Management schools should teach its students about how the COVID crisis was handled in various parts of the world, said Dr Kiran Bedi, Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. "I urge the students to look into how COVID-19 as a challenge was handled statewide, nationwide and internationally. Look at how India, US and China handled COVID and the political powers influenced it," she added. She was speaking at XLRI Talk Series, a leadership talk session by the XLRI - Xavier School of Management.
Giving an insight into how management students can handle a crisis and become better at what they do, Bedi coined the term UHF, which stands for Uncertainty, Health and Family. "COVID has taught us the need to prepare for uncertainty and that is what every management student should prepare for. The youth right now isn't open to understanding uncertainty. But we must know that change is the law and growth is optional," says Bedi. "COVID has also taught us that health is what will eventually give you wealth. If you have the pillar of health then everything else will follow," she adds.
With a special focus on creative and collaborative governance, Bedi highlighted various aspects of her life, as an IPS officer or as the administrative head of a union territory. Citing examples from her time as an IPS officer, Bedi spoke about her experience as a woman on night patrol in Delhi, the concept of police beat boxes and how students can get involved in road safety. "If the NCC and NSS cadets can dedicate one hour a week towards road safety, India's roads will be much safer," she said, citing the example of Goa when NCC cadets wore blue and white and took to the roads to manage traffic along VIP routes.
Answering a question on leadership and what makes a great leader, Bedi said, "It depends on who the person is? Is the person trustworthy? Is the person deserving to be a leader? There are two types of leaders. One who commands followers, one who gets followers. One who deserves to be in the position or one who has just got the position and doesn't deserve it." Highlighting the importance of empathy in leadership, she said, "Empathy will create the difference between a leader who has followers and a leader who is tolerated."
