By M S Nazki
It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform. Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world
-Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.
-You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone. Let the improvement of yourself keep you so busy that you have no time to criticize others…
-Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words……………Governor Bihar!
– Ata Hasnain Retd represents dedication, discipline, honesty, and a deep commitment to public service. His personal faith is his own, but his professionalism and service to the nation are what deserve to be recognised and respected. True leadership is not about titles or labels—it is about integrity, courage, responsibility, and service. Salute to a dedicated public servant who continues to inspire respect through his commitment to duty. This is the crux of the story!
-True leadership is defined by daily actions, moral character, and empowering others rather than holding an official rank or title…………..Ata Hussain believes in this!
* Integrity: Aligning your actions with your words and doing what is right even when nobody is watching.
* Courage: Facing difficult challenges, making hard choices, and standing firm during times of uncertainty.
* Responsibility: Owning the outcomes—taking the blame when things fail and sharing the credit when things succeed.
* Service: Prioritizing the needs of your team or community to help them grow and succeed.
If you’d like, we can explore how to apply these traits in a specific setting like the workplace, a community project, or your personal life. Let me know what area you want to focus on!
-Some stories of great leadership:
-The hotel with a hockey rink:
-When organisations truly empower their employees, magic happens. The Ritz-Carlton is a great example of an organisation that does just that. All the Ritz-Carlton employees referred to as Ladies and Gentlemen are empowered to spend up to $2000 per guest to improve the guest experience – to deliver a WOW moment. No questions asked. No permission needed. They are trusted to do the right thing.
There are many Ritz-Carlton stories to be told but this is one of my favourites. A loss prevention officer at The Ritz-Carlton in Toronto, was called to a guest room for the second time to receive another complaint about children playing hockey in the corridor. He could have spoken to the parents and asked them to keep the children in the hotel room. Rather than do that, he came up with a more creative solution to the problem.
He enlisted banquet employees to isolate space in one of the meeting rooms and create a hockey rink, using banquet tables as the outline of the rink. While the set-up was taking place, he went to a local sports store and purchased two hockey nets, six hockey sticks and hockey balls. When the set-up was complete, he delivered a hand-written note to the family informing them that The Ritz-Carlton had a hockey rink for those who wished to play. Further he challenged them to a match against the Loss Prevention All-Stars. The children’s father was incredulous that The Ritz-Carlton had a hockey rink and a team on site and vowed they would be down to the rink shortly. When the father and sons arrived at the meeting place, they were awed by the impromptu hockey rink. It was a WOW moment created by demonstration of inspired leadership.
The Loss-Prevention All-Stars and Team Family had a close match with Team Family winning the game. The game was recorded on the in-house cameras and the family send photos of the event. Double-wow!
-To serve
Chip Bell shares a great story from the 1995 book Fabled Service by Betsy Sanders who is now a business consultant dedicated to improving corporate organisational efficiency and individual growth. Whilst a store manager at Nordstrom, she and her team made retail history building the new southern California business to $1 billion in annual sales over a 12-yearr period, quickly becoming Nordstrom’s largest and profitable region. While developing Nordstrom into a business partnership with their customers, this team, under Betsy’s leadership is credited with having set the industry and international standards for service.
In her book, she shares the story of a homeless woman dressed in dirty clothes who entered the flagship Nordstrom store in downtown Seattle.
“No one questioned her motives as she made her way to the evening gown section of the store. Warmly greeted by the sales associate, she stated she wanted to try on an evening dress. Without hesitation, the sales associate helped her try on several expensive dresses, commenting on how well she looked in each. After a while, the homeless woman thanked the sales associate and made her way back to the street, a smile on her face; her head held high.
A customer who had witnessed the whole scene approached the sales associate and inquired about the motives behind her generous actions. “You knew from the start she was not going to buy an evening dress. So why did you take such time with this poor street person?” Confidently, the salesperson responded, “This is what we are here for: our purpose is to serve and be kind.”
Leadership is about having purpose and to serve others. A servant leader’s main goal and responsibility is to provide service to others and put the needs of others first before their own. These leaders do not judge, discriminate, or ostracise. These leaders lead with equity, diversity, and inclusivity at their core.
-Authenticity and empathy
It would be amiss of me not to include New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the top 10 stories of great leadership. The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the greatest challenges for political leaders around the world. Ardern’s leadership style in a crisis has resonated with so many people.
Her authentic and empathetic leadership and excellent communication were illustrated when she “checked-in” with the people of New Zealand in March 2020. At home, after putting her daughter to bed, she hosted a Facebook live Q&A focused on the pandemic. She was wearing comfy house clothes and she apologised for her attire explaining that “it can be a messy business putting toddlers to bed.”
She then implored New Zealanders to remain in self-isolation, while explaining the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country will go up, but not to be discouraged. She acknowledged that it was tough, but so crucial to stay at home. She demonstrated empathy. This was authentic leadership in action. It was real, there was no pretence, no staging, just pure, open, and honest conversation.
The previous year she showed the world what a leader should be. Wearing the hijab, she comforted Muslim men and women following the Christchurch mosque shooting. She refused to be drawn into anti-Islamic rhetoric and swiftly put in place practical measures such as gun-legislation. In her address to parliament after the massacre, she said:
“On a quiet Friday afternoon, a man stormed into a place of peaceful worship and took away the lives of 50 people.
That quiet Friday afternoon has become our darkest of days.
But for the families, it was more than that.
It was the day that the simple act of prayer — of practicing their Muslim faith and religion — led to the loss of their loved ones’ lives.
Those loved ones were brothers, daughters, fathers, and children.
They were New Zealanders. They are us.
And because they are us, we, as a nation, we mourn them.”
Her leadership style was welcomed in The New Yorker:
“Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, has staged a revolution. In the wake of a shooting that killed fifty people, in two mosques, in the city of Christchurch last Friday, Ardern has quietly upended every expectation about the way Western states and their leaders respond to terrorist attacks.
Ardern has resisted war rhetoric.
This is what political leaders do in the face of a senseless tragedy: they grieve with their people, they think with their people, and they act together with their people. None of those tasks requires a declaration of war.”
-Last man out
On 5 August 2010, Luis Urzua went to work as usual. He was the shift foreman for what was to become the ill-fated group of Chilean miners who became trapped below the surface of the Atacama Desert in the north of the country. Urzua and his crew of 33 men were trapped 2000 feet underground for 69 days.
As soon as the collapse happened, Urzua mobilised the team who worked as one to ensure that every miner survived and thrived in what were the worst of conditions. He got them all to share in the hardship by rationing their two-day supply of food to last 17 days – when they were finally rescued – and to eat together at the same time. They reportedly ate one teaspoon of tuna and a half-glass of milk each 48 hours. An employee said that Urzua was able to convince the miners of the need to ration despite some of them think they would be rescued in 48 hours, due to his reputation for caring and protecting the team. He kept a sense of team by having them eat their tiny rations together in the same place. Everyone was on a level playing field and knew that they had no more or less than their teammates.
He focused everyone on the goal of getting out and surviving in the meantime. He had them dig for fresh water, map out their tunnel, and build a latrine. Having these tasks to complete gave the team a sense of hope and direction. Why would Urzua get the team to do these things if he didn’t believe they would be rescued?
Every member of the team had a job to do and Urzua kept them busy improving their living conditions and providing them with a shared sense of purpose. He provided his team with order, structure, and emotional support. His reputation prior to the crisis was critical.
Perhaps his greatest act of leadership was to be the last man to exit the mine. Whilst many talked about his leadership, he humbly talked about the welfare of his men. He led by example all the way to the end.
5. It’s not a company. It’s a cause:
This was how the late Herb Kelleher – long-time CEO of Southwest Airlines – described his business. It’s not a company – it is a cause. His goal was not just to keep airfares low and to fly to more places. The goal, in his own words, was to “democratise the skies.” He wanted air travel to be as easy, affordable, and flexible for the average person to travel, and he succeeded.
There are so many great stories about Herb. He was a larger-than-life character. He was a cigarette smoking, whiskey drinking, maverick.
Dying in January 2019 at the age of 87, he was the co-founder of Southwest Airlines. He was instrumental in growing the airline from a local, short-haul airline to a global enterprise. Officially launched in 1971, Southwest turned a profit for 45 consecutive years while pioneering a low-cost model that other airlines now emulate. It became the largest low-cost airline in the world.
Southwest has only flown Boeing 737’s since its inception. It was part of the cost-saving intent, as it was easier and cheaper to maintain a one-plane fleet. Its low cost was also enabled by its fast turnaround. As Herb said, “planes only make money in the air.”
Southwest became (renowned for its 10-minute turnaround. It was an all-hands on deck operation. As soon as an aircraft was arriving, everyone raced to their posts. More than 100 tasks had to eb completed before the plane could depart, and a delay in just one detail, would derail the whole operations. Nobody, including the pilots, provision agents, or Herb himself, was above taking out trash or restocking peanuts. The flight crew did not wait for the cleaning crew, they started tidying up themselves. There was no seat allocation, customers found a seat and the plane would taxi even as customers were still getting seated (an activity ended in 1986!). The 10-minute turnaround was a turning point for Southwest in 1972 as they turned the corner to profitability.
He created a company that was a beacon of inspired and passionate employees, fully engaged and firing on all cylinders. He loved his people and put his employees before everything else including profit. When the airline ran into trouble in 1973, he chose to sell one of the planes rather than lay-off employees. During Kelleher’s tenure, the company never had a layoff, furlough or pay cut, despite being among the most unionised airlines in the world.
He was an incredible listener, totally present and fully engaged. He showered his employees with sincere gratitude and treated them with dignity and respect. He led with empathy and was always approachable.
Kevin and Jackie Frieberg recalled in this Forbes article:
“Herb loved to tell a story about being on an elevator with the CEO of another company who didn’t even acknowledge two employees who got on the elevator with them. When the CEO asked Herb how he could create a Southwest-like culture, Herb said, “You might start by saying ‘Hello’ to your people.”
“Under Herb’s leadership, Southwest instituted a Walk-a-Mile program. It was about developing empathy and a deeper understanding of the pressures people are under in other jobs. For example, pilots dressed as ramp agents loaded bags for a couple of days and learned how hard that job is.
He created a culture of trust and empowered employees to make decisions at the local level without fear of reprisal if something went wrong. He would say that the great culture at Southwest was formed by treating people the way he wanted to be treated and treating them the way they deserved to be treated…………… (I keep compiling stories for readers to read although the subject matter could be different……….But this one was all about leadership both military and civilian!
-The Governor of Bihar is the Constitutional Head of the State of Bihar and exercises powers as defined in the Constitution of India. The Governor is also the ex-officio Chancellor of universities in the State. The Governor’s Secretariat provides secretarial assistance to the Governor in discharging his constitutional, ceremonial and other State responsibilities and his duties as the Chancellor of universities in the State.
-The Governor’s Secretariat is headed by the Secretary to the Governor who is assisted by a team of officers and staff as per details available under the head organization. The Governor’s Secretariat includes the Secretariat and Household establishments.
-The Governor’s Secretariat is located at Bihar Lok Bhavan, Patna
-But before we end the first half of the story we have to tell a short tale of three military Generals!
-Alexander the Great
-Born in 356 BC, Alexander the Great ascended the throne at the age of 20 following the assassination of his father, Philip II of Macedon. Alexander’s ambition straight from the off was to expand the empire his father had founded. His first victory, over the Persians at the Battle of Granicus in 334 BC, showed what an astute leader and strategist he could be at such an early age.
Alexander’s conquest of Asia Minor followed, culminating in a stunning victory over the Persian emperor Darius III at the Battle of Issus in 333 BC. He defeated Darius’s forces again two years later at the Battle of Gaugamela, leaving him with vast swathes of territory from the Adriatic to the Indus River, His plan to conquer India and beyond never came to fruition, however, as he died in 323 BC at the age of just 32.
-Hannibal:
-Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general whose audacity and strategic brilliance made him one of the Roman Empire’s most formidable enemies. His career reached its height during the Second Punic War when he marched a herd of war elephants over the Alps, stunning Rome’s leaders, who did not think such a thing was possible. He scored decisive victories at Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae, due in no small part to his ability to second guess his enemies’ tactics and put in place measures to successfully counter them.
-Having ruled most of Southern Italy for 15 years, Hannibal was eventually defeated at the Battle of Zama in modern-day Tunisia due to a lack of reinforcement from Carthage. After fleeing into exile, one of the few men to take on the might of Rome and emerge victorious committed suicide in 183 BC
-Julius Caesar
Caesar’s military career began in Hispania in modern-day Spain, where he showed early brilliance as a natural leader of men and a brilliant strategist. After allying with the generals Pompey and Crassus, Caesar embarked on the conquest of Gaul and later the invasion of Britain, vastly expanding the Roman Empire. After Gaul was finally subjugated, Caesar turned on his old allies, defeating Pompey at the end of a brutal and bloody four-year civil war in 45 BC. The now all-powerful Caesar was declared ‘dictator for life’ in 44 BC, but his rule was short-lived. He was assassinated that same year. His death marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the rule of the emperors……………(Stories do not end, They are just the beginning)!
-To start with we will present two more tales:
-Attila the Hun:
Attila the Hun’s brutal conquest of swathes of East and Central Europe earned him the nickname ‘The Scourge of God’. The head of a marauding horde of bloodthirsty tribesmen made up of Ostrogoths, Bulgars, Alans and Huns, Attila relied on speed and surprise to overwhelm his enemies with cavalry and infantry charges, leading to their swift defeat. Allied with his brother Bleda, Attila mercilessly cut his way through large parts of Roman territory, reaching as far as Gaul.
His bloody rampage westwards was eventually halted at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains in 451 AD, after which he invaded Italy with plans to take Rome itself. He died suddenly two years later, and the empire he had violently battered into being quickly fell apart in his absence.
-Saladin:
-Born in 1137, Saladin rose to fame as a formidable military commander during the Crusades. As the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Saladin vowed to conquer the holy city of Jerusalem, which he duly did after the Battle of Hattin in 1187. At a time when capturing a city usually led to the slaughter of most of its inhabitants, Saladin’s subsequent chivalrous treatment of Christians and Jews earned him the respect of many outside the Muslim world.
-Syed Ata Hasnain
-Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (born 1953, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM & Bar is a former General officer of the Indian Army who is serving as the 43rd Governor of Bihar since 2026.
-Hasnain last served as the Military Secretary. Earlier, he commanded the 15 Corps in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the XXI Corps.
– In 2018, he was appointed Chancellor of Central University of Kashmir, and in 2020 was appointed Member of the National Disaster Management Authority.
-Early life and education
-Syed Ata Hasnain is the second son of Major General Syed Mahdi Hasnain, PVSM. He completed his school education at Sherwood College, Nainital.
-Thereafter he attended Delhi University. where he received a B.A. (Honours) degree in History, in 1972.
-General Hasnain is an alumnus of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS), Hawaii, USA and the Royal College of Defence Studies, London.
– He also studied at King’s College, University of London.
-Military career:
-Syed Ata Hasnain was commissioned into the 4th Battalion, Garhwal Rifles, from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, on 16 June 1974.
– It is a unit raised by his father. He eventually commanded the same battalion. He participated in Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka during 1988-90, and took part in counter insurgency operations in Punjab in 1990–91.
– During the 1990s, the then Colonel Hasnain served with the United Nations in Mozambique, and later, war torn Rwanda. He attended the Higher Command Course at Army War College, Mhow, and thereafter served as Colonel General Staff at the HQ Victor Force at Avantipura South Kashmir, at the height of the militancy. As a Brigadier, he served in J&K as Commander, 12 Infantry Brigade, on the Line of Control, at Uri.
=He later commanded 19 Infantry Division in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, as a Major General, serving under the overall direction of XV Corps. As a Lieutenant General, Hasnain has been posted as General Officer Commanding (GOC), XXI Corps, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
-In October, 2010, it was announced that he will be returning to XV Corps in Kashmir, as the GOC of that formation.
– As GOC of XV Corps, he has held several meetings to redress grievances and concerns of commons citizens, and to bring the Army closer to them
– He conceived and operationalised the “Hearts Doctrine” which focused on people as the centre of gravity in Kashmir. His contribution towards improving the security scenario in Kashmir was the balance he brought between the employment of hard power in counter infiltration and counter terrorist operations and military soft power.
-Gen. Hasnain played a pivotal role in starting the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) in 2011, to build bridges between Kashmiris and Indian Army men.
– Throughout his tenure he applied an intellectual approach towards conflict and even guided the State Government in its approach as its Security Adviser. On 9 June 2012,
-Lt Gen Hasnain took office as the Military Secretary, at Army Headquarters, New Delhi. His unique and innovative approach defined as “Playing Friend Not God” has been widely appreciated as the new HR management mantra across domains in and outside the military.
-On 7 Sep 2013, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain was awarded his first civilian honr by the Capital Foundation Society of Delhi. He received the award from the Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari. The award was for Military leadership of an exceptional order. On 9 Sep 2013, the General Officer spoke at the Global Town Hall organized by the US based Ali Soufan Group and Qatar International Academy for Security Studies. This event was simultaneously held at New York, Singapore, Dakkar and Belfast. Lt Gen Hasnain spoke at Singapore on the subject ‘Applying Counter Narratives in Conflict Stabilisation: The Heart is My Weapon Doctrine in Kashmir’s Conflict Zone’.
-Post-retirement
-Ever since his superannuation on 30 June 2013, General Hasnain has promoted the cause and perception of the Indian Army. He is a member of Track 2 diplomacy with Pakistan. He is a Visiting Fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi and Senior Fellow with Delhi Policy Group, two of the most prominent think tanks of New Delhi. He is also on the Governing Council of Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.
0 the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) In that appointment, he is currently also a member of the Empowered Committee for Information & Communication set up by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
=On 5 March 2026, he was appointed as the Governor of Bihar replacing Arif Mohammad Khan by the order of the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. He was sworn in on 14 March 2026 by the-then Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, Sangam Kumar Sahoo. He met with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 March 2026 as his first meeting with them since taking oath.
-Prior to this, he met Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on 24 March 2026. He swore the new government formed in Bihar led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary following the resignation of then Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his nomination to the Rajya Sabha on 14–15 April 2026. Later, Hasnain swore in various Chief Justices of the Patna High Court. In June – July 2026, he was invited for the funeral of Late Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of Iran.
-Key Role in Kashmir
* Command of 15 Corps: He served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps (XV Corps) from 2010 to 2012, taking charge during a volatile period of civil unrest.
* The “Hearts Doctrine”: He is credited with conceptualizing and implementing the “Hearts Doctrine”, which shifted military focus toward human dignity, winning public trust, civil-military integration, and minimizing collateral friction.
* Operational Outreach: His approach transformed aggressive operational postures into respectful community interactions, opening communication channels and public grievance-addressing forums.
-Post-Military Contributions
* Academic Leadership: He was appointed Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir in 2018.
* National Security & Disaster Management: He served as a Member of India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) starting in 2020.
* Strategic Analyst: He remains a prominent speaker, writer, and media commentator on national security, Pakistan, and Middle Eastern affairs. He is currently serving as the Governor of Bihar, having been sworn in March 2026.
So this was the story now to end we present list of five other Miltary Generals who were great statesmen too!
-Genghis Khan:
-Born in 1162, Genghis Khan rose from humble origins to become one of the greatest and most fearsome generals of all time. His military career began in the conflicts between the tribes of Mongolia, where he quickly showed his skills as an outstanding warrior and strategist. He rose through the ranks, eventually uniting the squabbling Mongol tribes under his leadership. Khan then set about conquering vast swathes of China, Central Asia and parts of the Middle East. A brilliant tactician on the field, Khan was a ruthless ruler. By the time of his death in 1227, roughly 40 million people were dead as a result of his violent conquests.
-Frederick the Great:
Ascending to the throne of Prussia in 1740 following the death of his foul-tempered father, Frederick II inherited the fourth-largest army in Europe and he quickly set about putting it to good use. Frederick showed his brilliance as a genius tactician during the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years’ War, where victories at Hohenfriedberg, Leuthen, and Rossbach earned him a reputation as a swift, decisive and intuitive commander. He then embarked on a series of military reforms that quickly elevated Prussia to the position of dominant military power in Europe. A patron of the arts and the sciences as well as one of the greatest military leaders of all time, Frederick the Great died in 1786 at the age of 74.
-Napoleon Bonaparte:
Arguably the greatest general who has ever lived, Napoleon Bonaparte’s military genius redefined warfare and reshaped Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Utilising an astute tactical prowess, a willingness to embrace innovation and an uncanny ability to second guess his enemies and exploit their weaknesses, Napoleon scored victory after victory across Europe and Africa at battles such as Austerlitz, Jena, and Wagram.
For a time, it seemed that the self-crowned Emperor of France was unstoppable. However, his disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812 led to his downfall and exile to the Italian island of Elba. He returned from exile three years later, only to be defeated for a final time by a coalition led by the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. Exiled for a second time on the remote island of St. Helena, he died in 1821 at the age of 51.
-Erwin Rommel:
Already a decorated soldier after fighting in World War I, Erwin Rommel cemented his reputation for military genius as the commander of the 7th Panzer Division during the Blitzkrieg invasion of France in 1940. He was then put in charge of Nazi Germany’s North Africa Campaign, where he scored stunning victories against the British at Tobruk and Gazala, conquering most of North Africa and earning him the nickname ‘The Desert Fox’ for his cunning as a military commander.
After overseeing Germany’s defences against the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944, he was implicated in the 20 July Plot to kill Adolf Hitler. To avoid publicly executing such a legendary and revered soldier, Rommel was offered the choice to take his own life, which he did in October 1944.
-Georgy Zhukov:
Born into a poor peasant family in Russia in 1896, Zhukov rose through the ranks during World War I and the Russian Civil War. A brilliant military strategist, Zhukov’s organisational skills came to the fore following the Nazi invasion of Russia in 1941, where he led the successful defences of Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad. Stunning victories on the battlefield followed, in particular at the monumental Battle of Kursk. Elevated to Marshal of the Soviet Union, Zhukov was in charge of Operation Bagration, which first drove the Nazis from Soviet territory and ultimately led to Germany’s defeat in the Battle of Berlin. Sidelined for political reasons after the war, Russia’s greatest military commander died in 1977 at the age of 77…We will keep discovering and you keep reading dear readers
