Leadership Lessons from Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is the man whose efforts are largely responsible for shaping the defence programme of India.

Fondly called “the missile man”, Dr Kalam was among India's leading scientists before he became the President of India. He worked with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and helped in making India self-sufficient in satellite and space technology. Later, Kalam worked for developing sophisticated missiles and other defence technology and acquired the status of a national hero for leading India's nuclear weapons test in 1998.

In 2002, he was elected as the President of the country and graced the post until 2007. Kalam's leadership style and vision are not just valued in India but the man commands respect everywhere he goes. People soon fall for his charismatic way of talking and get endeared to him. He is known to give a leadership mantra as a tip-off everywhere he goes for a public event.

MensXP brings you his tips on some important focus areas of leadership:

On Creativity

Dr Kalam has always emphasized on the importance of creativity and innovation in anything we do. He says that India needs creative leaders rather than managers or commanders. “If you really want to be a leader, then you have to be a coach rather than a commander, or an advisor rather than a manager and a representative of your colleagues instead of becoming a director," he once told the students of IIM Indore.

On Vision

According to Dr Kalam, the most important quality a leader must possess is to have a vision. A person lacking a vision cannot be leader. Dr Kalam has always been known for his impeccable vision which can be seen in his breakthrough work India 2020. In this book, he has suggested a visionary action plan to develop India into a superpower and a developed nation by 2020. The book has been a bestseller in many parts of the world and has been translated into a number of languages.

Dr Kalam's Poem on Vision

I climbed and climbed
Where is the peak, my Lord?
I ploughed and ploughed,
Where is the knowledge treasure, my Lord?
I sailed and sailed,
Where is the island of peace, my Lord?
Almighty, bless my nation
With vision and sweat resulting into happiness.

On Integrity and Transparency

Everything a leader does should be transparent and high on integrity. There should be a degree of nobility in management. This creates congenial work environment and generates employee loyalty, which in turn leads to higher efficiency and dedication.

On Exploring New Avenues

Dr Kalam says that a leader must have the inclination and then the grit to travel on unexplored paths. He says that people find it hard to exit their comfort zones and prefer travelling on a well-laid out path. But there is no alternative to hard work and success doesn't come this easy. Unless and until, a leader is willing to try out new things and take at least some amount of risk, things are likely to remain mundane.

On Success and Failure

Dr Kalam has a very idealistic view on success and failure. He says that when failure occurs, a leader should humbly own it and acknowledge it. When success comes, the leader should again have the humility to give credit to all the people who worked for it.