Sreedhar Bevara: True leaders emerge when their survival is at stake
Motivational content is bread and butter for creators across the globe. But for author Sreedhar Bevara, who recently launched the celebratory edition of his book The Roaring Lambs in January, the story is personal. Before becoming the CEO of a Dubai-based management and innovation consulting firm, Bevara was a street vendor in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), until his brother’s leadership transformed his life. “My late brother Muralidhar was my mentor. Without him, I might have ended up in random jobs, including waiting tables or working in a poultry meat shop — experiences that I endured for almost a decade,” he shares.
Driven by his own underdog story, Bevara writes to inspire change. His simple allegorical style tells a rather radical story of a herd of feeble lambs who come to defy the lion king Kaizaar and his powerful pride.
So far, the pinnacle moment for him is his book reaching Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wrote a letter of appreciation to the author. “Among the many compliments our PM expressed, a couple of expressions stood out: ‘the themes of leadership, hard work and success touched upon in your books are especially relevant for the aspirational youth of our nation.’ It is surreal to receive such praise from him,” Bevara adds.
The 51-year-old, who is currently working on his upcoming books titled Bright Morning Rise and Custodians: The Infallible Trident, feels that sometimes people fail to come into a leadership role because of self-doubt. “In the jungle, the lions are counted among the most powerful animals, while the sheep are considered the weakest. It seems unimaginable that a sheep could muster the courage to challenge a lion. However, when their survival is at stake, true leaders emerge,” he says, adding, “When someone doubts their ability to lead or questions their talents, it may stem from seeking validation from others or a lack of confidence, possibly influenced by their upbringing.” He adds that the solution to this is to focus on personal power when faced with such a mental setback.
Although in the mighty jungle that Bevara paints, not all leaders are stereotypical lions. “The world has seen diverse leadership styles embodied by figures such as Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi and Warren Buffet. These leaders are known for their quiet yet powerful demeanour and often prioritise thoughtful consideration before speaking. They excel as listeners, have empathy in their approach and demonstrate outstanding collaborative abilities,” he sums up.
When someone doubts their ability to lead, it may stem from seeking validation from others. SREEDHAR BEVARA, Author