Welcome back to our class blog fellow readers! After quite a hiatus, me and my mates are back with more stories to be told... Well this time round will be uncovering on great leaders of past and present with their respective yet effective in contributing to society leadership style.
Before going on with it, there's just one question that seems to wander in our thoughts when the word leadership is uttered. "How to define leadership?" Well, leadership is a process whereby an individual influence a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Generally people mistake leadership for characteristics or a trait that reside within a person but it's actually a process that comes with experience as well as selfless thoughts.
This time round, I'm gonna share a bit or two on Mahatma Gandhi, one of the pioneer role model in exhibiting his leadership qualities. Gandhi was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, he led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
Gandhi famously led Indians in challenging the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in calling for the British to Quit India in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and India. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential community and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with yarn hand-spun on a charkha. He ate simple vegetarian food, and also undertook long fasts as a means of both self-purification and political protest.
Eschewing the official celebration of independence in Delhi, Gandhi undertook several fasts unto death to stop religious violence that broke free in India after achieving independence. The last of these, undertaken on 12 January 1948 when he was 78 had an indirect goal of pressuring India to pay out some cash assets owed to Pakistan. Some Indians thought Gandhi was accommodating. Among them was Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, who assassinated Gandhi on 30 January 1948 by firing three bullets into his chest. Yet, his influence still lives till today reminding people of how chaotic an environment can be with religious violence as he continues to pursuit peace among all races.
There are specific characteristics a person must show in order to be a transformational leader, and Gandhi possessed them. “Transformational leaders are inspirational, trustworthy, and charismatic role models who lead by example” according to “The Pachamama Alliance”. They are those who inspire team members to give their best, which greatly motivates them, and increases the chances of succeeding. Gandhi led his followers greatly by example, and being humble: by living in poor conditions, just like millions of people in India. They could relate to him, and this inspired them to give their best effort in order to make a difference.
A
transformational leader makes other people feel confident and powerful, which
wasn’t the case of the Indians, since they were under the rule of the British.
Gandhi empowered all these people to believe in themselves and feel influential
in the change they were trying to create. India’s independence couldn’t have
happened with one person; everyone had to be a part of it. Gandhi encouraged
them to believe in themselves in order to cause this great change in their
country.
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| Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March |
I can just go on and on keep writing about Gandhi itself shows the immense ability to influence others that he had in him. Hope that, I have enlighten you a little on one of our aspirational leader from the past and it may have an influence on you as well to become equally aspired leader in whateva group task you are involved with...Keep in touch for the next feed!
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