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Leadership and command in combat is not well understood outside the armed forces. It involves raw courage, sacrifice, physical fitness, wisdom, empathy, professional competence and much more to lead brave hearts to possible death to achieve victory at least cost in an environment where being a runners up means defeat. Lt Gen Ata Hasnain (R) and I discussed this multifaceted responsibility of command in combat in detail. The QnA session was good.
Good morning Prof. of Practice, Lt. Gen. Shankar, Aerospace Dept, IIT-M,
Thank you for sharing powerful shots, especially today’s “Leadership and Command in combat”…raw courage, sacrifice, physical fitness, wisdom, empathy, professional competence and much more to lead brave hearts to possible death to achieve victory at least cost in an environment where being a runners up means defeat.
As a mobility-Infrastructure startup founder and “Art of War – Sun Tzu” reader, resonate with your above thoughts. Following are my two queries…
For a founder like me, not sure I have all those qualities and would seek your advice to be a successful entrepreneur. 2. For our CEO position, I had sought a roadmap from a potential female Defence veteran. But, recently read some negative performance reviews from female supervising officers. My initial thoughts about hiring a female CEO were positively predisposed because of their contribution to funding/ board performance. Please share your thoughts for consideration of this potential female CEO.
PS: On a different note, looking forward to Gunners Shot’s take on NSA’s recent Chinese and Arakan Army visit.
With safe regards, Kondamuru Harikrishna, ATiD, Automated Transportation idea Dot, Servicing ‘Safe & Decarbonized/ efficient & frictionless’ mobility and its enabling ‘inclusive/ disaster-resilient’ Infrastructure
Dear Lt General This conversation was indeed of a high intellectual order revealing the thoughts of two generals on leadership, command and control.Everyone should see this. All of this apply to civilian officers also in high responsibilities but the battle field being different the weapons are dirty and never fired openly and always from behind your backs. Now about raw courage many IAS and IPS officers face situations where raw courage is needed but not physical but moral. to oppose on rare occasions a PM or more frequently a CM or a senior officer when they give irreverent tasks to be accomplished. i have personal experience of both and survived to see better days. Regarding women both of you seem to give impressions of being somewhat chauvinistic. You have forgotten the fact that women are qualified fighter pilots now in the IAF flying even a thousand crore Rafael fighter.This requires raw courage and physical fitness of a high order to withstand 8g forces at times.One has also got command of a battle ship. If I were a corps commander say in the J&K after informing the Gocin C I would send first a lady officer to an assault on a terrorist hide out to see how they perform however keeping an alternative open.The die has to be cast and it is better done this way rather than induct them into battle situations during conflicts at the borders.The army should also study how senior women IPS officers have functioned under trying circumstances during riots or in the areas of insurgency.Lessons could be learnt from that. General’s remarks on both the Pak army and the PLA are well balanced.
I have read some writings of Pak generals of a high order. I have interacted with a Pak Lt. Gen and an Air-marshal the latter wa very helpful during my command of an anti hijack operations in which the field commander was Brig Misra current LGLadakh.
My impression at that time was given the chance they want to live peacefully with India but that was 30 years ago. Things have changed as one generation has passed by and now they see us only as their enemy. This conversation I reiterate is exemplary and intellectually stimulating like General Hasnain articles. Please convey my complements to him. Sivaraman
Thanks sir
Gunners Shot 
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