Every moment in our life is a realisation. We are one step closer to a journey unknown. The possibilities are vast and endless but it is up to us to take it or not. We hear about leaders every day. Leaders who started from nothing and became successful. Successful leaders have a turnover of millions. Leaders who conquered the wall street market. So are leaders champions of success who are running behind profits?

Often youngsters picturise leaders as successful and rich. Therefore they think leadership is only about confidence and taking risks. But what makes a good leader? A leader is more than the success they incurred. It is a journey that results in the process of learning and unlearning the laws of society. 

A leader is beyond ordinary. They emerge like a bird who cracks the egg and takes the lessons of flying. Once they soar into the sky they face the hardships and triumphs leading them into the unknown. As leaders, it is our duty to guide our team and mould them into efficient team leaders. Being approachable, nurturing future leaders, openness and transparency are few of the traits a leader should possess.

Leaders and success are like water and kerosene. A good leader is like kerosene in water which stays on the surface rather than getting dissolved in the process of reaching the heights of success.

Leaders and teams

While I started Jaipur Rugs my aim was to transform the lives of the weavers. I believe in people development because without social development profits seem unworthy. We started a leadership program for our artisans called Bunkar Sakhi in August 2014 after an experiment demonstrated that experienced weavers had a lot of ideas to improve efficiency, reduce material wastage, and solve the communication issues often found between rural and urban populations. The program focused on filling the managerial and gender gap between weavers and quality supervisors and branch managers.

The Bunkar Sakhis are thoroughly trained on communication, leadership, grassroots weaver mobilization, quality control, and escalation. Along with an opportunity to make more money, this program created a ladder on which day-to-day weavers can aspire to climb as they grow more confident and competent. To date, there have been more than 12 Bunkar Sakhis who have been certified through this program, with an ever-growing funnel of qualified candidates for years to come.

Leadership is a calling, a path for progress for both leaders and teams. As leaders, we should guide our team and this means we are a part of not just the organizational growth but employee growth as well. Being approachable contributes to bridging the gap between a leader and their team.

Successful leaders should be ready to engage and involve with anyone and everyone. For It is when we rise up from our flaws and learn from our mistakes we become an inspiration to others.