Mahatma Gandhi's Leadership Styles
INTRODUCTION
Leadership is about casting a vision and allowing it to seep into others so that they follow the lead. Mahatma Gandhi is a world renowned leader who was a politician, a writer, an intellectual and a gifted orator. I find it incredible that as a young boy, Gandhi did not display any leadership qualities. He was a below average student (lack-luster) and very shy. His remarkable metamorphosis from a dull boy to a brilliant leader attests to the fact that good leaders are made. He has inspired and motivated great leaders such as Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. Gandhi championed passionately for four main causes: India’s independence from Great Britain, Hindu – Muslim unity, the causes of the poor and equality and justice for the untouchables. As a peace advocate who abhorred violence, Gandhi employed a novel tactic of engagement with the enemy - resistance through non-violent civil disobedience. In this response paper, I will respond to the leadership styles that emerge in the course of his agitation and advocacy.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
In my opinion, this is Gandhi’s dominant leadership style. Despite having trained as a lawyer in Britain, he gave his life selflessly to the service of humanity. Gandhi’s acts of service started in his days in South Africa where he taught English to Indians without any remuneration so as to improve their living conditions among racial tensions. He met material needs of a leper who came to his doorstep, dressed his wounds and nursed him before sending him to hospital. His passion for humanitarian work saw him volunteer as a nurse in a hospital where he dedicated two hours each day serving patients. When I examine Gandhi’s servant leadership, I see close parallels with the style of Jesus who symbolized service rather than power. Jesus’ standard of greatness was Mark 10:43 - 45: “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”
While most
Leadership is about casting a vision and allowing it to seep into others so that they follow the lead. Mahatma Gandhi is a world renowned leader who was a politician, a writer, an intellectual and a gifted orator. I find it incredible that as a young boy, Gandhi did not display any leadership qualities. He was a below average student (lack-luster) and very shy. His remarkable metamorphosis from a dull boy to a brilliant leader attests to the fact that good leaders are made. He has inspired and motivated great leaders such as Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. Gandhi championed passionately for four main causes: India’s independence from Great Britain, Hindu – Muslim unity, the causes of the poor and equality and justice for the untouchables. As a peace advocate who abhorred violence, Gandhi employed a novel tactic of engagement with the enemy - resistance through non-violent civil disobedience. In this response paper, I will respond to the leadership styles that emerge in the course of his agitation and advocacy.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
In my opinion, this is Gandhi’s dominant leadership style. Despite having trained as a lawyer in Britain, he gave his life selflessly to the service of humanity. Gandhi’s acts of service started in his days in South Africa where he taught English to Indians without any remuneration so as to improve their living conditions among racial tensions. He met material needs of a leper who came to his doorstep, dressed his wounds and nursed him before sending him to hospital. His passion for humanitarian work saw him volunteer as a nurse in a hospital where he dedicated two hours each day serving patients. When I examine Gandhi’s servant leadership, I see close parallels with the style of Jesus who symbolized service rather than power. Jesus’ standard of greatness was Mark 10:43 - 45: “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”
While most
References: Mahatma Gandhi: Essays and Reflections edited by S Radhakrishnan http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=RKBb4SdxQhAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=MAHATMA+GANDHI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QFhuUa2zBorSsgbGnIBo&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=MAHATMA%20GANDHI&f=false http://www.biographyonline.net/politicians/indian/gandhi.html