Many students, faculty and visitors were in attendance for “Leadership in the Modern Age: The Spiritual Dimension,” a lecture by His Holiness Romapada Swami, last night in the Jerry Junkins building. Sponsored by the SMU Bhakti Yoga Club and the Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, the lecture focused on the qualities of a leader as well as what leadership truly is.
“A leader always sets the trail for others to follow. Leadership is an active service rather than just a position,” said Swami. The notion of progress and change played an important role in the speech.
“When we move forward with your lives…you’ll be acting as leaders for others,” said Swami. However, as Swami explained, the will of others to accept change is not often easy to motivate. But as a leader, it is possible to instigate said change.
“If you can tune people into higher laws of reality, they will accept change,” he said. The lecture pointed out that in order to be a leader, these higher laws of reality, or natural laws, must be observed. These natural laws act as fixed ethical responsibilities. Swami equated these laws to the purpose of a lighthouse.
“A leader honors natural laws, always bearing in mind life’s divine goals,” said Swami. Important aspects of these laws attributing to leadership included obedience, humility and balance.
The relation between leadership and obedience was highlighted in the act of following. “The best leader is the best follower. We obey those principles, the higher order of things. That gives strength,” said Swami. Aside from obedience providing strength in leadership, humility bodes equal importance.
“Humility is a strength. A leader can take the position of being humble it helps build trust,” he said. But as Swami showed, trust can be taken away as fast as it is manifested.
“An absence of good character leads to an absence of trust. It leads to unnecessary problems in any group,” Swami explained, alluding to the importance of group leadership. “The assistance that comes from others can be perceived as something sent from God.” However, the ability of understanding the importance of one’s own self played a vital role in Swami’s lecture.
“Find out what your strengths are. Borrow from that strength to work on your weaknesses,” he said. “We let go of ego, accept there are divine principles as we see ourselves as instruments of the supreme will.”
Swami even put a spin on the widely-recognized “glass half full” exercise by explaining that one should see the glass as both half full as well as half empty.
“A leader has to be balanced and has to gather diverse opinions or strategies. Balance is an essential quality of leaders,” Swami noted. Throughout the night, he quoted philosopher Heraclitus, transcendentalist Emerson and even Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Ultimately, Swami drove home a message that leadership exists in everyone and that they are capable of tapping into it.
“Leadership is something that every thoughtful person deals with in their own personal life. Please be very thoughtful of the principles you lead your life by,” he said. “So many things compromise these principles. I would like to see students [become] more thoughtful of high order principles.” The lecture wrapped up with a brief question and answer session, providing more insight to those who came to hear Swami.
“[The lecture] helped reinforce things we all try to apply in our life, but we don’t always do,” said first-year student Ketherine Trahan.
According to the Bhakti Yoga Club’s supplement brochure, one of the many purposes of the club is to help youth become effective managers of their own lives and powerful leaders in society. The natural laws provided by Swami further contributed to the club’s goal.
“I wanted people to know that there are eternal laws. Most people aren’t even aware that there are these laws,” said SriramKizhakkemadam, former club president. “There’s a higher happiness not connected with the body.”
The Bahkti Yoga Club meets every Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in room 113 of the Jerry Junkins building.
