Sachin Pilot on Leadership - Making a career in Politics vs. being Politically Active

Sachin Pilot is MLA, former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan and member of the Indian National Congress.

Hi my name is Rehaan Khaneja and this is the 16th podcast in the Leadership Speaks series, where I interview the most successful and influential leaders of India.

INTRODUCTION

In this episode of the Leadership Speaks, I chat with Sachin Pilot - One of India's most influential Political leaders and an inspiring Youth Icon.

Mr. Pilot is an MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Before this, he was Minister of Corporate Affairs and at present he is the president of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee.

Wharton educated Sachin Pilot did not plan to be a politician - but has ended up being one of India's most well-known and admired political leaders of today. Still in his early 40's, Sachin Pilot is an inspirational youth icon who leads by example and is showing us youngsters how we must all be involved in the policy making process even though we might not choose to be career politicians ourselves.

"If you let things be with a chalta hai, "nothing we can do" attitude, then nothing will change. No one from outside will come to help us... we have to change from within."

Watch Sachin Pilot's unique perspective on leadership in the vlog below:

KEY LEARNINGS

Here are two things I learnt from Sachin Pilot's experience as a leader of the masses:

1st: "Ivy league Education cannot guarantee success in powerful careers like politics. People must respect you and relate to you as a leader"

Education helps us gain the respect of our colleagues. People feel a lot more comfortable knowing that a leader who makes important decisions has a good education and experience. But Education cannot guarantee success. People skills, relatability, respectability skills play bigger roles, especially in powerful leadership roles.

2nd: "You might never succeed in something you don't like. You have to first like what you do, then work really hard at it."

When choosing careers, especially challenging ones like politics, it is important that it suits our mindset and interest. Leadership in any field is a 24x7 job, and you may not get much personal time to spend with friends and family. Even hard work is no guarantee for success - so in times of hardship, our interest in that field can see us through the hurdles.

Talking to a popular leader Sachin Pilot has been an amazing experience for me. His life story has so much to teach us about not only politics, but also how as youngsters, we can also involve ourselves in building our democracy and nation.

"Everyone cannot be a politician and they need not be, but that does not mean you remove yourself from public life. You need to be involved, cast your vote, be aware of issues on local, state and national levels. Your participation, your questioning, all of it helps."

- Sachin Pilot"

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If you enjoyed Episode 16 of the Leadership Speaks. Series, please do like this blog and the video on Youtube! Your likes will make this a truly positive and encouraging experience for me and for other viewers like you. I'll be releasing my next Leadership Speaks interview soon. Till then, think positive, have big goals and focus on the road ahead.