Almost 4 years have passed since I successfully completed the Young Professional Leadership Program (YPLP-6). YPLP is a four-week leadership program offered for mid-career professionals who work in different public, corporate, and private sectors. Young public servants are given this opportunity based on their merit and potential to become future leaders. The course is developed to offer participants access to emerging and pertinent issues that are of national concern.
Even though I have never had a leadership position, as a newbie mid-level civil servant who joined the likes of my colleagues who were mostly leaders, I always consider concluding this course to be one of my life’s proudest milestones. Because I was selected through several rigorous screening procedures for this program initiated by His Majesty the King, being an alumnus of this institute is one of the most decorated and life-changing experiences in my life.
The 28-day course included a number of assignments, one of which was to compose a letter to one’s future self. It was meant to serve as a self-evaluation tool to see if we were transitioning on the right trajectory with reference to our ambitions and goals.
I am uncertain if I am moving in the right direction. But one thing is evident – I am conscious of what I learned at the Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies (RIGSS). Despite the fact that I am neither a management expert nor a leadership pundit, I make up for my lack of experience with my keen eye for detail.
I conform to every proposition I made in the letter to my future self. I consistently put what I have learned at the RIGSS into practice. Most saliently, as a Buddhist, I always tailor my thoughts and conduct to embody the inherently Bhutanese ideals of dagmed (Selflessness), tenchingdrelwa (interdependence), ley Judre (Karma), tha damtsi (integrity), and Jampa dang nyingje (loving-kindness and compassion).
I have always vowed to make sure that I do not become a liability even if I cannot contribute anything positive to my family, society, or the Kingdom.
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| The letter that I wrote to myself |
Here is what I wrote:
31 March 2018
Dear Dumcho,
As proclaimed by Shakespeare, ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’. Hence, I keep this note very short.
Learning is much better and more enriching in RIGSS. Should you absorb the world-class leadership courses, it's RIGSS that may fulfil your dreams. But most importantly, leadership courses without sincere practice would be futile.
Therefore, as you leave the institute after a period of a month, make sure to achieve the following stated activities and plan:
a) Prepare and make a sincere practice on what you have learned from the RIGSS.
b) Information without sharing is no better than not knowing anything else. Hence, propagate the intrinsic values that are deeply rooted in our culture.
c) Leadership qualities are not just grown in workplaces. Cultivate such charisma right from the home itself.
d) Most of our thinking is tailored by the environment we work in. So, in a hostile environment that impedes your learning, ensure that you mobilise the leadership qualities you learned from RIGSS as a weapon for your survival.
e) Keep an account of how you have changed and travel a journey hence the RIGSS program.
Think of a small Kingdom Bhutan and work for its sovereignty. Love your King, people, and [the] country with dedication and loyalty.
This would be a “Leadership of the Self”.
– Dumcho Wangdi, YPLP-6
31.03.2018
