The corporate leaders aspiring to make the crossover from good to great, can learn a lot from the 94 years of brilliance, selfless service and joie de vivre that Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw, Military Cross, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan ... vividly portrayed.

1. A Military Leadership Presentation by
Brigadier Ashutosh Sirothia, Sena Medal (Veteran)
Soldiering with Dignity

2. Field Marshal
SHFJ Manekshaw,
Military Cross, Padma Vibhushan,
Padma Bhushan.
AKA
“SAM BAHADUR”
03 April 1914 – 27 Jun 2008

3. BIOGRAPHY
• Full Name Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw
• Place of birth Amritsar, Punjab
• Place of death Wellington (Nilgiris), Tamil Nadu
• Active Service 1934-1973
• Appointment 8th Chief of the Indian Army
• Highest Rank Held Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a Lifetime Honour – He never retires.

4. EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
• Parentage.
– Dr. Hormusji Manekshaw and Heerabai
– A humble Parsi family from Gujrat.
• Schooling. Amritsar and Sherwood College,
Nainital
• Commission. IMA in Dec 1934 in the first
batch of Officers

5. Military Career
Four Decades and Five Wars –
1934 to 1973

6.  WW II.
 Defence of Sittang Bridge, Burma, 1941 – Captain
Manekshaw received 9 bullets in the lung, liver and
kidney – critically injured - moved to hospital.
Fearing the worst, Major General DT Cowan quickly
pinned his own Military Cross ribbon saying, "A dead
person cannot be awarded a Military Cross.”
When the surgeon asked profusely bleeding Sam what
had happened, he is said to have replied – “Oh
nothing much Doc, a donkey happen to kick me!”
Military Career

7. Military Career
1947-48 War: Pak Invasion of Kashmir
• Manekshaw was in charge of operations in
Army HQ
• Displayed incisive grasp of situation and
acumen for planning – noticed by superior
commanders

8. 1962 War
• Refused to toe the line of then Defence Minister VK Krishan
Menon – resultantly he was side lined
• After humiliating defeat in 1962 war – He was rushed by
PM Nehru to contain advancing Chinese aggression
• His first order of the day was “There will be no withdrawal
without orders – and these orders shall never be issued”.
• The Chinese never got an inch after that.
Military Career

9. 1963: Tezpur, Commander 4 Corps
• Denied Indira Gandhi’s entry into the
Operations Room during briefing of PM Nehru
saying she had not taken the oath to secrecy
(recounted by the Defence Minister’s Secretary Mr RB Pradhan in a book).
• Six years later Indira Gandhi accepted him as
the COAS and had an excellent rapport with him.

10. 1965 War
 As the GOC in C Eastern Command, advised
against attacking East Pakistan stating the people
would be the main sufferers.
 The wisdom of his advice dawned when in
1971 – people of East Pakistan welcomed and
helped the Indian Army.

11. 1971 War
 Mrs Gandhi wanted a swift & surgical strike on East
Pakistan in Jun 1971 to install a government led by Mujibur
Rehman.
Refusing to be politically coerced he said “ If ordered it will
be done, but I guarantee a defeat ... and I have following
reasons to say so:
 First - In Jun the monsoon would render troop
movement in the Eastern region near impossible
 Second – Open Himalayan mountain passes will not
permit lifting of two or more Infantry divisions from the
Chinese front”

12. Dec 1971
 His strategic and operational finesse was evident when
Indian pincers cut through Pakistani forces like hot knife
through butter.
 Pak Army was checkmated in 14 days flat – with a total
of 45,000 Pak soldiers and 45,000 civilians taken as POW.
 The greatest military victory for India.
Military Career

13. 01 Jan 1973.
 As the national anthem rang out, General SHFJ Manekshaw,
Military Cross, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan stepped
forward to the Presidential dais and saluted.
 President V.V. Giri ceremoniously handed to General
Manekshaw an ornate silver-tipped Ashoka baton and
give the Nation her first Indian Field Marshal in history.
HONOUR CONFERRED

14. LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS

15. ROLE MODEL FOR CORPORATE
LEADERS
• The corporate leaders aspiring to make the
crossover from good to great
.... can learn a lot from the 94 years of
brilliance, selfless service and joie de vivre that
Sam Bahadur vividly portrayed.

16. Direct Communication
• Sam teaches us the importance of simple, direct and
earthy communication. Known for his wit and
informality, he could get straight to the heart of the
matter. Leaders must imbibe this in full measure.
• Many a time, corporate communications and
discussions are mired in obfuscation and jargonising.
• The principle of, “say what you will do and then do
what you said” is the bedrock of credibility.

17. Direct Communication
• Sam taught us the FINESSE of personal and
organizational communication:-
– ALWAYS reprimand in Private and appreciate in Public
– Say the Truth always - but never BITTERLY.
– Always welcome and give FEEDBACK.
– Communicate Successes and Failures with equal CLARITY
– there are lessons to be learnt in both .

18. Spotting & Deploying Talent
• The real genius of Sam lay in his
choice of field commanders. That is a skill that every
Corporate Leader must build to spell the difference
between success and failure.
• Hone the ability to spot and deploy right talent - with
the skill set and mindscape that guarantees delivery.
• Mentor through delegation and all round exposure.
• Enable migration of Managers to Leaders - who lead
with personal example.

19. Planning & Faith
• The ability to plan to the nth
degree and simultaneously invest
consummate faith in your people.
Sam practised this expertly throughout his career,
especially 1971 war.
• He was a visionary. He was thorough to foresee a
situation before it started to brew. Thus, he never
waited for orders and took initiative well in advance
to combat the situation in the offing.
• Corporate Leaders must be well read, well aware of
the overall picture, carryout detailed meticulous
planning and back their team fully during action.

20. Moral Courage
• Most important is moral courage - the
courage of conviction, the courage to
stand up to what one believes in.
• True corporate leaders should neither
buckle under pressure nor deviate from
organisational welfare - to earn and
command the loyalty and followership.

21. A Man of Conviction.
Following 1971 victory he flew
into Calcutta to compliment his
officers.
 In the ceremonial reception at
the Dum Dum Airport he was
escorted to a car – a Mercedes
captured from the enemy.
 He refused to sit in it and left in
the nearest available Indian car.

22. Strategic & Tactical balance
• Sam assembled his assault force, supplied
them with strategic guidance and demanded
execution of plans from the field
commanders.
• This BALANCE is what Corporate Leaders
need. While strategic initiatives are important,
grassroots implementation and support is
equally vital.

23. Seek The Best Ideas
• The best ideas may be embedded deep within
the organisation. Its the Leader’s job to ferret
them out and implement them.
• Sam excelled in getting ideas from the rank
and file.
• He would never pull his rank on any
subordinate who tried to tell him something
that was very different from his own ideas.

24. Give Due Credit to Subordinates
(and Readiness to Accept Full Responsibility for Failure)
• Gen. Manekshaw politely declined Prime
minister’s suggestion to preside over the
Pakistani surrender in Dhaka. He insisted that
the credit must go to the Eastern Army
Commander, Lt Gen. Jagjit Aurora.
• He remarked that his presence would befit the
occasion only, if the Nation were to accept the
surrender of the entire pakistani army.

25. Connect with Grassroots
• As COAS, Manekshaw had issued instructions
that if anyone from 54 Sikh came visiting, he
be brought straight to him, whatever time or
engagement.
• All were received with a robust burst of
colloquial Punjabi, which Manekshaw spoke
like a native… and none were left unrequited.

26. Professional Respect
• After the 1971 war, Manekshaw insisted
that the bodies of Pakistani officers be
returned in proper coffins, and with
military citation if they had gone down
fighting bravely.
• He lauded the bravery of even his
enemies. Such magnanimity is rare in
military history.

27. Final Days
• A Field Marshal never retires. He is entitled to an office with
befitting paraphernalia and full pay.
• Sam Manekshaw was given a paltry pension of Rs. 1300 a
month with no pay or perks, not even a car......thanks to our
then political masters and the bureaucrats.
• Let alone taking up a case, he never even mentioned it once
to any one.
• It was not until President APJ Abdul Kalam took initiative and
made sure he receives a cheque for Rs. 1.3 Crores - his arrears
of pay as Field Marshal for over 30 years.

28. • Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was admitted in the
hospital for some time for ‘progressive lung disease’.
• 26 Jun. He had slipped into a coma.
• 27 Jun 2008. The end came just after midnight. He
breathed his last at 00:30 AM.
• As quoted by one of the doctors in MH Wellington …
his last words were “… I am better”.
• He passed away into the pantheon of immortal
Indian heroes and all-time great military leaders of
the world. The saga of his life will continue to
motivate and inspire untold generations.
The Silent End

30. ADIEU
• A condolence book for Field Marshal Sam
Manekshaw was kept at the Martyrs'
Memorial at India Gate. The book had to be
kept open for two more days owing to
tremendous public response.
• The government said opening a condolence
book for the Field Marshal is a singular honour

31. THANK YOU

32. Famous Anecdotes

33. • He surmised once: "I wonder whether those
of our political masters who have been put in
charge of the defence of the country can
distinguish a mortar from a motor; a gun from
a howitzer; a guerrilla from a gorilla --
although a great many of them in the past
have resembled the latter......”

34. Famous Quotes
• Once the PM Mrs Gandhi reportedly confronted
him with rumours that he was planning a coup
against her……
• He is said to have replied: “Don’t you think I
would be a worthy replacement for you, prime
minister?..............You have a long nose.
………….So have I......……………….But I don’t poke my
nose into other people’s affairs …”

35. • Once when at a presidential banquet, he
told Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi: "You
look very pretty tonight". Surrounded by
her ministers, she blushed and said……
"Thank you, Sam".

36. Speech to cadets at IMA, Dehradun,
March 30, 1972
• Manekshaw said “....You are going to be given
command of troops in an operational area.
..........Your tasks will be to administer to their
needs and lead them in battle........ What sort
of men will you be leading? You will be leading
veterans, men who have fought, men who
have won, men who are used to good
leadership. Make sure you give it to them."

38. • "You received three at this
age ... when I was of your
age I received nine bullets
... and look... today I am
the Commander in Chief
of the Indian Army.“
- During the 1971
Indo-Pak War when he met
an injured soldier in Army
Hospital with three bullet
wounds.

39. Looking back:
India’s finest war-time chief and noble warrior going through
photographs on him at an exhibition in New Delhi in this file photo
dated April 3, 2003.

40. Barbie Dolls
• To an interviewer about a row of Barbie dolls in his
house promptly explained: “I always wanted to play
with dolls. When I was young, my mom wouldn’t allow
me to, then my wife came along, and I still was not
allowed to.
• Finally I told myself, “Now I am the Field Marshall, I will
damn well do as I please... went and got myself these
dolls! ”
• Sam Manekshaw married Siloo in 1939. When she died
in 2001, those who knew him in Wellington observed,
that its only then did the age begin to show on him.

41. Recollections of People in Civvis
• I recollect my meeting with Manekshaw at the Mumbai
airport a couple of years ago. While waiting at the
departure lounge, I saw the Field Marshal walk in with
an attendant in tow. I went across from where I was
sitting to greet him. He shook my hand warmly and
was surprised when I asked him for his autograph. “My
autograph, what will you do with it son,” he asked. I
replied that I would show it to my children, and
preserve it for generations to come. He obliged. It was
one of the best moments of my life.
- T.V. Suresh