Who will be an ideal leader for an organisation such as Rotary? This leadership question starts from the club level and goes up to the RI President. When you are elected as a leader of Rotary, in which ever level, remember your name and image probably, will hang alongside with stalwarts who donned the mantel before you. RI leaders get airbrushed and even take a mythical status. But what is important is that the people who elected you should not forget you after your term is over.
Every RI leadership position is a relay race. You take the baton from someone, run your leg as hard as you can, then hand it over to someone else. The pages of Rotary in India will chronicle the runners in that race. Each of you is tasked with trying to bring Rotary we love closer to its highest aspirations.
When future generations browse through the pages of Rotary in India and look at your name and image, they should get a better and honest sense of you were as a leader. They should aspire to begin with a deeper understanding of the high ethical standards you have set and take a pledge to maintain the remarkable traditions of Rotary.
Rtn. Raju Subramaniam is a dispassionate person since he is a legal luminary of India. Hence, he will be a fair-minded leader in Rotary. His ability to work with all sections of the society will provide a platform for membership growth and development of Rotary in India. It is said that a leader must have a desire to create the ground for action. The desire to lead must be coupled with an equally strong desire to serve. And Raju has these qualities in ample measure.
As a member of many RI committees, Raju has demonstrated his leadership skills and negotiating abilities. He is a man of vision, a man with clarity of thought and healthy ideas. This quality of his was witnessed during COL by all Rotary leaders from across the world. No wonder assignments in Rotary chase him and not the other way around. I have seen him work as RRFC, Election Review Committee, Training leader and such meaningful work.
Raju knows how to work and influence people around him like a superstar. It was well exhibited during Indore Institute. He always comes up with an instant strategy when needed to build a great team and becomes a person who everyone else admires.
As he takes the mantle of RI Director in 2023 – 25 Raju will devise strategies to defeat stress and build an unbeatable mindset, unleash his full energy and will also balance his personal life and profession.
For many years Raju has been quietly sharing with his teammates many of the success formula that has made his club , the Rotary Club of Deonar, a great Rotary club.
Raju was always ready to make his proprietary process available to any club across the country and those who have heard him and seen his presentations have been able to get to their absolute best while helping their clubs and districts to achieve the goals.
He has shown that Rotarians can break through to a dramatically new level of winning and performing in these uncertain times. This quality of Raju has been witnessed by all of us as RRFC in Zone 4 . Raju’s willingness to work 24×7 inspires others. His readiness to leave everyone he meets better than what he found them encourages people to join Rotary and give even more of their life to helping others.
Borrowing the words of Mahatma Gandhi, I must say that Raju “In a gentle way he has shaken the way Rotary works here,” It is said that leaders are always improving and raising their bar on how superbly they can perform and how quickly they can move.
Mr. Director Elect, I have a simple Guru Mantra for success, which is, “The size of your success will be measured by the strength of your desire, the size of your dream and how you handle your disappointments.”
Rotarians in India have high hopes on you which I am sure you will not
disappoint them because you know that leadership is not just about what you do but what you can inspire, encourage and empower others to do.
Nayantara joins me in making a wish:
WE WISH YOU ALL THE VERY BEST, AND OF COURSE TO VIDYA, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR TERM AS THE DIRECTOR OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL BUT IN EVERY ENDEAVOUR , TODAY, TOMORROW AND ALWAYS.