BOSTON– Dr. R. Balasubramiam, known as Dr. Balu, recently visited Boston, and INDIA New England News sat down for an interview with the author of “Power Within.”
Dr. R. Balasubramiam is a scholar, activist, public policy and leadership expert. Educated as a medical doctor, public health and public policy expert, Dr. Balu’s journey into leadership began at a young age of 19 when, inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, he founded Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) – one of India’s top voluntary organizations that serve the tribal and rural communities in Southern India.
The SVYM, in addition to providing high quality primary and secondary healthcare, offers world-class education for tribal and rural children and empowers communities with various social and economic activities.
To watch the full interview, please click here, or on the image below.
After serving as the CEO and Founder for over 26 years at SVYM, Dr. Balu laid down his office to pursue his passion for studying and teaching leadership to corporate and elected officials in India and other countries in Southeast Asia. While completing his MPA at Harvard University, Dr. Balu founded one of the primer public policy research institutes that examines the grassroots-level impact of public policies. He continued to serve as advisors to various state and national governmental committees in advancing rights for vulnerable communities in India. In 2019 he was appointed by the Modi Government to serve as the Member Human Resources for the Capacity Building commission, and Chair for the Stock Exchange Program within the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
Dr. Balu is a prolific writer, and an author of nine books examining various facets of leadership and public life. A few of his books such as ‘Voices from the Grassroots’ and ‘I, the Citizen’ are recommended books for students in public policy schools around the world. He is an often-sought-after speaker and has served as academic faculty at leading universities across the world. He has served as Frank T Rhodes Professor at Cornell University, visiting faculty at Harvard, University of Iowa, and other leading North American universities. Dr. Balu is bestowed with many awards and accolades, including the recent recognition as one of the top 35 Government Trailblazer’s Talent in the world by the Apolitical and honorary doctorate from the Nrupathunga University in Bengaluru.
About the book:
The Power Within: The Leadership Legacy of Narendra Modi, presents an Indic perspective on the practice of public leadership, with India’s prime minister as the protagonist. The book provides a refreshing perspective grounded in the Indic philosophical texts such as the Gita, Upanishads, Panchatantra, etc., to bring to life the leadership approach that the world needs. Standing on the key tenets of ‘Seva’ (service), and ‘Tyaga’ (renunciation), the book presents how leadership, when exercised, can help mobilize billions to people to raise their aspiration for better governance while simultaneously ensuring their participation. On one hand, the book contends with Western leadership practices from the works of Warren Bennis, Peter Senge, Nitin Nohria, and Ronald Heifetz, and presents key corollaries and propositions emerging from Dr. Balu’s extensive research and observations of Prime Minister Modi exercising leadership grounded in Indic philosophies. Several thought business leaders and thinkers including Bill Gates, and Dr. Nitin Nohria has lauded the contributions of this book towards the theory and practice of leadership. This book, already a best seller in India, is a must read for leadership coaches, practitioners, and academics alike.
