Considering the current challenges related to war and peace worldwide, it is encouraging to observe global leaders like the Pope taking initiative and advocating for responsibility and measures towards restoration of peace.
Pope on Middle East: ‘What harms them, harms all of humanity’
After praying the Angelus, Pope Leo calls for an end to violence around the world, urging everyone to persevere in prayer because “we cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people, innocent victims of these conflicts.” https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-03/pope-we-cant-be-silent-in-face-of-suffering-of-many-innocents.html
The harm for the innocent citizens, children, men and women of Israel is not merely a heinous act of a few from Hamas, but it is a cruel episode in human history. The death and destruction that followed in Gazza, the ravages of life and property in Iran by their own Government as well as through bombings by U.S. and Isreal, the loss of life of U.S. soldiers and the many innocent citizens in all countries in the region, not to speak of the unending aggression by Russia and the war in Ukraine, ….. there seems like no end in sight!
For all of the above, one can blame the leaders in the many countries. Does the ownership stop there? All the death and destruction are caused by bombs, ammunition and the war machinery – all of which are paid for by Taxpayer money! At least in that sense, there is a direct connection between the savage outcomes in the battlefield and the funding for all the war machinery enabled by the hard work and earnings of every citizen in the USA and his/her taxes paid to the U.S. Government. When we look at it that way, each one of us have our hands stained with the blood from the battlefield. “We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people, innocent victims of these conflicts,” as the Pope points out.
Vedic Philosophy proclaims:
Everyone and indeed everything is integral and inseparable part of Nature, as a whole! (Tat Twam Asi).
Above is an obvious and self-evident truth! It also implies that every one of us is responsible and has a part in all the good as well as the bad that occur everywhere, even across the globe. Instead of being and becoming a “Culture of responsibility”, we tend to outsource our responsibility to a few individuals ordained as leaders in each country. This herd mentality seems to become codified in the name of organization, nationality, authority and power structure! When these leaders go “rogue”, the nation as a whole pays the price! Today we witness this herd mentality and the leaders going rogue in their authority, responsibility and work. Breaking the silence against such run away leadership and governance truly calls for a spiritual outlook, a view of equal regard for the welfare of all and against the mentality of “tooth for a tooth” and an “eye for an eye”!
In terms of management and leadership, to say a leader has “gone rogue” at work means they have abandoned established company policies, strategic alignment, or ethical standards to pursue their own agenda, or to act independently without authorization. A rogue leader essentially acts as a “dark knight” or “vigilante,” often creating their own rules while disregarding the chain of command, disregarding well established norms, resulting in dysfunctional teams, low morale, and increased risk for the organization.
No one can expect a better tomorrow under such rogue leaders and their leadership. It requires a collective engagement of all. It requires a return to leadership with a Spiritual Outlook that seeks the welfare of all. It requires action beyond merely blaming rogue leaders. The action includes communication between fellow employees, developing and forging a commitment to restore what is right and find ways to correct all that is wrong.
Generally, in a company such rogue leaders drive the company to bankruptcy. I have been a victim of such rogue leadership, and the bankruptcy of a large Co. in the early part of my professional career. International Harvester was the 4th largest Co. in USA in the early 80s. It went bankrupt in less than one year thanks to a leader and his series of moves, each a failure compounding the next! https://time.com/archive/6855087/goodbye-archie/ A new R&D center initiated only a few months earlier was shut down. Scores of highly talented professionals recruited from all across the USA had to scurry and find their next job and career elsewhere!
In a Democracy, such “bankruptcy” is not an option! People switching jobs and place of living is not an option when the nation as a whole suffers from social, economic and political turmoil. Instead, what is needed is a resolve to exercise the rights of citizens and their duty to elect new leaders that replace the “rogue” leaders and the impact of their poor leadership!
STIMS Institute 