Nuggets of Leadership 4 - Ajit Doval’s call for Action in decision making

4 minute read

I recently came across an address to youth in a Youth conclave by our longest serving NSA Shri. Ajit Doval ji. It was a 30-minute address that beautifully emphasized one of finest qualities of a leader i.e “The ability to not only take right decisions at the right time, but the ability to see through and make those decisions right”. I could not help myself to take copious amount of notes from the address. This is my summary of takeaways from this address for my future self, I believe I will come back to these learnings from time to time.

📢 Call to Action:

“Give your key decision coupled with concrete actions, a time of 5 years for you to see through to its goal. This persistence will reward you with tremendous will power that will enable you to multiply your abilities in all aspects of your life.”

Takeaways from the address:

  1. A good leader can be identified by his ability to take quality decisions at the right time.

  2. A leader’s biggest strength is his ability to take right decision at right time and the ability to execute and follow through his decisions.

    Side Note: PM Shri. Narendra Modi has put the engine of Vikasit Bharat on auto-pilot mode. Now it’s not a question Whether India will be developed country by 2047, it Will be. The question we need to ask today, what kind of leaders do we need in Bharat of 2047 and are we grooming our youngsters for it?

  3. Decisions should always be made not with short-term views, but with long-term vision (दूरदृष्टि) as its focus and key driver. Always think 3-4 steps ahead while taking decisions. To put it simply, think not only about second-order effects but also third-order effects of your actions.

  4. हमें अपने इतिहास का प्रतिशोध लेना ह। भारत को इतिहास ने सबक दिया है की तुम्हे अपने राष्ट्र(सनातन सभ्यता) की सुरक्षा का ध्यान रखना चाहिए और हर पीढ़ी को इसका आभास करना चाहिए।

    Side Note: India in its history never destroyed temples or attacked other nations at the time when it was at its civilizational peak (i.e. until 16th century). Alas, we were lax about security of our civilization. And history has taught us an invaluable lesson via 1000 years of conflict, occupation and colonization. It is our duty to keep this lesson and memory alive in our future generations, so we do not repeat the cycle of history ever again.

  5. It is very important to make right decision. But, it is far more important that you make your decisions right. Challenge lies in making decision right. It needs साधना और धैर्य.

    💡 Key Insight: Making the right decision is important, but making your decisions right through persistence and dedication is what truly matters.

  6. Today’s highly connected world is full of motivation talks, reels, videos and courses for people looking for motivation or self-help. Getting motivated is only a small fraction of the story. Motivation is temporary, it can last anywhere between few hours to a week depending on the person. It is our responsibility to translate motivation into discipline. Only discipline is permanent. Now the question arises “How do we turn our motivation into discipline?” The answer lies in writing down your motivations into decisions that you promise yourself to execute. Turn these decisions into actions that can be integrated into your daily habits. Perform these actions as if they are essential for your survival. follow the 21-day rule of habit forming. Once these decision become your habits, discipline is now part of your life.

  7. ⏰ Urgency: Act on your decisions now. Best time was yesterday, Next best time is NOW!!!. Never postpone to act on your decisions, otherwise this will become a habit and habits are hard to overcome.

  8. 💪 Perseverance: Tenacity is an essential skill. Never quit, if the going gets tough, slow down or take a pause,but NEVER QUIT or Change the GOAL!!

  9. Believe in yourself. As Swami Vivekananda said “The old scriptures state a Believer is one who believes in god. The new scriptures state a Believer is one who believes in himself only then he believes in god.”

  10. 🏔️ Inspiration: From tragedy to triumph—Arunima Sinha showed the world that your circumstances don’t define you; your decisions and commitment do. The story of Arunima Sinha exemplifies the power of resilience and unwavering commitment. A national-level volleyball player, her life changed forever in April 2011 when robbers pushed her from a moving train. She lost her leg below the knee when another train ran over her as she lay helpless on the tracks. While recovering in the hospital, instead of giving up, she made a decision to climb Mount Everest. With a prosthetic leg, after 52 days of climbing, she became the world’s first female amputee to summit Mount Everest on May 21, 2013. She didn’t stop there; she went on to conquer the highest peaks on all seven continents, proving that with total commitment and willpower, no obstacle is insurmountable. (source: AI summary from wikipedia)

  11. 🔥 Power of Commitment: Complete dedication to your decisions unlocks tremendous willpower within you.

  12. 📌 Always remember, nothing is permanent in life, life is a perpetual struggle of ups and downs. Embrace both

  13. As Napoleon Bonaparte said on leadership “I am not afraid of an army of 1000 lions being led by a sheep. I am terrified of an army of 1000 sheep being led by a lion.” Quality of Leadership matters.

  14. Doval’s take on War. “Wars are not fought for money, power etc, albeit they are consequences of it. Wars are always fought to kill the will of the country/nation state to fight, so that the conqueror can enforce his will on you.”

I believe these teachings will serve me as guiding beacon and I will always come back to these at regular intervals, a small commitment I make today.

You May Also Enjoy