Prutha Goa

What are the qualities of a leader? Is leadership about wielding immense power and controlling people? Vijay Crishna gives us quite an interesting picture of a true leader, one that challenges preconceived notions and puts to rest ideas of demanding subservience. Vijay Crishna, at his talk 'Leading from Behind' at the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula, presented the audience with a story of courage and endurance to inspire and motivate. He did not lay down specific rules but recounted the life of a man. As Crishna says, ‘He failed every objective set in life, but when tested to the length of his endurance, he came up trumps. This is the greatest survival story of them all. Something we can all learn from.’ The man Vijay Crishna is talking about is Sir Ernest Shackleton. Antarctica, the world’s seventh continent, is not only as precarious and lonely as it was in Shackleton’s time; it has become significant in the climate change phenomenon with its capacity to hold 70 percent

By Shruthi Bhandary Chodankar As a counselling psychologist, I have encountered many children who avail of counselling for various reasons. Some children are not scholastically inclined and have trouble catching up with the rest of the class. Others have anxiety and anger issues. Victims of bullying and children with behavioural problems come to seek counselling. Children with suicidal thoughts, who cannot speak to anybody else of their fears and sadness see a counsellor as confidant. A few children even confess about problems in their relationships with family as well as friends (as commonly observed in students of Std VIII, IX and X). Recently, I found an emotional love letter with a child who is in Std V. Disconcerting as it may be, who is to take responsibility for this sort of behaviour in such young children? It is easy to begin blaming the media and technology, but it must be accepted that many of our young children go astray due to the wrong approach of the parents to handling