Thoughts on Sai Leadership

Consisting of:

·        Qualities of Sai Leader – dedicated to Sai,

·        The Leadership of Sai Centers, Central Counsil and Co-ordinating Committees

·        Bhagavan Baba on Role of Center Leaders and Officer-Bearers

THE LEADEIRSIEIP OF SAI CENTRAL COUNCILS AND CO-ORDINATING COMEMITEE

Should one aspire to be a leader· of a SAI Centre or a SAI Organization? This is acritical question that all who have the capacity to lead should ask! If one wishes to be a leader so that one can show power, take command of others, become popular etc. then one should not only NOT aspire to be, but such a person should NEVER be a leader of a Sai Centre.

Also, a person, whatever the reason, who only wants to be an armchair leader - pushing from the back and not leading from the front should also never be a leader of a Sai organization. Baba has said all leaders should “lead from the front and not push from the back”. The so called leader may be highly intellectual, may be respected in society for his wealth, profession or titles he holds, but unless he is prepared to be a “hands on leader” he should not aspire to be a leader of a Sai organization.

Also – if one examines all Baba's teachings, then a leader, even if he is a “hands on leader” who is prepared to work, if he does not have humility, love for all (those who are for him, those who are neutral and those who maybe against him), if he does not speak softly and lovingly (especially under provocation), if he constantly speaks ill of others behind their back- then again such a person forfeits the right to become a leader of an organization of the Avathar.

Of course such perfect beings may be hard to find, but they do exist Or at least there must be that “divine discontent” among such leaders that they are failing the Avathar, and thus they should be constantly, in thought, word and deed be attempting to improve themselves to fulfil the divine commitment to the Avathar, WHICH THEY SILENTLY TAKE WHEN THEY ASSUME THE MANTLE OF SAI LEADERSHIP.

To have ideal leaders at the level of Sai Centers is critical for the survival, let alone expansion of the SAI movement to help fulfil the Avatharic mission of Bhagavan Baba... i.e. the spiritual transformation of individuals, families, societies and nations.

Unless devotees in Sai Centers are lovingly guided and motivated by good leaders, the SAI movement will be at best lethargic and at worst be involved in internecine conflict, propelled by egos of individual leaders who refuse to compromise and get together to please the Avathar, but only do things to please themselves.

Thus, everything starts from the individual!! An area (town, suburb etc.) may have many SAI devotees-but few may be attending the Sai Centre bhajans/activities because the Centre lacks the power to attract as a center of love and devotion. Conversely a SAI Centre may have hundreds attending weekly bhajans, but the majority may only be at the bhajan level, and thus with all its numerical strength, such a Centre is an ineffective vehicle to fulfil the plans of the Avathar! Why? It is no fault of devotees! ALL DEPENDS ON THE CHAIRMAN AND LEADERSHIP OF THE SAI CENTRE.

Devotees should be careful about the leaders they choose for a SAI Centre. Do not choose a SAI leader only because of his profession, wealth or standing in society. These can be important side assets but more critical would be whether that person has shown a consistent attempt to become a devotee of the message of Bhagavan Baba and also before he becomes a leader, he has shown a pro-active interest in all the activities of the Sai Centre.

A good Sai leader would be one who has shown active participation and interest in the Spiritual, Education and Service wings of the SAI movement. If he is able to work with and motivate youth, this will be an added advantage.

Sometimes a person in a Sai Centre becomes popular because of his activities in one wing- e.g. Spiritual (i.e. he is a good bhajan singer, or is able to conduct study circles well) or Education (he is a good EHV Guru), or Service (he organizes service activities efficiently), when such a leader takes over the mantle of leadership of a Sai Centre, unless he has extra-ordinary ability and very good supporting leadership, the Sai Centre will either become lop-sided in its activities or all activities will stagnate - with perhaps only bhajans taking a dominant role.

Thus those who aspire to be Sai leaders - and here the aspiration is not one of ego, but a noble one, i.e. you want to become the number one servant, you are prepared to sacrifice your time, energy, resources, you are prepared to go in the front and show leadership at all levels of the organization and you are prepared to set the example of Sai behavior by the way you conduct yourself in word and deed. And very importantly you do not compete for the position but are accepted unanimously by all devotees/members.

Indeed, it is by no means easy to be a good Sai leader. It is easy to be a leader or chairman of a big Sai group, a big Sai Centre whose main activity is only bhajans! However this is merely to remain at the foundation of the temple of SAI without attempting to build the walls and roof, that will provide true shelter for devotees who seek guidance and who believe that the SAI Centers are there to help them fulfil their respective destinies.

Thus, who should be SAI Centre Chairmen? Examining all Baba's Teachings, one can conclude that they are persons who have the following characteristics:

  I.      They are visible examples of aspirants for grace, following and putting into practice in their daily lives the teachings of Bhagavan Baba as reflected in summary in the 9 Codes of Conduct, the 10 Principles, the 5 Great Values, and manifesting in their words and deeds Bhagavan's call to "LOVE ALL SERVE ALL","HELPEVER HURT NEVER", and to "LOVE GOD, FEAR SIN", and to manifest "MORALITY IN SOCIETY".

II.      They should be individuals who have shown constantly by word and deed that they are above petty issues and cliquism, who do not make the 4 walls of the Centre the mausoleum that bury lives of individuals in thoughts of separation. They should consider their heart the center of the SAI movement and their periphery, not the 4 walls of their building, but all Sai devotees - nay - the whole world.

III.      They should be individuals who have shown an ability to participate and show leadership in all wings of the SAI movement.

a.     Spiritual -They should not only be participating fully and taking leadership in study circles, satsangs and sadhana camps, but should be full practitioners of the religion they belong to. They should understand the spiritual and religious yearnings of different individuals of different religions and should encourage the participation of all in their respective religious traditions. There are some good leaders who may, for example, feel that religious rituals are not for them! But their love should be sufficiently all encompassing to understand that for many, religious traditions, and rituals are very important, and thus they should participate and encourage these, while attempting to encourage all to develop a deeper understanding of the inner significance of the religious traditions/rituals they perform.

They should be open hearted enough to reach out to the traditional religions in the area in which the Centre is located and try to build bridges of co-operation and understanding between the SAI Centre and all religious groups. Many SAI leaders, afraid to move out of the "Comfort Zone" of their own movement, ignore this great inter-faith responsibility. This could be a grave omission. As the SAI movement expands in numbers of devotees and activities, the traditional religions, be they Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims etc., unless they understand the SAI movement, will consider it a threat and there will be a backlash that could cause irreparable damage. If Religious leaders/groups do not understand the SAI movement (and it is the responsibility of Sai Centers/leaders to make them understand) they could at best talk ill of and condemn the movement and the personage of Bhagavan Baba or at worst (as happened in Indonesia) they could instigate the government to “crack down” on the Sai movement as a threat to harmony and social order.

The Chairmen of Sai Centers and the leadership of SAI national organizations have to be aware of this responsibility.

b.     Education - Leaders of National Organizations and Charmen of Sai Centers must be fully conversant with all aspects of the SSEHV and SS Human Values programs, for this is avital program that Bhagavan Baba has launched for the future wellbeing of societies and nations.

Sai leaders should provide pro-active leadership and support to all Gurus in the SAI Centers and they can only do so if they themselves are familiar with the programs.

It is critical that the children of Sai Centre leaders are active participants in all Value programs for children, teen youth and youth. Unless a Sai Centre leader's family (spouse and children) are active participants in at least the value oriented activities (ideally in all activities) the Sai Centre leader will not have the moral author­ity to urge other devotees to send their children to EHV/Bal Vikas classes or to urge other devotees to send their youths or even to urge other youths to participate in the activities of the Centre. Not only should the SAI leaders feel the responsibility of Human Values education among children of SAI devotees, but they should also show leadership in attempting to foster value education and value orientation to as many youths as possible in society.

c.      Service - A Sai leader should take an active part in service activities! He need not be there for every service activity - but devotees should be aware that he not only talks of service - but is also an embodiment of the service he talks about. Very importantly he should be a servant of those who serve!

Many devotees often want, for some reason or other, to take the time of leaders of Sai organizations. To give such physical time to allis an impossibility. However, SAI leaders should make a special effort to give their time and energy to those who selflessly expend their own time and energy to serve the cause of the needy and the Sai movement.

Sai leaders should never be complacent about service activities being undertaken by their respective Centers. They should be constantly evaluating all activities, seeking excellence in those that fall short of excellence, moving away from activities that may have fulfilled an original purpose and seeking new avenues to serve the most needy - the most neglected!! And in this area a leader cannot and should not urge from the ivory tower of his position - he should be in front setting the example so that others yearn to follow.

d.     Youth - Sai Centre leaders must understand that the youth represent the future of the Sai movement. The youth have options - (much more options and distractions than adults) to come to the Sai Centers or just not come. Many youths, initially persuaded by parents to come to Sai Centers, often get disenchanted when all they have to do is to be “back-up” singers and be a labor force to roll carpets, sweep floors etc.

Also in some Sai Centers, youths who become active and take initiative in activities - (driven by an idealism that is so much a part of youth), are often discouraged or “scolded into submission” by adults. Thus, after some time the youths drop off, and the SAI Centre is often left with children and the elderly - and no youths between the ages of 14 - 35 years.

It is the responsibility of Chairmen' of Sai Centers to recognize the unique role of youths, their ideals and aspirations and take such action to give them the attention they yearn for and activities to try and broaden their talents, skills, and knowledge. This is exactly what Baba does to the youth and children at Prasanthi! With thou­sands of adults sitting for Darshan, He gives special attention to youth and children ... we should follow His example.

Thus, it can be seen that a Chairman of a Sai Centre is not merely a “seat warmer” - one who maintains the status quo of activities and enjoys the position of leadership without gaining the merits of leadership. He should in essence be one moving himself and the activities of the Centre towards “infinite excellence”.

REGIONAL CO-ORDINATORS

Now we have the role of Regional Coordinators and Deputy Regional Coordinators, or Chairmen of Co-ordinating Committees, State Presidents etc. These are individuals given the responsibility to co-ordinate the activities of several Centers within a country.

In as much as the Chairmen of Sai Centers should be the fulcrum around which SAI Centre activities revolve, the State President or the Regional Coordinator should become the fulcrum and the motivator around which all activities in the Region revolve.

If there are Centers that are inactive, they should be the catalyst to inject the “vitamin of activity” into the devotees and leadership. If there are Centers at conflict, they should be the healing oil soothing troubled waters.

They should be the force that persuade different Centers to come together in unity and make them gradually detach themselves from the Ego of Sai Centre worship to true Sai worship - making all understand that Unity is Divinity and that Discord and Disharmony represent the demonic nature of man.

They should not merely be the transmitter of information from the national organization to the Sai Centers but should be the motivators of action based on information and directives received.

In fact, all Chairmen of Sai Centers and Regional Coordinators should never merely be the transmitters of information but should be motivators of action - to ensure that all the wings of the organization are fulfilling their duties and that devotees are being guided not in the direction THEY want to go, but in the DIRECTION GIVEN BY BHAGAVAN BABA.

USE OF POWER

Some SAI leaders, be they leaders of National Organizations, Presidents of Sai Centers, Regional Coordinators, State Presidents or Chairmen of Sai Centers, use the prestige and power of their positions to enforce discipline and the threat of retribution often becomes the mark of leadership. This.is a grave misuse of power! All leaders should only use one power – the POWER OF LOVE!

If you are a true SAI leader, SAI devotees should want to follow what you say and do: not because they fear you, but because they love you! They must feel the power of your love, and they must want to reciprocate that love by doing things that will in no way hurt the feelings of the person they love and admire.

Ultimately this is the culmination of Baba's message – "MY DARSHAN MUST FLOW TO AND THROUGH YOU TO THE WORLD"! When people look at you and are with you, they must feel the love and presence of SAI. Baba's words to this effect should be a guiding light for all devotees and more so the leaders of Sai organizations.

I would like to request all Sai leaders to examine themselves in the light of the above. If you are unable to or not willing to make an effort to fulfil the above, the greatest gift you can offer Bhagavan Baba and to all Sai devotees is to step down from the position that you hold and hand the torch to someone (whom you have fostered) to take the position and to live up to the responsibility of the task assigned.

To merely say “I am not fulfilling the above and therefore let me step down” is abdication of a glorious and divine challenge. However to recognize that you are not fulfilling your responsibility -but to resolve that henceforth you will live up to the responsibilities that Bhagavan expects of Sai leaders, is to accept into your hands the torch of destiny that could affect positively your life, the lives of other devotees and that of your family for generations to come and into your own future lifetimes. IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO DO THIS, THEN PLEASE HAND THE TORCH TO THE ONE WHO IS WILLING.

HANDING OVER THE TORCH OF LEADERSHIP

All Sai leaders, whatever their position, should consider the position they hold as a “Divine jewel mandate” – a ‘flaming torch of Divinity’ - not to be thrown to the ground at an Annual General Meeting (or at any time) to be picked up by anybody who wants the job or who is voted in as the successor.

One of the true signs of great leadership in any organization and more so in a spiritual organization is the ability of the incumbent leader to identify and train the second and possibly third rung of leadership. A leader who steps down from a position and then finds that the successor is unable to cope or activities decline (and especially one who then says or even thinks “you see I did a good job, these people don't know how to lead”) is the worst type of leader.

A true leader is a person who hands over the torch of leadership to one whom he has groomed carefully and who thus takes the movement to greater heights of devotion and activities. This should be the nature of evolution and growth, new leaders rising higher, achieving greater ideals, standing on the willing shoulders of past leaders ... this is the sum and substance of leadership... of Sai leadership that moves towards the Golden Age as promised by the Avathar... Sai leaders are an integral part of that promise.

PRAYER

I would like to pray to all my Sai brothers and sisters to read and reflect on this offering of love. Read it, discuss it among devotees in the Centre, reject it, amend it, add to it - but whatever it may be, I pray that this note creates a "divine discontent" in all Sai leaders to seek within themselves the reason for their existence as Sai leaders.

I pray that every SAI leader remembers forever the LIFE principle that must guide all Sai leaders. That a SAI leader must be a force of LOVE, of INSPIRATION, FRIENDSHIP and FEARLESSNESS and ENERGY and ENTHUSIASM! Sai leaders must be able to give LOVE unselfishly, Nishkaama Prema (a Love that does not expect reciprocity), they must be able to INSPIRE by word and deed, they must have and show FRIENDSHIP towards all and be FEAR­LESS in the activities they undertake dedicated to Sai, and have the ENERGY and ENTHUSIASM to fulfil the wishes of Sai as manifested through the Organization. Let this LIFE principle be the reason for life and living of SAI leaders, and may this principle be a force in the existence of Sai Centers and in the lives of all devotees.

LEADERS OF SAI CENTER DEDICATED TO SAI

Who is the Sai leader?

What are the qualities of Sai LEADERSHIP.... that make such qualities different from normal perceptions of a leader?

A Sai leader is not merely the President of a Sai Council or Chairman of a Committee. Everyone in a Sai center in the Sai movement, who holds a position and is looked up to by others for guidance, for direction, for qualities of Sai, is a leader. He or she may

only lead one or two persons – but yet that is what leadership is all about not the numbers one leads but.... The quality of the leader that leads though the numbers do increase the gravity of that responsibility.

Ultimately, everyone is a leader.... a father, a mother, a brother/sister but that is a different dimension of leadership.

What then are the qualities of a Sai leader.... the criteria of leadership? (All reference to him, is also for her).

First and foremost, the Sai leader must be personally motivated. to attempt to live up to the highest ideals of Sai in every thought, word and deed. Constantly, he must be looking at himself to see where he has succeeded or failed to live up to the divine attributes that? (All reference to him, is also for her).

First and foremost, the SAI leader must be personally motivated. to attempt to live up to the highest ideals of SAI in every thought, word and deed. Constantly, he must be looking at himself to see where he has succeeded or failed to live up to the divine attributes that he has inherited.... his Atmic/Divine consciousness. Always seeking inner (Divine) perfection in thought and outer excellence in speech and action, he should, though he may be failing occasionally, make his lifelong spiritual pursuit.

In his relationship with others, a SAI leader must always speak, and act initiated by Love and the highest teachings of Divinity. A leader must be one who has, even before being conferred the mantle of leadership, shown that he is prepared to work selflessly (without praise) and with or without position. Even if he has to undertake a task for which recognition may go to another (a position belonging to another) a SAI leader should go forth to fulfil the task.... for the fulfilment of the task at hand and dedicating that task to GOD should be the highest motivation.... not position or recognition.

A leader must be one who “Leads From The Front And Not Pushes From The Back....” (Baba) and who has shown by word and deed, that he is prepared to undertake personally, tasks that he has assigned another to perform. He must never attempt to

“ENFORCE” Discipline - but rather by Love and Understanding "Motivate" the yearning to fallow discipline.

A Sai leader must be one who has vision of the future, the evolving challenge of the SAI movement as a force in personal transformation, social responsibility and Nation building. He must not initiate action out of fear o fa few nor must he fear to take action because of a few “his only thought should be”. Will this bring about greater welfare/ benefit for more people and will this please Baba?

A Sai leader must never talk ill of others or try to demean others to win favor or gain support; he should always be conscious of actions of all, and where corrections of wrong words/actions are required, he must do them in a loving way to bring about inner transformation and change and not public or personal humiliation. He should respond to hate with Love, loud shouting with soft speech, irrational arguments for stagnation or non-action, with rational and loving logic for the need for dynamism and change in keeping with the evolving plan of AVATHAR.

A Sai leader is not a leader of an ethnic or religious group!! Rising above all these (though fully grounded in his own Religion), he should be recognized by his love, words and actions be recognized and accepted by all as their leader. A SAI leader is not a leader of his center or his group.... he is a leader leading all devotees of God to expansion of consciousness, to expansion of love, helping them to break the walls of prejudice and narrow sectarianism, uniting with love all devotees, all centers and even non Sai groups and helping all to move from the lake of “My-ness & In-ess” to the “Ocean of Universal Oneness”.

The “Litmus Test” of Sai leadership is “Expansion”. Expansion of consciousness, expansion of love, and through that expansion, expansion of service, knowledge etc. so that the mind of the leader, and those who wish to follow, rise from the “Constrained Individual” to the “Cosmic Universal” to “Love All”, to “Hurt Never”, to “Help Ever”, to “Promote Morality in Society”, so that the DARSHAN OF THE DIVINE Can Flow To and Through Every Leader, Every Devotee to the world.

THIS SHOULD BE OUR DESTINY....

TO BECOME SAI

TO BECOME LOVE...

TO BECOME DIVINE!

PRAY THAT SAI GUIDES ALL OF US TO AND THROUGH THIS GREATEST OF ALL LIFE'S ADVENTURES!

A NOTE TO ALL

A bhajan lead singer, or a harmonium player is also a leader for he / she wins adulation and respect of devotees because GOD given talent. But a bhajan lead singer/ harmonium player who does not set an example of Sai seva and does not Ivie up to Sai ideals (at least 9 codes of conduct) are like an artificial gold coin.... "Looking (Sounding) beautiful" but of no value to anyone.

Likewise, a study circle coordinator, a Bal-Vikas Guru, a secretary, a treasurer etc. they are not just talkers, note takers and bookkeepers, they are leaders in their own way, but if they fail to set an example for devotees to follow, they betray a Divine trust.