Thank you dear subscribers, we are overwhelmed with your response.
Your Turn is a unique section from ThePrint featuring points of view from its subscribers. If you are a subscriber, have a point of view, please send it to us. If not, do subscribe here: https://theprint.in/subscribe/
Resilience was the topic on which someone connected with me and shared that he runs a company that provides various inputs (Yoga, Motivational talks, Exercise, On-line and off-line programs, etc.) to organisations. As I was listening to him, I was assessing my own resilience and felt good that I did score well on that area. However, as I was about to share some aspect about fitness, when it struck me that I was not qualified to comment, as I would not call myself “fit” in terms of BMI. So, I renewed my efforts to get myself in the “Fit” category.
The following table shows the differences between sexes’ good walking speeds based on age. Study done in 2020. So, at 63, I seem to have done well to walk 7 kms at an average of 9.26 per minute.
| Age | Sex | Kms / per hour (kmph) | Km/minute |
| 20–29 | Male | 5.47177 | 10.97 |
| Female | 4.82803 | 12.43 | |
| 30–39 | Male | 5.1499 | 11.65 |
| Female | 4.82803 | 12.43 | |
| 40–49 | Male | 5.1499 | 11.65 |
| Female | 5.00506 | 11.99 | |
| 50–59 | Male | 5.1499 | 11.65 |
| Female | 4.715378 | 12.72 | |
| 60–69 | Male | 4.82803 | 12.43 |
| Female | 4.457883 | 13.46 | |
| 70–79 | Male | 4.53835 | 13.22 |
| Female | 4.07164 | 14.74 | |
| 80–89 | Male | 3.492276 | 17.18 |
| Female | 3.37962 | 17.75 |
So, why did I stop to comment? I heard a story long back that left a lasting impression on me. I am not sure if the story is true or not, but it is a good story, none the same.
A woman and her young son had come to Gandhiji’s ashram. She complained about her child’s addiction to sugar and requested Gandhiji to tell her son him to stop eating so much of candies. Gandhiji listened to her and then asked her to come back in two weeks.
After weeks when the woman and her son came back, Gandhiji politely told the little boy to stop eating sugar. The mother was surprised and asked Gandhiji why he did not advise the boy 2 weeks back? Gandhiji said that he too was very fond of sugar, and he had to first stop having it himself before being able to advise others. This story had a very deep impact on me and defined what integrity is.
I love this story! It speaks to me about being honest with yourself and not telling others to do what you’re not doing yourself. Gandhi could have used his position to command the boy, and the boy would have listened. Yet he took on first giving up sugar himself and then spoke from this position of understanding and integrity.
In organisational language it is “WALKING THE TALK” OR “LEAD BY EXAMPLE.”
- It is easy to sermonise others, but do we first check – if we are doing this in our own life? It’s easy to see where others can improve. It’s harder to see if we need the same improvement. Walk the talk, don’t just talk the talk. In organisations, culture gets ingrained when the people see what the top is demonstrating. I once heard an interesting line, “I do not hear what you say, but I hear what I see”
- We can’t use the authority we may have to demand behaviours that we yourself don’t do. That’s not leading. Instead, we need to master the behaviour, or at least be transparent in our commitment to get on top of it. No one likes being guided or led by a hypocrite!
- We need to be honest about what we are doing well and be courageous in taking steps to improve this. Respect comes from these only.
Interestingly the person who had connected with me via video chat, started smoking, hardly listened to me (hence did not understand what I was trying to say) and when I shared some feedback, he just disconnected. There went his resilience, which he preached and is preaching to others.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.