Page 130 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

My Target Service Selection Board (SSB)

3. Leadership: Being a leader is not often something you can choose to be or not be. Each
officer becomes a leader in the performance of helping people to solve problems and work
through difficult situations. Leadership is something you can get by developing confidence.
You should have confidence on yourself. You must learn to take initiative to start with begin
with small things like taking part in school & college activities.
4. Body Language: Your body language matter a lot. Even if you have a good personality it
won’t help until you have a good body language. It means you must learn to walk firmly, sit
upright, stand erect etc. You should never slouch or drop your shoulder while walking or
sitting. Practice it in your daily life, walk firmly watch yourself in mirror while walking or sitting.
If become habitual to have a good body language you'll definitely make a mark.

Zeal for Defense: You must have a zeal for defense services. This means you must love adventure,
must be lively and ready to take part in any event. You can become lively by taking part in many
activities in your institution or in your vicinity. You must play some sport to improve your personality
because sports definitely enhances personality and induces discipline in life.

Physical and Mental Courage: An

Important Facet of Personality

We must have seen or met such people who we think have some qualities in abundance, those too
who don’t seem to have any and we consider ourselves one of those who have qualities yet we fail

to make it to what we desire to get. And this often happens because we lack courage. There are
certain qualities required for one to become a leader and one such very important quality is Courage.

Courage is the awareness of danger that exists, and the desire or at least the willingness to face

it. It is not the ignorance of the existence of danger and its implications. It recognizes fear of danger
or criticism, but enables the man to go ahead with calmness and firmness. It gives a man control

over him, enabling him to accept responsibility and to act properly in danger. It is the quality of a
man which forces him to marshal all his abilities and powers to overcome the hardships.
It is of two types:

o Physical
o Mental
Physical courage is concerned with danger to the person, in physical terms while mental courage

comes into being when one does something which one thinks must be done due to his
conscientiousness even at the cost of accepting losses / initial adversities. It is difficult to imagine
military leaders without physical and mental courage. A commander has to lead his men willingly

into the battle-field full of danger. He has to display calmness, firmness and self-control in the face
of heavy odds. He cannot turn back from his mission because of danger or hardship. He must gain
full control over his emotions. Even the slightest sign of fear in a leader will force the men he

commands to suspect the leaders ability to lead form the front and dilute his leadership. Therefore,
courage is an essential quality to face dangers and win the war.