Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam learned many leadership lessons throughout his career that helped him become a transformational leader. He observed how visionary leaders like Prof. Vikram Sarabhai created an environment of trust and encouraged risk-taking and innovation. Kalam adopted a connective leadership style, focusing on learning from both successes and failures. He supported his team members and recognized their contributions, instilling confidence. Kalam's mentorship from influential leaders helped him develop patience and a humanistic approach to leadership.

1. Wings of Fire
Kirtika Chaudhry-72
Lakshmi Narayan-74
Libin Mathew-76
Meheli Roy-87
Mohona Mukhopadhyay-90
Pragati Singh-111

2. ARE LEADERS BORN OR MADE?
If they are born, what are the traits?
How do you make a person a leader?
What role would life experiences and influencers play
in making a leader?
Do people start showing leadership traits in
childhood itself?
What role does aestheticism plays in shaping an
individual?

3. The life story of a boy from Raameshwaram and how
did he become the most revered President of India…

4. INFLUENCERS
• Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma
• Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry
• Ahmed Jallaluddin
• Samsuddin
• Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan
• Iyadurai Solomon
• Ramakrishna Iyer
• Rev. Father TN Sequeira
• Prof. Chinna Durai and Prof. Krishnamurthy

5. • Zohara
• Prof. KAV Pandalai
• Prof. Srinivasan
• Swami Sivananda
• VK Krishna Menon
• Dr Vikram Sarabhai

6. LESSONS
“When you pray, you transcend your body and become a part of the
cosmos, which knows no division of wealth, age, caste, or creed.”
“Seek the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”
“The intensity and purity of their faith in my capabilities broke my
last defences, and tears welled up in my eyes.”

7. Interview by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, Prof. MGK Menon & Mr. Saraf
• Warmth & friendliness
• Exploration of possibilities
• His dream getting enveloped by the larger dream
He was absorbed as a rocket science engineer at INCOSPAR.
Work environment at INCOSPAR
• Labels mattered very little
• Taking up challenges
• Grabbing every opportunity

8. Learnings from his visit to Gaddard Space Flight Centre
(GSFC):
• Indian organization do not prosper due to widespread prevalence of contemptuous pride.
• People in this side of the country meet problems head on.
• One should know when to draw the line and where to draw the line. Unfortunately the
only line that is drawn in our country is between the heroes and the zeros.
Prof Sarabhai’s creation of new Frontier (Leadership by Trust):
• Prof. Sarabhai’s optimism was highly contagious. His presence would electrify everyone
around.
• People would work out of the way to show him something new.
• He would assign multiple tasks to a team.
• He was an ideal experimenter and innovator.

9. Leadership of Prof. Sarabhai:
• Openly review the progress of the work with his entire team
• Never gave directions, instead encouraged them to think for new solutions
• He also liked taking up challenges as he took up the challenges for making their own
rockets and own SLVs.
• At times of depression he tried giving positive hopes and charmed them with his magical
powers of persuasion.
• He made his team members to stretch their capabilities to get the best results out of them.
• Abdul Kalam Azad also learned that – it was a myth to hold that the key to economic success
is computability

10. • Kalam was a team player-DTD & P(Air)
• He was a visionary
 Aeronautical Development establishment at Bangalore- led the team
to develop an indigenous hovercraft prototype.
“ Lack of material, lack of information and low-slung capabilities were
mere words at that time and not obstacles. It was this vision and
relentless efforts that gave shape to project Nandi .”

11.  Kalam was chosen to be a part of the Indian SLV mission by Prof.
Sarabhai
 Laid the foundation for Stage IV on two rocks-sensible
approximation & unawed support
 was in charge of the maiden Nike-Apache launch(rocket
integration and safety), which was a huge success
 Considered mistakes to be a part of the learning process
 realised the significance of dedication in work
 Transformational leader

12.  “it is said that only reasonable men adapt
themselves to the world. Only a few
unreasonable ones persist in trying to adapt the
world to themselves . All progress in the world
depends on these unreasonable men and their
new and often revolutionary actions.”
 Epitome of honesty, delegation, communication,
confidence and commitment

13. As a project manager Dr. Kalam felt that the price of perfection was
too high and therefore allowed mistakes as a part of the learning
process.
This has resulted in a trusting leadership style.
Daring coupled with persistence would lead to perfection.
He was a transformational and supportive leader who focused on
learning even if the efforts of his team members were successful or
not.

14. Dr. Kalam was a strategist and was a firm leader who gave clear
instructions in terms of giving handwritten notes to colleagues and
asking them to give definite action within 5 or 10 days.
He considered it essential for the team to meet at least once every
week.
A good leader according to him is as good as the commitment and
participation that he receives from his team this shows his connective
leadership style.
He used to observe his colleagues constantly to see if they had the
willingness to experiment constantly . He listened to anyone who
showed the slightest promise

15. Dr. Kalam’s mentor Prof. Sarabhai taught him patience. He adopted a
connective style with a humanistic approach, wherein even when the
nose cone jettisioned late, there was no reproach from his side.
 He put his finger on the key aspect of the problem and re-defined
there tasks.

16. Kalam learned from a visionary like Prof. Sarabhai that a leader could
use errors to encourage new ideas. The best way to prevent errors is
to avoid them.
Prof. Kalam was supportive and used connective and inspirational
leadership style who recognised the contributions of his team
members in various ways to the design of projects like SLV-3 and this
instilled confidence in his team members to perform with authority.
Lastly, Kalam learnt from Prof. Sarabhai, humanistic leadership style
in which he backed and supported Kalam when he was questioned
about his role as the project manager. This gave Kalam the much
needed confidence and increased his loyalty towards his leader.

17.  Vision to make India self reliant
 Who is a leader?
Deal with abstractness
Challenge the status quo
Grow with possibilities
Patience to explore alternatives
Wisdom to apply old principles to new situations
Negotiation skills
Accommodating
Power sharing
Listening skills
Follow up
LEARNING FROM THE JOURNEY

18.  Before God trusts you with success, you have to prove yourself humble
enough to handle the bug prize
 A big shot is a little shot who keeps on shooting, so keep trying.
 Process important than the results
 Four factors involved in successful outcomes:
Goal setting
Positive thinking
Visualizing
Believing
 Search among the wreckage, you may find a hidden golden opportunity
 Motivate people to enhance performance and deal with depression
 Energy to bring about change: decrease resisting force so that there are no
concomitant increase in supporting forces
LEARNING FROM THE JOURNEY

19.  Leaders should ensure appropriate organizational structure and
job design, acknowledging and appreciating hard work
 Motivational inventory of leader, made of 3 types of
understanding:
Needs that people expect to satisfy in their jobs
Effect of job design on motivation
Power of positive reinforcement in influencing behavior
 Leader should identify two sets of environmental features:
Satisfies a person’s needs
Creates dissatisfaction with work
LEARNING FROM THE JOURNEY

20. THE AGNI LESSONS ….
 The Laughing Buddha – Peaceful Application of Nuclear Power & Learning From Past
 Self Reliance is the key to Recognition and Believed in the indigenous capabilities of our Nation
 Suggested a 3 fold strategy to revive the country from learned helplessness:
(a) Multi-institutional Participation
(b) Consortium Approach
(c ) Empowering Technology
 2 Basic Orientation for Project Agni – Work and Workers

21. THE AGNI LESSONS …
 Aim for highest possible integration in terms of both the quality of work and human relationships
 Involvement, Participation and Commitment – keys to functioning
 Made the project a common stake for the Scientists as well as their Families
 “We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us” --- Initial Set backs
 Leader of Simplicity -- Padma Vibhushan
 Money isn't everything --- Brain Drain
 Persistence in Missions -- Mission of advancing rocketry in India
 Broke the status quo regarding Technology in India

22. THE AGNI LESSONS …
 APJ was the inspiration behind India’s strong technological base due to his
 Clarity on Vision and Understanding
 APJ always ensured that there exists an environment for innovation and risk-taking
 Developed a complex view of the success criteria
 Encouraged relationship between project teams and work centers
 APJ valued employees neither for their independence(Primal) nor for their dependability
(rational) but for their interdependence
 APJ drew sustenance from within inside
 “ I do not wish to set myself as an example to others, but I believe that a few souls may
draw inspiration and come to balance that ultimate satisfaction which can only be
found in the life of the spirit”

23. INSIGHTS FROM ADVANTAGE
INDIA ( APJ AND SRIJAN PAL )
1. The unseen advantages
2. from fallen hero to rising star
3. pathways to national productivity
4. production attitude
5. A-B-C Models
6. Building the Human resource
7. Ensure a healthy nation for all
8. Digitally empowered India
9. Governance of Ethics and Efficiency

24. THANK YOU !!