Dr Kiran Bedi – A Woman of Substance: Leadership Values and Insights

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Dr Kiran Bedi
Dr Kiran Bedi

It was an amazing session in Jakarta with Dr Kiran Bedi, voted as India’s most admired (THE WEEK 2002), most trusted woman in India. (Readers Digest, March 2010, Navbharat Times 2012), MSN Most Admired Indian Female Icon 2011 and amongst top 10 women Icons of 2013 by The Economic Times.
Kiran Bedi is truly the inspiration not only to Indian women, but to any person in the world for her determination, hard work, honesty and the desire to serve her country.

kiran bedi event audience

“If the 4 ‘F’s – Fear, Failure, Forgetfulness and lack of Faith – are overcome, any race can be won.” – Dr. Kiran Bedi

Dr Bedi is truly the inspiration not only to Indian women, but to any person in the world for her determination, hard work, honesty and the desire to serve her country.

She shared her 5 invaluable leadership insights with the audience beginning with a quote that defined her upbringing by her parents – ‘Nobody can prevent you from choosing to be exceptional’

The circumstances or the availability of resources has never held her back. Dr Bedi, and she has always followed Theodore Roosevelt’s saying ‘Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.’ and has applied it at various instances. On being asked regarding a defining moment, she responded that there have been too many.

Dr Bedi’s 5 insights explained with interesting personal experiences while she was cop are:

#1 Staying Focused on the Higher Purpose—The Why?

#2 Constant Self Evaluation of the What!

#3 Never let monotony set in…The How…

#4 Live up to –Trust The Key

#5 Gratitude.. the Foundation

She emphasized the importance of self-audit and feedback from the people around you to enable you to be the best person you can be. ‘Trustworthiness is the hallmark of a leader,’ she said and we should all endeavor to have integrity and walk the talk.

Another question by the audience was regarding children and their upbringing as upright citizens. Dr Bedi remarked that ‘children are a function of 3 Es – Education, Experience and Environment. It is upto the parents to provide a framework.’

kiran bedi event

Now retired from the national police force, Dr Bedi runs two NGOs that benefit rural and urban poor. She has become one of the most trusted and admired community leaders in India. She advocates for social change and civic responsibility through her books, columns, and a popular reality-TV show. She reaches out to more than 10,000 people daily through her two NGOs, Navjyoti and India Vision Foundation, which provide education, training, counseling and health care to the urban and rural poor. Her latest initiative, Mission Safer India, aims to ensure that police log and address citizen complaints. She has been in the vanguard of a nationwide movement of India Against Corruption.

Dr Bedi’s personal profile and brief on Navjyoti foundation here.