Leadership is not about titles—it’s about showing your value and creating other leaders

 Leadership is not about titles—it’s about showing your value and creating other leaders.

Have you ever been thrown into a situation so overwhelming that you had no choice but to rise—or sink? No one is ever fully ready for leadership, but the moment you act, adapt, and show your worth is when your real strength emerges.

In my forty-five years in education, I’ve seen almost everything—challenging leaders, petty rivalries, jealousy, backstabbing, and sweet smiles hiding devious hearts. I’ve also seen resilience, dedication, and extraordinary professionalism. I’ve learned to see the funny side of things, which keeps me grounded and reminds me not to take myself too seriously.

I had everything going for me in Pune—experience, qualifications, a proven track record—yet things didn’t fall into place. It would have been easy to give up. Instead, I took a leap of faith and moved to the UAE to join GEMS. That decision changed everything. I became Principal of an exceptional school, and today I serve as Executive Vice President, overseeing some of the largest Indian schools in the GEMS network. I work alongside talented, committed professionals. And no matter the role, I will always be a teacher at heart—teaching is an extraordinary profession.

There will always be challenges—roadblocks, frustrating moments, seemingly insurmountable problems, and never enough hours in the day. It’s no use whining—learn to make things happen. Adapt, keep learning, and let others see what you are good at. Don’t hide your talents under a bushel. Look the part. Walk the part. Talk the part. Step up when opportunities arise—they rarely knock twice. True strength comes from being self-made. Show courage, determination, and relentless passion.

Leadership is about respect, empathy, and transparency. I treat everyone—from the senior-most colleague to the watchman—with equal respect. I believe in fair play, without favoritism, and in giving people a chance to shine on merit. A true leader creates other leaders. I’m proud that over a dozen staff who worked under me as Principal have become Principals themselves. Seeing them thrive is deeply rewarding.

Yet I am far from perfect, and I am learning every day. You’d be amazed at how much you can learn simply by observing those around you—their strengths, mistakes, and small habits that make them effective. Reflect, laugh, and grow along the way.

The time to act is now. Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Step up, lead, and make your mark. Show your value, embrace the challenge, and leave a legacy that will last far beyond yourself.

Reflections

 Reflections on a sweltering  evening 

What if it all works out exactly as we envisioned it would ?

What if the mountain ahead

is not there to block us,

but to show us how high we can actually climb?

What if the doubts that keep us awake at night 

are simply the shadows before the glorious dawn?

What if the challenges we face together

are not weights holding us back,

but tools shaping us into something wiser and  stronger?

What if every lesson we teach,

every quiet act of kindness,

is already building a future for us

brighter than we can ever  imagine?

And what if—

all along—

it was never about failing or winning,

but about showing up

and daring to believe that nothing was impossible?

The lost art of autograph books

 Smudges, Hearts, and Secrets: The Lost Art of Autograph books

Before emojis and Instagram, friendships were written in ink.

Remember the thrill of flipping open an autograph book and discovering your friends’ scribbles, doodles, and secret messages waiting inside? That little book was a time capsule—capturing laughter, secrets, and the drama of school life in ink.

If you are under 15, you may not even know what one is. No, it wasn’t Instagram’s ancestor or a prehistoric iPad. It was a small, brightly bound notebook that became a treasure chest of memories—filled with signatures, notes, and doodles that were ambitious, if not exactly artistic.

Autograph books go back centuries. They began in Europe, but by the time they reached Indian schools, they had morphed into something far more exciting—part diary, part confessional, part detective agency.

I had one in school. It carried messages from classmates, notes from teachers, and, to my pride, the signatures of a few Indian tennis stars I managed to corner after a match in Allahabad. No other famous names graced its pages, but at that age, even a slightly wobbly autograph from a sportsman felt like gold dust.

The real craze, though, was the “profile wall” at the back. Friends would fill in their name, date of birth, favourite colour, favourite dish, and best pastime. But the most eagerly awaited sections were always “Favourite Boy” and “Favourite Girl.” That was where the drama unfolded—less about hobbies and more about discovering who liked you, and whether you were anyone’s favourite. For a teenager, that was headline news.

I still have my autograph book somewhere. I haven’t seen it in years, but knowing it’s there brings back a flood of memories—faces, laughter, friendships—preserved forever in crooked handwriting and smudged ink.

When I began teaching, autograph books were still very much alive. Students would bring them to me, eager for a signature or a few words. I never wrote casually. I paused to think about what to say—a quote, a word of encouragement, something that might linger long after the ink had faded. Who knows? A sentence in an autograph book might have made someone smile, reflect, or even see life a little differently.

It was only around 2010 that autograph books began to fade, replaced by WhatsApp forwards, Instagram stories, and digital yearbooks. The messages became faster, flashier, and more forgettable. Yet the magic of those handwritten notes—smudges, crooked letters, little hearts in the corner—can never be replaced.

Do you still have an autograph book tucked away somewhere, waiting to be opened again?