G. Balasubramanian | Chairperson, Board of Advisors, ICSL | Editor-in-Chief, The Progressive School
Richard Wiseman, Professor of Public Understanding of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, UK has authored a book “The Luck Factor” which has been published in 14 languages and in 25 countries. In this book, he quotes his research on people’s attitude towards luck.
A study conducted among 400 persons from diverse backgrounds for obtaining response for the following question:
You walk into a bank to cash a cheque and as you are standing in the queue, someone decides to rob the bank. In the confusion, a gun is fired and you are shot in the leg and wounded. But you survive. What would be your response?
The answers included the following:
Why is it always on me?
I am always at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Life is so unfair to me
Well, it could have been worse. I am happy to be what I am
I am lucky to be alive.
Wow! That’s lucky – I could write a book about it!
The question has been the same for everyone, but the responses have been different. Some of us always see the positive side and others always the negative side.
An effective leader is able to see the island in the midst of the sea; an oasis in the desert; a hope in despair; a triumph between defeats.
It is important that we should let positive forces dominate over the negative forces. Any number of years behind the bars didn’t let Nelson Mandela lose his hope on freedom! Any amount of suppression couldn’t let Gandhi leave his struggle for independence! Any amount of poverty didn’t let Marie Curie leave her pursuit for the glowing metal!
A leader has to necessarily be a positive force for his team members. Let us ask ourselves everyday a question:
“Do I see the light?”