The Legend of Leadership... Leadership training programs are incomplete without learnings from Shivaji Maharaj. I believe we all can learn a great deal of leadership from Shivaji Maharaj. On his Birth Anniversary, here are my 3 favorite cases of 'Situational Leadership' from his life. 1) The Truce of Purander with Raje Jay Singh: How would you feel if you had to surrender your hard earned assets just to gain some peace?. Shivaji Maharaj surrendered 23 forts to Raje Jay Singh. Battle of 'Kille Purander" (Fort Purander) was one the unique chapters of Shivaji maharaj's life. He could have just taken on the army of Raje Jaysingh & had a death of martyr. However, Swarajya was a bigger goal than to just sacrifice his & his 'mawlas (men) lives. "Short term pain for Long term Gain." For many, it could be an act of surrender. But in reality, he showed his amazing strategic mindset and safely came out of the situation. But do you know the most insane part of the story, he won back all the 23 forts in just 2 years from that incidence. 2) Surgical Strike on Shahistekhan: "Sometimes, what you can't achieve in a day can be achieved in an 'moment'". Shahistekhan Chapter was the first surgical strike in the Indian modern history. It was difficult to track him down in broad daylight. Shivaji maharaj chose the odd way (according to those times). The raid at Lal Mahal & narrow escape from death made Shahistekhan ran for his life, never returning to Maharashtra. 3) The Battle of Jawle: One of the toughest part to conquer in Maharshtra. We all know the 'The Trojan horse' theory. Shivaji maharaj used the same but in the form of a live person. He sent his best men 'Raghunath Ballal' to have a negotiation with ‘More’ (the ruler of Jawli). The plan was to engage him in discussion & surprise him with a guerrilla war attack. Plan worked well & he won the battle with least casualties. What I admire the most about his leadership is, the optimum use of resources. Most of his wins are through surgical strikes, raids and surprise attacks. He achieved all of these by just delegating the tasks to right men. His life is a benchmark of leadership. Today, we all remember his charismatic leadership !!! Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki ___