Political leadership is all about respecting and honouring conscientious well-wishers

A real skill and challenge for a sincere leader is discipline and accountability, especially when party’s broad agenda is disseminated to people. It must be ‘Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART).’ Evading execution after gaining power, or avoiding a responsive role in opposition, is betrayal of leadership. A true leader need not always head the government, but must be capable of leading the shadow government, as in the case of United Kingdom.

Leadershipis an enduring engagement, not an entitlement, continuous dialogue with people, place, and purpose. Indian democracy has lasted largely due to the collective consciousness and moral seriousness of previous and our generations. Over time, political leadership has become a fascination in transactional politics, drowned in noise, and distanced from true distinction. The political approach of large number of leaders is in gaining power and influence for indiscriminate personal gain or specific benefits. This decline of passion and spirit that once fueled ideology-driven movements, stems from erosion of values and weakening sense of accountability.

Leaders, who are consistently available, genuinely accessible, and possess the sacred capacity to sincerely listen to conscientious well-wishers have become a rare breed. Most political leaders, in power or not, surround themselves with ‘yes-men’ and isolate the wise, which is a grave, even suicidal, mistake. The soul of political leadership committed to democratic spirit, is found in the ability to touch minds, move emotions, and change lives. Vision, dedication, and relentless assurance to people-first approach is leadership.

Leaders define, design, and deliver meaningful thought courses. Leadership in its highest form is not flamboyant, but quiet, persistent, and purposeful. It stands tall when storms hit but knows when to bow in humility. It is not charisma but character, not slogans but service, not optics but outcomes. Leaders walk that extra mile to consult, to confront facts, and to transcend personal agendas.

As observed by the Supreme Court on July 14, 2025, that the ‘Freedom of Expression’ was being ‘Abused,’ most leaders commit ‘Extreme Suicidal Mistake’ by indiscriminately deploying ‘Social Media Warriors’ who forget that it is not color of the shirt but wisdom of the heart that matters, before abusing and snubbing meaningful critics, often with filthy language.

A real skill and challenge for a sincere leader is discipline and accountability, especially when party’s broad agenda is disseminated to people. It must be ‘Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART).’ Evading execution after gaining power, or avoiding a responsive role in opposition, is betrayal of leadership.

A true leader need not always head the government, but must be capable of leading the shadow government, as in the case of United Kingdom. Leadership is not about impressing but about groundwork, and certainly not about hiding when circumstances demand. A good leader should stand steadfast, speak truthfully and act in a transparent manner.

Political decision-making is no longer a collective intellectual process or shaped by inner-party democracy and shared wisdom. The diktat of a single person is consensus these days. Dissent is branded as scrupulous disloyalty. Civility has been replaced with contempt, patience with provocation, and humility with hubris, a trait of ‘Overconfident Pride combined with Arrogance.’ The moral compass of leadership is without needles.

Only leaders who are ‘available, accessible and open to consultation’ can make a huge difference.

BJP State president Naraparaju Ramchander Rao has put it rightly, ‘Intellectuals possess moral and analytical clarity needed to inform the public, raise awareness and counter misinformation.’

A great leader believes that failure is only a suspended success. Rudyard Kipling in his ‘IF Poem’ wrote ‘Triumph and disaster the two impostors represent success and failure’ and both can be deceptive’.

Though Alexandre Dumas said, ‘Nothing succeeds like success’, a visionary leader embraces failure as the crucible of growth. Leadership is not about convenience, but about consequence, conscience, and character.

Transformative frameworks and critical qualities that define true leadership, set forth by Jim Collins in his book ‘Good to Great’ are worth absorbing by any leader.

Such ‘level five’ Leaders embrace brutal facts, build teams based on ‘first who, then what,’ and drive transformation through discipline and vision. With such qualities they channel ambition into legacy. Such Leaders are desperately required. The journey from good to great does not occur overnight. It demands deliberate nurturing of strategic depth, consistent values, adaptability, and the courage to confront uncomfortable truths. It calls for visionary (political) leadership, cultivating a culture of discipline.

An effective leader with vision, humility, passion, and people-driven clarity will be capable of inspiring change.

As my illustrious political science Professor late VS Murthy told me, ‘Task accomplishment and Target Fulfilment’ is more important to them, than conforming to orthodox rules. Only such a leader treats every individual with respect. Their words are not theatrics but repositories of evidence, reasoning, literary finesse, and multilingual richness, coupled with subtle humor. When they communicate it will be backed with intensive memory power. They are highly capable of multitasking, impromptu responses, and switch-tasking with strategic clarity.

Equally important for a true leader is the attitude of ‘Treating politics as a task but not a game’ as often put by Telangana’s first chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. True leaders are also to be stewards of public trust, and should know when to be firm, to be flexible, and to say, ‘Thus far, and no further’ but unambiguously with a high degree of rationale. Fearlessly walking an extra mile, if that path ensures justice or secures progress, is what leadership is all about and not shying away from criticism or confrontation. Strategic political acumen enables leaders to convert vulnerabilities into strengths.

Leaders must embody statesmanship, while political leadership should serve as a living lesson, a daily example, and a moral compass for generations, rooted in principles, driven by people and dedicated to posterity.

The era of modest and principled political leaders who lived simply and thought greatly is a bygone memory. Such leaders became Chief Ministers, Speakers, Presidents, and Prime Ministers not because they sought power, but because power trusted them. Degeneration in politics is a typical phenomenon, a feeling of deep sadness, shock, and worry. Ultimately, political leadership is not about rising to power but about raising the people; not about winning elections but winning hearts even after losing. It is about the courage to be right, the humbleness to listen and the wisdom to act.