Prepared by: Radhika Bhalotia

CONTENTS Brief bio-sketch of Swami Vivekananada | Family background | 1 | The Child- Narendranath | 1-2 | Early boyhood of Narendranath | 3 | The multi-faceted Narendranath | 4 | Major turnaround events and their impact on the Vivekananda | Vivekananda- Lover of life | 5 | Does God exist?- Engagement with the Brahmo Samaj | 5-7 | Association with Shri Ramakrishna | 7-8 | Developing eminence and emergence of leadership | Early development of leadership traits | 8 | Dasasya | 9 | Vivekananda at Chicago | 10 | Vivekananda’s take on Vedanta | 10-11 | Vivekananda’s Works | 11 | Vivekananda on his Last Days | 11-12 | Major contributions and demonstrated leadership capability | 12-13 | Swami Vivekananda’s leadership concepts, as applicable in organizations of today | 13-15 | Comments on the person’s leadership styles and attributes | 16-17 |

Motivation behind this writing this paper and choosing Swami Vivekananda

Leadership is seen in the board room and in the kindergarten classroom. It is needed to guide nations as well as a scout troop. Leadership is exercised all over the world.
Perhaps the fact that leadership is “omnipresent” is why it is often ignored, neglected and taken for granted. It’s like air; we don’t even think about it unless it’s lacking.
The fact that leadership is so pervasive should make it a required subject in business school. While some topics are electives, everyone needs to learn the essence of leadership.
In recent years leadership has become a hot topic. Though leadership is a hot topic, it is not a new topic. Wren says, “Leadership is not a “fad” but a concept that is both current and timeless.
The leader chosen by me is Swami Vivekananada. Swami Vivekananda is a must mention among the greatest leaders in the colonial era of India and the modern period. His character and life is an eternal study on positive and constructive leadership. He is the most popular icon of powerful and influential leadership for the young aspirants. Needless to mention, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru are other two great leaders of that period. However, Swami Vivekananda is the only personality that the youth of all generations relate to.

There must be no hesitation in calling him to be a successful leader at all levels – personal, professional and social. Excellent oratory skill is one of the must-have traits of positive leadership. If a leader is a visionary, he should be eloquent enough to express his vision or view into convincing words. Word is the power to drive others towards the goal envisioned by the leader. According to the Bible, word is the chief source of power and means of conviction. You can exercise influence on your fellows and followers through elocution that is gift of the gab in the common speak. Swami Vivekananda was a motivating orator with soul-stirring speech power. He had won the hearts of the scholars in America and other parts of the world on strength of his word power. Through his burning speech, he had encouraged youths to engage in service to the nation, the poor and the neglected. The art of motivating a group to work for a common cause is a positive leadership trait.

Bio-sketch of the Swami Vivekananda
Family Background
Swami Vivekananda, or Narendranath Datta, or simply Narendra or Naren as he was known during his premonastic days, was born to Vishwanath Datta and Bhuvaneshwari Devi on Monday, 12th January 1863, at Calcutta.
The Datta family was rich, respectable, and renowned for charity, learning, and a strong spirit of independence. Narendranath's grandfather, Durgacharan Datta, was well-versed in Persian and Sanskrit and was skilled in law. But after the birth of his son Vishwanath, he renounced the world and became a monk. He was then only twenty-five. Vishwanath Datta was an attorney-at-law in the High Court of Calcutta. He was proficient in English and Persian, and took great delight in reciting to his family the poems of the Persian poet Hafiz. He also enjoyed the study of the Bible which he thought contained the highest wisdom. Though charitable sometimes to an extravagant degree, and sympathetic towards the poor and those who suffered, he was an agnostic in religious matters due to the influence of Western culture which he had imbibed.
Bhuvaneshwari Devi was an accomplished woman with a regal bearing. She was deeply religious, and so she sowed and nurtured the seeds of religion in the tender heart of Narendranath. Endowed with a keen memory, she remembered a good portion of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which she taught her son when he was still very young.
The Child- Narendranath
Naughty and restless though Narendranath was by nature, and given to much fun and frolic, he was greatly attracted towards spiritual life even in childhood. The stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which his mother told him left on him an indelible impression. Play delighted Narendranath, and one of his pastimes as a child was to worship and meditate on the image of Rama, Sita, or Shiva. Every night, before he fell asleep, there appeared to him between his eyes a wonderful spot of light of changing hues. That light would gradually expand until it burst and bathed his whole being in a white radiance. He had full faith in Hindu mythology. Once he went to hear an exposition of the Ramayana in the course of which he heard the pundit describe the great devotion of Hanuman. At the end of the exposition, he approached the pundit and said he would like to know the whereabouts of Hanuman. The pundit said that he might be in some plantain grove. So Narendranath waited at a plantain grove till late at night expecting to see Hanuman, and his people could find him only after a great search.

Narendranath had his first experience of spiritual trance at the age of fifteen at the sight of a large beehive in a cleft in the hills of the Vindhya range. At that time he was traveling with his mother Raipur (Madhya Pradesh), where his father was then temporarily working.

Morning shows the day, and the early years of Narendranath were full of events that help promise of a great spiritual personality as well as of great powers of leadership.
Once, when he was returning with his friends from a fair, carrying some dolls which he had purchased, he heard shouts from behind from people scared by some imminent danger. Looking back, he found that one of his companions was on the point of being crushed by a hackney carriage. Instantly, putting the dolls under one arm, he rushed to his companion and dragged him out of danger. The passers-by were astonished at the bravery and presence of mind of Narendranath.
Another time, young Narendranath was trying with some of his friends to put up a trapeze, but the wooden poles were too heavy for the little boys. A European sailor who was passing by went to their help. He pressed down the legs of the frame with his feet, while the boys pulled at the rope to raise the other end. Suddenly, the rope snapped and the legs jumped up. The sailor was injured and became unconscious. Most of the boys fled in consternation, but Narendranath and a few others took care of the sailor, nursed him to recovery, and raised a subscription for him.

Early boyhood of Narendranath

Even in the early boyhood, Narendranath demanded convincing arguments for every proposition. He often used to swing on the branches of a champaka tree in a neighbor's compound. This irritated the owner, an old man, and he warned Narendranath and his companions that the tree was haunted by a bad ghost who would some day break their necks. This frightened the other boys; but Narendranath argued that if the old man were right, their necks would have been broken long ago. And he continued to swing on the branches of the tree as before.

Vishwanath's clients belonged to all section s of the Calcutta public -- Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and others. And, as social custom required, to enable them all to smoke he provided different pipes attached to bowls filled with water. Narendranath's curiosity was aroused by this strange custom. Why could not all use the same pipe? On inquiry he learnt that unless this custom was followed, one's caste would be lost, so he proceeded to check this fact. One day, when nobody was there in his father's office, Narendranath entered the room and took a puff at each of the pipes in turn. Suddenly, his father entered the room and asked the boy what he was doing. Nothing daunted, the intrepid boy answered that he was just testing how one's caste was actually lost. The amused father left with the simple remark, 'Wicked boy that you are!"

Bhuvaneshwari Devi taught young Narendranath the Bengali alphabet and his first English words. At the age of seven, the boy started his education proper under a private tutor. Being exceptionally intelligent, he learnt by heart in a short time a considerable portion of the Sanskrit grammar,Mugdabodha, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In 1871, at the age of eight, he joined the ninth class at Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Metropolitan Institution. In 1879 he entered the Presidency College, after passing the Entrance Examination. A year later he joined the college that is now known as the Scottish Church College.

The multi-faceted Narendranath
Narendranath was gifted with multiplicity of talents and he cultivated them all. His leonine beauty was matched by his courage; he had the build of an athlete, a delightful voice, and a brilliant intellect. His interests ranged from fencing, wrestling, rowing, games, physical exercise, cooking and organizing dramas to instrumental and vocal music, love of philosophic discussion and criticism. In all these he was an undisputed leader. These and other traits in his character soon attracted the notice of his teachers and fellow students. The principal of his college, professor Hastie, once remarked: "Narendra is a real genius. I have traveled far and wide, but have not yet come across a lad of his talents and possibilities even among the philosophical students in the German universities. He is bound to make his mark in life."

At college Narendranath began to interest himself more seriously in studies. Apart from the usual collage curriculum, he avidly studied western logic, the abstruse philosophy of Herbert Spencer, the systems of Kant and Schopenhauer, the mystical and analytical speculations of the Aristotelian school, the positivist philosophy of Comte, and John Stuart Mill's Three Essays on Religion. He also mastered the ancient and modern history of Europe and the English poets like Shelley and Wordsworth. He even took a course in physiology with a view to understanding the functioning of the nervous system, the brain, and the spinal cord.

Major turnaround events and their impact on the Vivekananda
Contact with western thought, which lays particular emphasis on the supremacy of reason, brought about a severe conflict in Narendranath. His inborn tendency towards spirituality and his respect for the ancient traditions and beliefs of his religion which he had imbibed from his mother, on the one side, and his argumentative nature coupled with his sharp intellect which hated superstition and questioned simple faith on the other, were now at war with each other. Under a deep spiritual urge, he was then found observing hard ascetic practices, staying in his grandmother's house, away from his parents and other relatives, following a strict vegetarian diet, sleeping on the bare ground or on an ordinary quilt, in accordance with the strict rules of brahmacharya.
Vivekananda- Lover of life
From youth, two visions of life had presented themselves before him. In one, he found himself among the great ones of the earth, possessing riches, power, honor, and glory, and he felt himself capable of attaining all these. In the other, he saw himself renouncing all worldly things, dressed in a simple loin-cloth, living on alms, sleeping under a tree, and then he felt that the had the capacity to live this like the Rishis of ancient India. It was, however, the second vision that prevailed in the end, and he used to sleep with the conviction that by renunciation alone could man attain the highest bliss. He also used to meditate for long hours before going to sleep; and from boyhood he had a passion for purity. He was a born idealist and seeker of truth; so he could hardly be satisfied with worldly enjoyment, though he was a jubilant lover of life.
Does God exist?- Engagement with the Brahmo Samaj

But now his contact with western philosophy and science unsettled his mind, and he was filled with grace doubts about the existence of God. One of the chief questions that he could not answer was: How to reconcile the presence of evil in Nature with the goodness of an omnipresent Creator? Hume's skepticism and Herbert Spencer's doctrine of the Unknowable made him a settle agnostic. After wearing out his first emotional freshness and naivete, he felt a dryness of heart and an incapacity for his accustomed prayers and devotions. His real problem was: If God really exists, it must be possible for one to see Him. He felt the need of a helping hand to save, to uplift, to protect, and to transform his impotence into strength and glory.

In this predicament he tried to find comfort in the Brahmo Samaj, a popular socio-religious movement of the time. This sect discarded Hindu conventions, opposed orthodox rituals and image worship, and taught people to worship and adore only 'the eternal, the unsearchable, the immutable Being, who is the author and preserver of the universe.' This new faith appealed to Narendranath. He was also impressed by its insistence on the supremacy of reason, and its programmes for social reform and mass education. Though for a time the congregational prayers and devotional songs of the Samaj attracted him, and he took an active part in them, he soon found that they did not give him that spiritual satisfaction for which he was thirsting.

In his eagerness for spiritual illumination he went to Devendranath Tagore, the leader of the Brahmo Samaj, and asked him: "Sir, have you seen God?" The old man was embarrassed by the question, and replied, "My boy, you have the eyes of a Yogi. You should practice meditation." The youth was disappointed, but he received no better answer from the leaders of other religious sects whom he approached with the same question.
At this critical juncture he remembered the words of his professor, William Hastie, who, while speaking of trances in the course of his lecture on Wordsworth's Excursion, had said, "Such an experience is the result of purity of mind and concentration on some particular object, and is rare indeed, particularly in these days. I have seen only one person who has experienced that blessed state of mind, and he is Ramakrishna Paramahamsa of Dakshineswar. You can understand if you go there and see for yourself." Ramachandra Datta, a relative of Narendranath's, seeing his yearning for religion, also advised him: "If you really want to cultivate spirituality, then visit Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar, instead of knocking about here and there." Narendranath had earlier once met Shri Ramakrishna in the house of Surendranath Mitra, a disciple who invited the Master occasionally to his house for the benefit of himself and other devotees. On one occasion Narendranath had been requested to be present to sing devotional songs. So now, in his trouble, the young seeker decided to have yet one more try to solve his problem. Association with Shri Ramakrishna In many ways Ramakrishna was different to Vivekananda. Ramakrishna was an illiterate and simple villager who had taken a post at a local Kali temple. However his simple exterior hid a personality of extraordinary spirituality. For many years Ramakrishna had pursued the most intense spiritual practices burning with a longing for realisation of his beloved Mother Kali. But after attaining realisation, Ramakrishna not only practised Hindu rituals, but also pursued the spiritual paths of all the main religions. Sri Ramakrishna came to the conclusion that all religions lead to the same goal of union with the infinite. It was thus fitting that his closest disciple, Vivekananda would later eloquently spread this message, – the harmony of world religions.

As Sri Aurobindo would later say:
” the Master (Sri Ramakrishna) marked out Vivekananda as the heroic soul destined to take the world between his two hands and change it.”
Ramakrishna instantly recognised the spiritual potential of Vivekananda and lavished attention on Vivekananda, who at first did not always understand this. In the beginning the reasoning mind of Vivekananda was sceptical of this God intoxicated Saint, and Vivekananda would frequently question and debate his teachings. However, the spiritual magnetism of Sri Ramakrishna soon melted Vivekananda’s heart and he began to experience the real spirituality that Ramakrishna exuded. Thus Vivekananda’s mental opposition faded away to be replaced by an intense surrender to the Divine Mother and a burning longing for realisation.
For a short but intense period of about 5 years, Vivekananda learnt directly from his Master Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna was able to awaken the dormant spiritual consciousness in his beloved disciple and Vivekananda soon began to experience profound states of consciousness and Samadhi. Yet, after experiencing the bliss of samadhi, Vivekananda asked his Master for the boon to continually experience the ecstasy of Nirvana. However, his Guru, replied: ‘I thought you had been born for something greater, my boy!‘

After the passing of Ramakrishna, the other disciples looked to Vivekananda for leadership and he helped form the first monastic order of Ramakrishna. Under his constant guidance he urged his fellow brother disciples to renounce the world and seek communion with God.
However for Vivekananda, personal liberation was not enough. His heart ached for the downtrodden masses of India who suffered poverty and many hardships. Vivekananda felt that the highest ideal was to serve God through serving humanity. Thus Vivekananda would later add social work as an important element of the Ramakrishna order.

Developing eminence and emergence of leadership “Do you think these sannyasi children of Sri Ramakrishna are born to simply to sit under trees lighting dhuni-fires? Whenever any of them will take up some work, people will be astonished to see their energy. Learn from them how to work. ”- Swami Vivekananda

Early development of leadership traits

Thus after spending a few years in meditation Vivekananda began travelling throughout India, visiting many of the holy sites. After travelling through India and coming into contact with many influential figures, it was suggested that Vivekananda would make an ideal candidate to represent Hinduism at the World Parliament of Religions which was shortly to be held in Chicago, USA. Before leaving Vivekananda went to receive the blessings of Sarada Devi, the wife of Sri Ramakrishna. After receiving her encouragement and blessings he made the momentous journey to America dressed in his ochre robe and maintaining the vows of a Sanyasin.
Dasasya
Swami Vivekananda, one of the greatest thinkers modern India modern India has produced, is very specific about the qualities of a leader. According to him, the position of a leader is not for enjoyment but for sacrifice. He says, ‘It is a very difficult task to take on the role of leader. –One must be “dasasya” das: a servant of servants, and must accommodate a thousand minds. There must not be a shade of jealousy or selfishness, and then you are a leader”.
There are two types of administration: by fear and force, and by love and loyalty. History shows that most leaders prefer the first method: by fear and force. But swami Vivekananda advocates the second method of administration. In his opinion, “The best leader, however, is one who “leads like the baby’. The baby, though apparently depending on everyone is the king of the household. At least, to my thinking that is the secret [to being the best leader]’.
The administrator who wants to rule through love and loyalty needs a perfect character. He or she must be impersonal, equal to all, and above all, unselfish. Such a leader should draw love and respect equally from his or her followers. According to Swamiji, ‘there is no allegiance possible where there is no character in the leader and perfect purity ensures the most lasting allegiance and confidence’.
In a letter to sister Nivedita, he divulges the secret of his leadership: ‘I see persons giving me almost the whole of mine in return for that day the work would be ruined. Yet there are some who will look for such a return, not having the breadth of the impersonal view. It is absolutely necessary to the work that I should have the enthusiastic love of as many as possible, while I must remain entirely impersonal. Otherwise jealousy and quarrels would break up everything. A leader must be impersonal. I am sure you understand this. I do not mean that one should be a brute, making use of the devotion of others for his own ends, and laughing in his sleeve meanwhile. What I mean is what I am, intensely personal in my own hand, if it becomes necessary, “for the good of many, for the welfare o many” as Buddha said’

Vivekananda at Chicago “My dear Brothers and sisters of America, the long night is at last drawing to a close. Miseries and sorrows are disappearing. Ours is a sacred country. She is gradually waking up, thanks to the fresh breeze all around. Her might no one can overcome”. This was the magical speech that Swamiji made in the Conference of World Religions held at Chicago.
The conference started on 11th September 1893. Thousands of delegates belonging to deferent countries of the world had gathered at the conference. Vivekananda was the youngest of them all. When it was his turn to speak, his throat went dry.
Besides, he did not have, like the other delegates, a prepared speech. However, when he began his address in his pleasing voice with the words “Brothers and Sisters of America,” there was a thunderous applause; that lasted for a full three minutes.
When it subsided at last he continued his short speech. He said that people born in different religions finally reach the same God, as river born in different places finally reaches the sea. He empathetically stated that no religion is superior or inferior.
Everyone was impressed by Swamiji`s speech. Meanwhile, Swamiji received pressing invitations from England. A rousing reception awaited him in London when he arrived there.
The newspapers were all praise for the Hindu Yogi`s oratory and outlook. Many became his disciples. Among them was Margaret Nivedita`. She came to India and settled here. Swami Vivekananda returned to India after his foreign tour lasting four years.
Vivekananda’s take on Vedanta
Swami Vivekananda belonged to that branch of Vedanta that held that no one could be truly free until all of us are. Even the desire for personal salvation has to be given up, and only tireless work for the salvation of others is the true mark of the enlightened person.
Vivekananda did not feel that religion, nor, any force for that matter, should be used forcefully to bring about an ideal society, since this was something that would evolve naturally by individualistic change when the conditions were right.
He was of the opinion that an ideal indian is that which combines the good virtues of all the four caste system namely, Brahmin knowledge, Kshatriya culture, Vaisya efficiency and the egalitarian Shudra ethos. Swamiji was also a perfect blend of western and eastern culture. He was of the opinion that Indians should learn the art of reasoning out just as the westerners do. He was terribly upset that people in India were fooled under the pretext of preaching Vedanta.
Vivekananda’s Works
Vivekananda left a body of philosophical works. His books on the four Yogas (Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga) are very influential and still seen as fundamental texts for anyone interested in the Hindu practice of Yoga.
His letters are of great literary and spiritual value. His language is very free flowing. His own Bengali writings stand testimony to the fact that he believed that words – spoken or written should be for making things easier to understand rather than show off the speaker or writer`s knowledge.
Vivekananda on his Last Days
On July 4, 1902 at Belur Math near Calcutta, he taught Vedanta philosophy to some pupils in the morning. Vivekananda died suddenly later that day.
He died at an age of 39. In the course of a short life of thirty-nine years (1863-1902), of which only ten were devoted to public activities-and those, too, in the midst of acute physical suffering-he left for posterity his four classics : Jnana-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, and Raja-Yoga, all of which are outstanding treatises on Hindu philosophy.
In addition, he delivered innumerable lectures, wrote inspired letters in his own hand to his many friends and disciples, composed numerous poems, and acted as spiritual guide to the many seekers, who came to him for instruction. He also organized the Ramakrishna Order of monks, which is the most outstanding religious organization of modern India.
His life and teachings are of inestimable value to the West for an understanding of the mind of Asia. William James, the Harvard philosopher, called the Swami the “model of Vedantists.”
Max Muller and Paul Deussen, the famous Orientalists of the nineteenth century, held him in genuine respect and affection. Although Swamiji is no longer with us, his words live. His message has continued to inspire millions of his countrymen.

Major contributions and demonstrated leadership capability

This incident took place in 1895. The place was London. Swami Vivekananda was to give a public lecture and he had come to London with Swami Saradananda. When it was time to stand up and speak, Swami Vivekananda suddenly announced that Swami Saradananda would deliver the speech instead of him. Though taken by surprise, Saradananda did an excellent job that day, and thereafter too. Swami Vivekananda had realized that all Saradananda needed was a little push to bolster his self-confidence. This incident in isolation may not say much, but we need to see it from the perspective of the leadership and management style of Swami Vivekananda.
Swamiji was not only an inspirational leader, but was also a very pragmatic one. He not only believed in ‘Servant-based Leadership’ but constantly endeavored to empower all those around him. In dealing with his brother-disciples and followers, he evoked what is today popularly known in the management world as the ‘Pygmalion Effect’. Management expert J. Sterling Livingston describes it as the effect of enabling subordinates to excel in response to the leader’s expectation of them. Swami Vivekananda had a high expectation of his followers and he communicated that to them clearly, thus eliciting a high level of performance. Leaders empower their followers by believing in them, and they rise to greatness as a result. The leaders make themselves larger by enlarging others. The leader constantly aims at moving people around him from dependence to independence to the state of inter-dependence. Swami Vivekananda had chosen ‘empower and facilitate’ philosophy over ‘command and control’ long before modern management realized its potential. Trust plays an important part in the process. If the leader does not trust his followers, he will use control instead of empowerment. Swami Vivekananda while exhorting his disciples to the highest levels of work had the fullest trust in them and their abilities. His urge to motivate people around him to aspire for higher levels of performance can be seen from this letter of his to his direct disciple Swami Shuddhananda in 1897. He writes, “…Lastly, you must remember i expect more from my children than from my brethren (his brother disciples). I want each one of my children to be a hundred times greater than i could ever be. Every one of you must be a giant – must, this is my word. Obedience, readiness, and love for the cause – if you have these three, nothing can hold you back.”
This also shows Swamiji’s interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate and develop people. One can even say that Swamiji’s call, “Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached” was nothing but an attempt to empower people en-masse. J Carla Nortcutt had once said, “The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves.” This is perhaps the best description of Swami Vivekananda, the greatest leader of our times.

Swami Vivekananda’s leadership concepts, as applicable in organizations of today
It is heartening to note that Vivekananda is a great builder of Organisations and very passionate about Organisational building. He laid down some interesting guidelines in building organizations. Vivekananda's views on Organisation and organized work are relevant in these days of recession and worth studying to understand his ideas and ideals for budding Entrepreneurs. The following sections, throw some light on the great wisdom of Swami Vivekananda on Organisational behaviour and organizational building.
Vivekananada, proposed Dharmic Leadership. Dharmic leadership combines ethical decision-making and ethical behavior, and it occurs in both, an individual and an organizations’context. Dharmic leadership emphasizes perfectiom of the self through planned self development as a human being. Man is first a manager, and he is responsible for blending work ethics. A dharmic leader is someone who, “supposedly tells the people the difference between right and wrong. “A major responsibility of a Dharmic leader is to make ethical dxecisions and behave on ethical ways and to see that others understand and practice the ethical codes.
Rig Veda Samhita says, 'Be thou all of one mind, be thou all of one thought, for in the days of yore, the Gods being of the mind were enabled to receive oblations'. This is in line with the management thought that the whole organization must align with the objectives, vision and mission of the Company. Such is the ancient wisdom of India which was reflected in Vedas. Being of one mind is the secret of success of the Organisation.
The success of your undertaking depends wholly upon your mutual love. To make great future for any Country, the whole secret lies in organization, accumulation of power, coordination of wills... that is the secret... accumulation of will-power, coordination, bringing them all, as it were, into one focus. The term organization means division of labour. Each does his own part and all the parts taken together express an ideal of harmony. Everyone has to play his or her role in building the organization, so that the organization can achieve its goal in harmony.
The secret of success is there; to pay as much attention to the means as to the end.
But we never do this. We always struggle and strive to achieve our goals by any means only to realize the gory end and grope in the dark in vain. This has resulted in unexpected problem like global recession, where every country is suffering and it is expected that nearly 95 countries across the globe will suffer in the coming two years due to this economic down turn.
The impact, influence and style of leadership cannot be ignored in building great organizations. A leader must have an all-sided intellect to do efficient work. It is very difficult to take the role of a leader - one must be 'Dasasya Dasaha - a servant of servant and must accommodate a thousand minds. A servant leadership only can build great organization and Hanuman is the real example of loyalty and servant leadership. There must not be a shade of jealousy or selfishness, and then you are a leader. How many leaders like this you can find in the Corporate World or Political arena.
Vivekananda said, “He never becomes a leader in whose love there is a consideration of high or low.” That is one should not be biased in people management and equality in treating everyone must be followed without fail. He whose love knows no end, and never stops to consider high or low, has the whole world lying at his feet.
Be the servant if you will rule. That is the real secret of success. Your love will tell even if your words be harsh. Instinctively men feel the love clothed in whatever language.
To build great organization, we want some fiery young men. Intelligent and brave, who dare to go to the jaws of death and are ready to swim the ocean across - we want hundreds like that, both men and women. Try your utmost for that end alone. Whether we be ten or two, do not care, but those few must be perfect characters.
Neither money pays, nor name, nor fame, nor learning, it is character that can cleave through adamantine walls of difficulties. Bear this in mind. Then, after the foundation is laid, let him who will, come and make a noise, there is no fear. In this 21st century, we call this attitude. 'It is not the aptitude which decides your altitude, but attitude. The most trustworthy men are needed. Rome is not built in one day. In the same way, Organisations cannot be built in one day. Reliance Industries is the right example of great organization built with great perseverance and realization of a great dream. A boy of 11 years working in a Shell petrol bunk in Burma dreamt of owning a petrol outlet like that in his life time. Today you can see Reliance Petrol bunks everywhere in India, which were setup by Reliance Industries as a tribute to the dreams of their founder father.
No good thing can be done without obstructions. It is only those who persevere to the end that succeed. Don't allow egoism to enter your minds, and let love never depart from your hearts.
Even if you are at your last breath, be not afraid. Work on with the intrepidity of a lion but at the same time with the tenderness of a flower.
Even the greatest fool can accomplish a task if it be after his heart. But the intelligent man is he who can convert every work into one that suits his taste. No work is petty. Everything in this world is like a banyan-seed, has yet the gigantic banyan tree latent within it. He indeed is intelligent who notices this and succeeds in making all work truly great.

Comments on the person’s leadership styles and attributes

Swami Vivekananda is a must mention among the greatest leaders in the colonial era of India and the modern period. His character and life is an eternal study on positive and constructive leadership. He is the most popular icon of powerful and influential leadership for the young aspirants. Needless to mention, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru are other two great leaders of that period. However, Swami Vivekananda is the only personality that the youth of all generations relate to.

There must be no hesitation in calling him to be a successful leader at all levels – personal, professional and social. Excellent oratory skill is one of the must-have traits of positive leadership. If a leader is a visionary, he should be eloquent enough to express his vision or view into convincing words. Word is the power to drive others towards the goal envisioned by the leader. According to the Bible, word is the chief source of power and means of conviction. You can exercise influence on your fellows and followers through elocution that is gift of the gab in the common speak. Swami Vivekananda was a motivating orator with soul-stirring speech power. He had won the hearts of the scholars in America and other parts of the world on strength of his word power. Through his burning speech, he had encouraged youths to engage in service to the nation, the poor and the neglected. The art of motivating a group to work for a common cause is a positive leadership trait.

The captain of an army is supposed to have no power when he is without the army. “United we stand, divided we fall”. This age-old adage is very true for the captain or leader. A leader should not keep himself away from the reach of his subordinates or followers. He can walk a step ahead of them, but not so far that they can’t keep pace with him. Swami Vivekananda was a great spiritual leader. He never held himself above his devotees. He was close to them; he was amidst them. It was the key to his mass popularity. He identified himself with the common people and their collective force. This is a sign of being a true leader.

A leader should stay motivated and keep his followers motivated. Instead of referring to noble men as examples of great leadership, he himself should set an example for his followers by rising over trifles and all sorts of meanness. He becomes a leader not only because he designates a position higher than others. It is a set of specific qualities that set him on high as a leader.

Swami Vivekananda emerged as a leader of the youth by dint of hard work, tireless effort, selflessness, and other noble traits. Law of attraction is a rare trait that a few leaders are known to have.

References-

1. Vivekananda- A biography, Swami Nikhilananda, Ramakrishna Center of New York. 2. Complete Works of Vivekananda, Mayawati Memorial Edition, Advaita Ashram, Volume 1-8. 3. Inspiring thoughts of Vivekananda, Meera Joshi, Rajpal Publications. 4. http://www.maasamiti.org/media/samvit/samvit12_9_facets.php 5. http://propelyourself.blogspot.in/2008/05/qualities-of-world-leader-swami.html 6. http://www.thecolorsofindia.com/vivekananda/index.html 7. http://hinduism.about.com/od/vivekananda/p/vivekananda.htm 8. http://www.ramakrishna.org/sv.htm 9. http://www.writespirit.net/wp-content/cache/supercache/www.writespirit.net/authors/swami-vivekananda/biography-swami-vivekananda// 10. http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/0945/2/1/ 11. http://www.vivekananda.org/quotes.aspx 12. http://www.awakeningindia.org/Life/Life.aspx 13. http://realityviews.blogspot.in/2011/01/short-biography-of-swami-vivekananda.html 14. http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda.htm 15. http://www.rkmathnagpur.org/swami_vivekananda/02_college.htm 16. http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ba-k-bhattacharyab039vivekananda-formula039/480510/

Word Count- 6303 words.