Are You A Destined To Be Great?

 Leadership is a highly debated issue and one never gets a simple answer to the question –what makes a great leader .As a leader of some sorts ,I have often debated it in my mind and read and attended umpteen seminars about the same .My simple answer to the question as to who is a great leader would be  –a great leader is someone who is so passionate about a idea that he /she is not only willingly to die for it ,but pushes himself /herself to be exposed to death in its quest .In other words -fearless .There are innumerable examples of people who were fearless and possesed with an idea -Hitler ,Gandhi ,Martin Luther ,Chengez Khan ,Nelson Mandella ,Abraham Lincoln ,Alexander the Great,Winston Churchill....and the list goes on and on .Not all of them were neccesarily good -but all of them were able to command the obedience and allegiance of men under them.I am trying to analyse the core of great leadership ,which is radically different from good moralistic leadership (though great leaders have more often than not been value oriented leaders.).
In recent times there are   two supreme examples of great leadership that come to mind -both in the very recent past  .And in different fields –one in aviation and the other in education

Neerja Bhanot was the pretty  senior flight purser from Chandigarh who was  on the ill-fated Pan Am Flight 73, which was hijacked by four heavily armed terrorists after it landed at Karachi  from Mumbai in 1986. Bhanot alerted the cockpit crew about the hijack and, as the plane was on the tarmac, the three-member American cockpit crew of pilot, co-pilot and the flight engineer fled from the aircraft. Bhanot, being the most senior cabin crew member on board, took charge.

After 17 hours, the hijackers opened fire and set off explosives. Bhanot opened the emergency door and helped a number of passengers escape. She could have been the first to jump out when she opened the door but she decided not and was shot while shielding three children from a hail of bullets.Maybe some of you have not heard of her -but she is the youngest recepient of the highest gallantry award given to a citizen during peace time  ,the Ashoka Chakra ,has a Square named after her in Ghatkopar (Mumbai) called "Neerja Bhanot Chowk",and has a stamp which was released by the Indian Postal Service in 2004 commemorating her .She was also given  a Special Courage award by the US Department of Justice in 2005.Her age -just 22 years .!! That is greatness and please compare her response to that of the 3 members of the cockpit crew who deserted the plane and ran away -as if they would live forever by doing so !!

The second example is that of Tahira Qazi ,the Principal of Army Public School in Peshawar where  young and innocent children were brutally gunned down  . Ahmed Qazi, son of Tahira Qazi, the martyred principal says his mother  never  ever left  school till the last child had left and even on the day terror struck, she had a chance to escape, but she insisted she would leave with the last child. It so happened that her body was the last one to leave the campus that day. When terrorists entered the administrative block, he says his mother told them, "Leave the children aside , talk to me, I am their mother." She was contemptuously shot in the head.What a sacrifice . Her place in history is assured .
Maybe all Principals and budding Principals can reflect whether we have it in us to stand up –if not to die ,then at least not to compromise on basics of important values which we are duty bound to teach  .Do we have it in us ?Do we want to be great and risk everything for a cause and NOT  believe that greatness comes only to Generals ,Politicians ,Sportsmen,Film Stars ?  If yes –then history will judge us kindly (the present may not ).If no –do we go back home everyday  and sleep in peace ?The answer to one of those question will determine whether you will make a good or a great Principal .And only you know the answer .
However the bottom line is -you can never become great by playing safe .!!