potential, such power that we can write or rewrite our destiny! All we need to know is what we want to do with our life.
By saying “It is my destiny, I cannot change it” we are limiting ourselves in a self-made cell. We are building walls around us. See even someone born physically handicapped, his disability isn’t his destiny. There is a purpose for everything. Find out your purpose of your life. Every-one can improve their situation by careful analysis and adoption of suitable strategies. Believe in yourself.
CONCLUSION:
“All successful leaders – men and women – are big dreamers,” wrote author Brian Tracey. “They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.”
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. When you cease to dream you cease to live.