Beautiful read about why few bosses are called leaders and few leaders are called great leaders

Beautiful read about why few bosses are called leaders and few leaders are called great leaders Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, a legend in Indian military history, was both a brilliant strategist and a leader with an uncanny understanding of human nature. This anecdote from Major General (Retd.) Binoy Poonnen perfectly illustrates that point. As a young instructor at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun, Poonnen recounts a heart-stopping moment to Times Of India from his time there. In 1986, Manekshaw paid a surprise visit to the IMA. While interacting with the Commandant of the academy, he suddenly decided to revisit room number 30, Collins Block – his own quarters as a young Gentleman Cadet (GC) years ago. Unfortunately, the current occupant, a second termer, was outdoors on a map reading exercise, with the room firmly locked. "As the instructor in charge," Poonnen recalls, "I was tasked with ensuring access for the Field Marshal. The only option was to break open the lock. We were midway through this forced entry when both Manekshaw and the Commandant arrived." An instructor's worst nightmare unfolded. The room, inspected just the night before, lay in complete disarray – a stark contrast to the expected military order. "Towel on the bed, boots everywhere, undergarments scattered, a kit bag overflowing with dirty clothes – even girls' posters on the cupboard!" Poonnen describes the chaotic scene. Panic gripped him. The normally stoic Commandant's face turned red with anger, his glare promising disciplinary action against Poonnen. Then, standing at the doorway, Manekshaw surveyed the mess and uttered a single line: "Thank God nothing has changed!" “That one-liner spontaneous reply defused a very tense atmosphere. Suddenly, all of us were smiling.” "That's the greatness of the Field Marshal," Poonnen concludes. Manekshaw's reply, a masterclass in emotional intelligence, diffused what could have been a career-ending situation. In that single line, he acknowledged the inevitable messiness of cadet life, a time of both disarray and development.