Transformational Leadership

The series of alphabets in English language always start with the letter ‘A’. No one in the history has ever challenged as to why it starts with only ‘A’ and not with ‘Z’. All the other letters follow only after the letter ‘A’. It seems to be an obvious fact, but from this very place, a phenomenal word called ‘Leader’ has coined out to rule the world. Taking the present context, it becomes redundant to say that ‘A’ is the leader of the alphabetical series.

In a routine march drill, people will perform the action only after their instructor gives a call. Here, instructor plays the role of an initiator. All the people follow his/her call. A leader starts one’s journey by being an initiator among a group. Initiators never crave for people to follow them. They are always accompanied by a group of people who come purely on their own choice. The leaders are not restricted to only the human-beings. The animals, birds and plants also have a leader amongst them as Lion, Eagle, and Dieffenbachia are known to be the leaders of animals, birds and plants respectively.

One can witness inspirational, motivating, charismatic and transformational qualities embedded in an ideal leader. They are responsible for spinning a change in the system. When women were once seen to be restricted only to house-holds, came people like Jhansi Laxmi Bai, Sarojini Devi, Mother Teresa, etc to bring a revolution in the world. They have ushered a path for the future leaders to follow. The current leaders like Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Biocon Chief; Sonia Gandhi, All India Congress Committee Chief and Chanda Kochhar, ICICI Bank Chairperson have tread the same path and are now listed among the most influential women in the world for their accomplishments.

Leaders are not born, they are made. Leaders are not dropped from the so-called ‘World of Elixir’. They come from our very own surroundings and people. Mostly the situations give rise to a leader. Right from Adolf Hitler to the recent Barrack Obama, all have come from the common people. It’s their unrelenting resolve that made them the world-captivating leaders.

A transformation has both extremes. It might be for either good or the bad motives. A leader acts like a vanguard to the ever-surging ship called Life. He/she is responsible for both the smooth sail and the sinking of the ship. All leaders are managers but not all managers can become leaders. This is the doctrine employed by the management gurus like C.K.Prahlad, Bill Gates, and Jack Welch who are highly successful in their fields. They are the role models to many people because of their deeds. In the wake of all these, it would not be an exaggeration to term a leader éminence grise.

Bottom-Line:

The world remembers the names of influential and charismatic leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Subash Chandra Bose, etc… forever irrespective of the generations. An ideal leader will always be aware of the fact that his/her actions are responsible for the people’s lives. The thing one should take from a leader is whether one is willing to be remembered (obviously for the good reasons) by the future generations. If that gets rooted in one’s conscience, nothing can stop one to become a true leader.

One can make out a word for every letter in the word ‘Leader’ as L for Learner, E for Earner, A for Adapter, D for Developer, E for Energizer and R for Racer. It’s purely based on one’s perception but that can’t just be written off, for, it’s a fact! The words might differ but the essence can’t be altered. So, a leader is a dealer in hope! Don’t look for a leader…Be a leader and lead your life…with it, one can automatically pave a path to others’ lives.

The Heights of Cricket(ism) in India

When one asks a bunch of children about their favorite sportsman, the answer reigns in almost unanimously as Sachin Tendulkar. This is the kind of image carried out by this man when it comes to sport in India, likewise other cricketers. Most of the people in India reckon that cricket is its national sport. This is the amount of prominence carried by this sport in India that it sidelined hockey which is actually the nation’s national sport.

When Tendulkar said that cricket is followed as a religion in India, he has a specific meaning to the statement as Indian cricket fans do not view it is a sport, where winning and losing are all a part of it. For them, cricket is something which is more than a sport and very close to their emotions. They have shown both love and hate at their extreme ends towards the cricketers. When India just wins a single match over its arch rivals forget about a tournament, a festive environment is seen all over the nation where people distribute sweets, burn crackers, etc…Now, one can imagine the bounds of celebration when India wins a world cup or a tournament. On the other hand, when India loses a crunch match, the fans get furious and show their irate behavior toward their very icons. The youngsters are seen bad mouthing the cricketers.

The role of media in this cause is extremely significant as it is responsible for romanticizing the issue disproportionately. The cricketers are made both super-stars and flop-stars by this very same media. The companies sign them up as the brand ambassadors for endorsing their products and advertisements which has a telling blow on the performance of the sportsmen. The hype generated just for the arrival of a cricketer at a venue or to the matter every other thing a cricketer does in his private life is inexplicable.

Cricket should just be seen as any other sport. Winning and Losing are all a part of the game and a single cricketer can’t be made responsible for either of them. The aggressive behavior of the fans towards the cricketers is not justifiable as every other sportsman who steps into the field aspires to win but ultimately it is the sport which has the final laugh.

Reality withheld?

It would not be an exaggeration if one says the word ‘real’ in the ‘reality’ show no longer exists these days! Now-a-days, reality shows have become a stage for gaining instant recognition by resorting to melodramatic stunts. The conductors of these shows are flowing down celebrities just to gain popularity and to increase their TRPs sidelining the root concept of a reality show. In one way, it is nothing but fooling the people in the name of a reality show. Few gullible people presume these shows to be real and try to imitate the performed deeds and finally end on the wrong note.

The Planet ‘M’ War - Is it flaunting the Power of Vitamin ‘M’?

Witnessing all the changes that have been taking place globally of late, a lay man is in a state of hullabaloo about the things surrounding around him. The radical changes that are taking place all over the world are pushing him into a state of oblivion where he is not sure of leading his life further. One of them being the space war, where the nations are competing for asserting their supremacies on a planet, and where there is every chance for a human-being to think of a second home beyond the boundaries of Earth.

 

The supreme nations like US, China, Russia are indulging in a rat-race in an attempt to stamp their ascendancy over the ‘world of aliens’ called as space. The recent discoveries suggested that there is every chance of life inhabitation on the planet Mars. So every nation is bent on creating a mark on the planet. A few days back, I read in an article that one minnow had bought a land against his name on Mars…This comes as no surprise to me, as the nation is responsible for an individual’s acts. Whatever name the nations give for this act, call it artificial intelligence, tracking of troop movements, bomb tracking, etc., but the primary motive is visible on the faces of the individuals.

 

Bottom-Line:

Whatever might be the result, the innate conscience of an individual pinches at one or the other moment that brooding on a second home when one is not sure of even the primary home is a bit melodramatic. The said things do not confine to only a layman because, at the end of the day, even I am flummoxed at whether one would be able to subsist a peaceful life on this earth, going by this kind of surge. Is this surge auguring well for the well- being of an individual’s life or not is what one should look at rather than going giga over the superficial benefits. Now, don’t think that I belong to the clan of ‘super-humans’ but going by my idiosyncrasy, I can say that I am far better than a lay-man!

 

Gizmos with a Brighter Perspective!

 

In the present context, it has become a well known fact that technology has no bounds as such. It has been growing by leaps and bounds day after day and one can inarguably say that, sky is probably the only limit for its impending surge! But one has to watch out for the resources that go into the making of such high quality products. If one goes by one’s introspection at the present instances of making a product, one would easily end up questioning that are these manufacturers making the right move in delivering the right kind of product to the customers. The point to note is that, in doing so, are they throwing the canons into the dustbins? The answer would be that they are actually transgressing the norms set by the international bodies in a vain attempt to satisfy their customers.

 

Transgressing the rules might be in innumerous ways. The major thing to look out for is that whether the products/gadgets being churned out are eco-friendly or not because our lives subsist in the very same environment and using the gadgets which are a peril to the environment is like piercing our very own eyes with our vey own sword! The motive of the manufacturers behind churning out such products will solely restrict to creating an impression in the mindsets of the customers. One can’t put the total blame on them, for, they are doing business and transgressing ethics in business is an obligation!

 

Bottom-Line:

At the same end of the river, some manufacturers set a benchmark for others to follow the path laid by them with the innovation of a new concept called ‘Green Gadgets’. These gizmos use less amounts of energy and are quite eco-friendly, the term ‘green’ underlying the same. These might just turn out to be the befitting reply for the existing impounding problem of falling short of energy resources. There are a quite few products in the market and the customers should urge for more green gadgets to foray into the market because ultimately it’s in their hands to make or break a product!

Boon or a Bane!

Taking the realistic situations pertaining to the present circumstances in the world, one can witness that there are people who live opulent lives without any predicaments and conundrums as such in their existence, but at the same end of the river, there are also people subsisting their lives defying the curse, the fate has bestowed on them. In saying so, my focus points out to the tribulations and enigma such people experience in their survival. There might be n number of ways in which they are maledicted but the onus is on the mode of living they do daily in order to garner a pinch of recognition in this globetrotting world for themselves. One such imprecation leads us to a strange disease called as Autism.         

 

The ones affected by autism experience a great impediment in communicating with the fellow beings of the society. They tend to refrain themselves from this world, for, they are jeered by the people who lack moral sense! The asphyxiation they experience is truly inexplicable in words…I haven’t found a tougher word than this to explain their quandary. There are several theories coming up in this ever-advancing world for curing such diseases but I guess there is no medication to the rotten glitch in an individual’s mind in their approach toward the fellow beings!

 

What they expect from the outside world is a mere acceptance to their lives. One should not jeer their frailty as there is every chance that the same frailty can become their strongest point in acquiring the indubitable fame for themselves. When one talks about autism, one can’t refrain themselves from dyslexia, which is the child disease of autism and in which there are many instances of people who suffered from this disease and came out as the real winners for whom the world bestowed its head. So, there is a need for crying attention for a change in the mindsets of people and a note of civic sense should be inculcated in their minds in not to jeer such ill-fated people!

Multi-Lingual(s)….Indeed, Bliss to Listeners!

We have been listening to ѐminence grise, a.r.rahman's distinguished and remarkable compositions almost every minute, if not an exaggeration! He keeps us enticing every precious minute we spend on hearing his compositions. This has been spanning for more than a decade now yet one can see the same Rahman, although in different musical avatars, enthralling the music listeners all the time by keeping with the pace of the generations.

 

Previously we have put our step forward in analyzing our sir's works in various threads like Technology and Facts, The Classical Side, etc...Now here, we shall give an impetus to that movement by leaping a step ahead and analyze a.r.rahman sir's Multi Lingual Compositions! 

 

From his very first filmy album Roja till the recent Jodhaa Akbar, many of his films were also dubbed and even some of his original films were remade in various other languages.....Its redundant to say that Rahman has used the same tunes that he composed for the original versions for such films...He also re-used some of his master pieces like Baba Kichu Tha(Dekho Na), Yeh Rishta(Naan Epothu), etc for some of the other films as insisted by the directors and producers of the respective films.

 

Some listeners liked the songs of the original version whereas some liked the songs of the dubbed version although the tunes are one and the same....The basic reason for this being the variation and the sort of multiplicity, rahman brings in into his compositions of the same tune by making a subtle change in either the sound, arrangements, mixing, etc...Mostly he uses different vocals for the same song which gives the song altogether a new feel!

 

For instance, Endhan Uyiril from Monalisa was sung by Unnikrishnan and the same song, Tum Ho Meri Nigahon was sung by Hariharan in Hindi....Both songs are par excellence yet so enchanting...be it in variations of the vocals or the sound arrangements.....Add to that, one has to agree for whatever reasons, that Baba Kichu Tha sounds more captivating with Sadhana Sargam's vocals in telugu as and when compared to Reena Bharadwaj's and Alka Yagnik's versions of tamil and hindi respectively.

Rahman has carved a niche for himself in using his own songs by employing an astute technique which is still a mystery to his co-composers. He says that learning music is a cognitive process and indeed he is bang on, for, the age old theory reaffirms the same. Music always makes an individual a constant learner and makes him exposed to the different realms of this exquisite art. Thus, in the process, it becomes more of being eclectic in nature.

 

On hearing these multi lingual compositions, one only gets dazed (almost always) as to whether this is the same tune (we) listened to earlier! As said by himself, he doesn't like to use the same tunes but it is upon the requests by the directors and producers that he uses the tunes and sometimes to compensate for the time constraint!

 

The song Paighaam sung by Shaan sounds as mellifluously as sung by Unnikrishnan(Katre En Vasal) in Tamil. Likewise, Etho Etho Ondru(Yedho Yedho), Kannamochi(Dobuchulatelaraa), Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera (Unthan Desathin), Jashn-E-Bahara(Aamani Ruthuve), Sakhiyaa(Pachai Nirame) etc…are magnificently accepted well in either of the languages.

 

At the same time, some of his compositions like in the case of Mr.Romeo, Love Birds, Parasuram drew a flak when dubbed in other languages. The reason as to why the music has not reached the larger sections of people can be attributed primarily to the shoddy scripts of the films which turned those into being damp squibs! With that, also fades the music irrespective of its charisma! There are few forgotten master-pieces from the maestro for this very same reason. Such things pain him, acknowledges rahman, for, the song has not received the right kind of appreciation for the kind of effort he has put in into the song. Ah Aah, Marudhaani, Aazadi, Do Kadam, etc…just stand as big statues for such inadvertent reasons. Now, can asking Rahman to think on re-using those songs in other languages, label one as an aficionado, who knows, if dubbed in other languages, might just do the trick!

 

One needs to focus on the lyrical aspect in these multi lingual compositions. There are few lyricists who just translate the originally penned song into the local language turning it a mere verbatim. They will not concentrate on the meaning of the lyric which makes the song gruesome to listen that a listener tends to forget his mother tongue after listening to it. But, few lyricists namely Veturi Sundararamamoorthy, Sirivennela Seetharamasastry have given a new dimension to these genre of songs in which their aim was to primarily give richness to the song by adding emollient lyrics.  Thoda Thoda song from Indira is done in three languages, tamil, telugu and hindi. The essence of the original song is not lost by even an inch in either telugu or hindi, the original one being the tamil version. Such songs are perfect examples for this lyrical beauty which makes a song soothing to hear in as many languages as one desires to.

 

‘A fallacy’  can just take the shape of a potent weapon yet invulnerable in the armor of every music lover to battle out with the odds in this unprecedented world of music. It always caters to create a void in one's wallet. One doesn’t need to think twice before saying that Music has got the sufficient and ethereal power to fill that void and its only a small stir away from one's vein before opening up that it is a.r.rahman's music....With that, I leave you (un)fazed and create a space for you to galore your implausible thoughts and set them in tone for the future!

15k in 15 Minutes

            The memories still large loom in my mind when my economics teacher used to say that it is the man who makes the artefact called money!  Ten years down the lane, I am forced to subsist in the world where the above statement is no longer applicable. Money makes a man is what one gets to witness almost everywhere in the present world. Adding a chunk of humor, can I say that the said proposition is one of the so-many conundrums surrounding our lives?

 

 The other day I strolled into a restaurant with a couple of my friends, the bill chopped my pocket for it was there thousand in a mere three hours we spent over there. Likewise when I configured out my next day’s expenses it coined out to around 15k in the mere span of 15 minutes. The very moment the thought of echoing my views on this artefact spurred and here I am with my introspective composition!

 

             In this world of unparallel precedencies, Money has been ruling the roost. Money is the factor which splits the human relationships. It has reigned in the concept of demarcation between rich and poor. The only feeling of being fervid is responsible for driving the philanthropic sections of the society to do the so-called charity works or else they would have treaded the orthodox path even before the arrival of dusk.

 

 

There is a very thin line between the two rapt versions of the conclusions that can be derived from the possessor of Money. The artefact called Money enriches one with Money which is actually worth no Money and the second version being, the artefact called Money enriches one with Money which is actually worth more than the Money! The decision of whether to go for the former or the latter solely rests in our very own hands.

 

Money…..Indeed A big thing!

                It is just a single note that could bring an individual from the Chawlas to the Ambanis and a common man is always behind that single note since this hunch is deeply rooted in one’s conscience. At this very moment the veins subsisting in his mind wind up making him thoughtless for a moment and one such frivolous moment is enough to witness the ruthless atrocities emerging out of his willow, the recent one being the Aarushi Talwar’s case!

 

  The frail aspects of money compelled filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma to churn out movies like Money Money in the late nineties and even now the trend continues thanks to the popularity of Vitamin M in the Bollywood. The other day when choreographer turned director Ganesh Acharya unveiled his latest directorial Money Hai Toh Honey Hai , I was left wondering what if there is no money in one’s possession wouldn’t there be a place for succulence in one’s life!

 

                 The other day when I was going through Amitav Ghosh’s Glass Palace which was preceded by the Shadow Lines, the thought of what marks the difference between the age old man in contrast to the modern man spurred in my vein. The very moment I chalked out the answer to this question, only one thing kept doing the rounds…that is MONEY! See what a strong odour this Money has!!With a bagful of tricks in its armor, Money can be termed as the prestidigitator of man making but does that augur well for a society is to be contemplated!

 

                 A nation thriving to maintain the global standards by increasing its price structure at the cost of a common man’s life is unpalatable! There are innumerous instances of happenings daily in and around our lives that one hardly cares to notice like the way multiplexes looting the public in the name of grandeur by pitting up soaring prices as against the standardized prices for different commodities.

 

                The Government’s conflicting methodologies in handling the economic concerns only adds to the already existing woes of a common man. Is Big Retail the answer to the India’s surging Inflation and can it still aid consumption is what the economists are brooding over but let us not dwell into the intricacies and strangle our tiny brains. Whatever change beckons the streets, it is only about moving forward.

               

      The quality of Money is sui generis in its own way as one cannot deny the fact that it is the vehicle in which the current world is travelling. What is the aim of living life….this was the question I posed to a group of youngsters at the Madras IIT campus…..believe me or not, 9 out of 10 people replied me with the word MONEY! But the only thing one should watch out for is whether the priceless moments are bought with the aid of this very money?

        

              Long ago, when there was Barter system, definitely there was a dispute between the exchange rates, but everyone had to be properly skilled to get in exchange while today when Money has become the source of exchange, people turn out to do lot of notorious things. This clearly states that mankind has been benefited with Money, but then Money has proven to be a major source of disparity and destruction. In the wake of all these, can Money be called as a Zeitgeist is left to us.

Women marching towards the Path of Progress - Vision 2020

In today’s materialistic world, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration if one says that there is no terrain on which a woman has not set her foot upon. There’s no doubting that a today’s woman can accomplish anything.

 

We have women like Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman of Biocon Limited; Nandita Das, the award-winning film-maker and noted environmentalist; Ritu Kumar, the leading woman fashion designer; Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy; noted journalist Padmashri Burkha Dutt; NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams etc upon whom one can look for and make them as their role models. Even Sonia Gandhi is listed 17^th among the 50 most powerful people on the earth in ‘Newsweek’ for her active role in the politics of the world’s largest democracy.

We have movies like Chak De India which proved that the physical strength is not the only parameter required to win but it’s the strength of the mind and the will power, which we have been witnessing in women, of late! It’s a fact that there were a lot of debates on a female voice put to comparison with that of a male. But things have proved quite contrary to the so-called presumptions and have now reached a point where the men will have to be more cautious in competing with the women.

It is 2009 now and we are witnessing a resurgent woman taking the pole position and a small thought of vision 2020 only zeroes down to a situation where men might be taking a backstage and women might just be leading from the front. Let’s hope for this to become a stark reality!