A thought leader, at the very least, must have a brain in good working order. So Professor M.S. Rao, founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India, who has written many books and articles (including on his specialty of “Soft Leadership,”) faced a nightmare scenario in 2021 when he suffered a stroke.
At the age of 60, he has continued to work back from that and other health challenges, yet remains amazingly prolific. He recently published a book in India, Spiritual Leadership: Stop Existing and Start Living. An excerpt from it ran last month on James Strock’s Serve to Lead blog, and Strock published an interview with Professor Rao last September.
In my role as managing editor of Leader to Leader, I have edited two of Professor Rao’s articles: “Soft Leadership: Make Others Feel More Important,” (Spring 2012), and “21 Success Sutras for CEOs,” (Summer 2015). He says that “Abraham Lincoln has been my inspiration since my childhood and Peter Drucker is my inspiration in management.” (And indeed Professor Rao has written about both of my Drucker-related books.) He has also published the article “The Relevance of Peter Drucker’s Management Philosophy in Today’s World,” for the prestigious Thinkers50 organization.
After I decided to write about Professor Rao for my blog, he sent me details about his life and career, and I have included selections below in italics, edited for clarity and length, and grouped thematically:
Early years
I hail from a poor family background. My father had a tea stall. After returning to school, I assisted my father in the tea stall as I am the elder son in the family. I washed dishes, served food to customers, and collected cash from the customers. I had a tough life with innumerable challenges. Right from my childhood, I have had a passion for education and learning. Unfortunately, my parents were not in a position to afford my education.
Indian Air Force
I joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) when I was 18, discontinuing my graduation. I acquired a positive attitude and developed an interest in leadership. I received a meagre payment, as I joined the lowest rank in the service. I was sending a major portion of the money to my home and utilizing the little money for my education. In IAF, I worked hard after working hours and studied hard to acquire qualifications , including BSc, DME, MA, PGDCLL, PGDBM, and MBA.
After completing my duties, I utilized my personal time for education and learning. I invested my annual leave and casual leave to study hard and acquired qualifications. Thanks to the Indian Air Force for giving me the salary, food, and accommodation to serve my nation, acquire an education, and support my family financially.
IAF allowed me to serve my nation. There is no discrimination in recruitment, training, and treatment. It is an ethical and noble organization offering equal opportunities to all. The Indian Air Force is my most admired organization. I have gratitude for it. I am what I am because of it. I became flexible, adaptable, and agile. It taught me to take risks and lead a challenging and exciting life.
Lessons from the front
Be a visionary. Be an example. Be a good listener. Be compassionate with others. Be humble. Be persistent. Be an optimist. Emphasize ‘means’ to achieve your ‘ends.’ Care for others. Add value to make a difference in the world. Everything is possible in the world when you have an idea and a fire in your belly. An idea can change the world. If you work hard consistently and persistently in your passionate area you will achieve success in your life. Remember, it is often the last key in the bunch that will open your lock. So, never give up. Above all, achieve success with integrity.
Extreme work ethic
I am passionate about writing, speaking, sharing, and inspiring others. I do it despite a lack of resources. I am passionate, disciplined, and focused on my goals. I am an expert in time management. I follow strict timings. I execute tasks ruthlessly. I wake up at 4 AM and sleep at 10 PM {set from the years he was in the IAF}. I write a lot throughout the day despite several challenges and financial constraints. I have been writing for the last 13 years. I have a strategy. I plan and execute tasks systematically. I persist to get endorsements and forewords for my books and get them published.
Overcoming obstacles and challenges
I am a late bloomer, with OCD, Dyslexic with ADHD/ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and survivor of a brain stroke in 2021. I am mostly self-taught.
I earned my Ph.D. in Soft Skills in 2011. I follow the principle of ‘earning and learning.’
I sleep on the floor every day. I rose from humble origins, and lead a simple life. I still belong to a lower-middle-class family, living in a 2 BHK rented apartment.
The concept of soft leadership
During my training programs, the executives expressed their unhappiness over the prevailing leadership styles. Hence, I decided to coin a new leadership style that resulted in soft leadership, constituted of 11 CsL―character, charisma, conscience, conviction, courage, communication, compassion, commitment, consistency, consideration, and contribution. It is highly challenging for people to cultivate these 11 characteristics. However, if people possess more than 6 traits they get into the fold of soft leadership.
I requested Dave Ulrich, the father of modern HR who is my good friend, to create a leadership code. He consented and mapped 11 Cs onto the leadership code thus giving sanctity to the soft leadership.
I published several books and research papers on soft leadership, and in 2012 led a webinar, Soft Leadership: A New Leadership Perspective, organized by the International Leadership Association.
Soft leadership is people-oriented leadership without compromising task orientation. It is through persuasion, not pressure to accomplish goals and objectives. It is leading through soft skills and people skills. It blends soft skills, hard skills, and leadership. It emphasizes the significance of precious human resources. It helps in managing the emotions, egos, and feelings of the people successfully.
It focuses on the personality, attitude, and behavior of people, and calls for making others feel important. It is an integrative, participative, relationship, and behavioral leadership model adopting tools such as persuasion, negotiation, recognition, appreciation, motivation, and collaboration to accomplish tasks effectively.
Strength
My students and their love for me give me strength. I am passionate about sharing my knowledge . They crowned me with a title, ‘Professor M.S. Rao Born for the Students’. I also have a blog under this name. I believe in four areas―reading, writing, speaking, and inspiring others.
Although results don’t come as per my expectations, I still do my duty sincerely. Only efforts are in our hands, not the outcomes. When I wake up in the morning, I thank God for gifting me one more day to add value to the students and the world. I take feedback everyday night and express my gratitude to God.
Success
I am not successful because I have not made any money. I am not passionate about making money. Indian society measures success only when people make money. If that is the yardstick to measure success, I am not a successful person because I still belong to a lower middle class with financial challenges and constraints. If you consider me a successful person, I can say that there are four pillars to my success―passion, perspiration, persistence, and patience.
Goals
I set goals for a day, week, month, year, and lifetime. I follow them religiously. Building communities. Sharing knowledge free with the world. Adding value to others. Inspiring the world. Everything is possible when people are passionate, disciplined, and focused on their goals. I want to set an example to the world that anybody can achieve success despite hailing from humble origins. I have two goals in my life—a Nobel Prize and to become the President of India. I hope God gives me enough strength, courage, knowledge, wisdom, and blessings to accomplish my goals.
Words of wisdom for future leaders
Craft your vision. Add value to others. Lead by example. Embrace uncertainty. Emphasize humility, humanity, and hope. Be resilient. Never give up.
Learn more about Professor Rao
Learn more about his life and work at these sites: