Ahead time Leader@#Gandhi

One of the greatest figures of the twentieth century, and perhaps of the millennium, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.He was both one of the most successful Leaders of the century, and, by his own standards, one of the least successful.

He was charismatic, but he was also deliberate and analytical. Gandhi was very much a product of his times, yet one of his greatest sources of inspiration was theBhagavad-Gita, written thousands of years ago. He was a politician, a writer, an intellectual and an orator. Without doubt he was a very complex man, but a man who believed in simple things.

  
So where do we start with an analysis of his Leadership style, ability and results?

Gandhi declared that "Action is my domain", so it is necessary to study the details of his life to begin to form a clear picture of his Leadership. The start point is also the end – he was called both "Mahatma", meaning great soul, and "Bapu", meaning Father. He was both of those things, not only to his native India, but also to millions of people around the world.

Albert Einstein, in tribute, said Gandhi

"… demonstrated that a powerful human following can be assembled not only through the cunning game of the usual political maneuvers and trickeries, but through the cogent example of a morally superior life".

Gandhi learnt his Leadership skills during his years in South Africa, and honed them in India.

Yes, he was naturally charismatic. Yes, he had a "feel" for his Follower’s needs which was uncannily correct. But he did develop formal tools and methods to become a better Leader over time. What he learnt is instructive to us all.

Not surprisingly, I believe that he is a classic example of the Leadership model put forward in "Leadership Truths". That is, he had a rock-solid value system from which all of his activities stemmed, he wanted to make major changes at every turn in his life, and he had a totally interdependent relationship with his followers. And, as a man of action, he used the 4 E’s throughout his life. 

 

Enable

In formal organizational terms, Gandhi employed few unique methods. Yet, he clearly knew how to get people in the right place, to do the right thing. From arranging ambulance corps, to setting up formal "protest" organizations, to raising funds or even recruiting troops to fight in the War, he was no stranger to structure.

However, his greater enablers were in his own actions. He literally lived the life that he wanted other people to live. He demonstrated exactly how to behave, whether in normal day to day life, or in high-profile political protest. From the philosophy and structure of the "Constructive Program", his use of a spinning wheel was both a symbol of revolution, and a method of demonstrating how to build the "perfect" Indian Society.

The Ashrams were permanent examples of how a society constructed of small, "village" groups should operate. The Ashram had very formal rules, which all built on the core value system he was adamant the inhabitants should have. Nothing helps humility or cleanliness come alive better than a turn at cleaning the latrine…

Gandhi also used words as enablers, ranging from writing protest letters to helping to construct the Constitution of the Indian Congress party. "Satyagraha" and "Swaraj" are themselves both words of description and words of action.

From his dedication to a life of action, every thing he did enabled his Followers to follow and to act. "Do what I do, not what I say" was his greatest enabler. It was also his greatest energizer.

Empower

Gandhi’s life was a combination of discipline and freedom, for himself and for his Followers. His greatest successes came from empowering people with the methods and the desire for "Satyagraha". When those individuals faced attack or prison, they were both terribly alone, yet totally connected to their fellow protesters. They were free to pursue their goals, yet they had a contract with Gandhi and with each other. He needed to serve them, just as they served him, the cause, and each other (see my definition of "empowerment in Leadership Truths).

Unfortunately, his belief in the goodness of everyone to some extent blinded him from the frailty of human nature. Letting people free who cannot overcome their own demons leads to unpredictable consequences. This was clear in the violence of Partition. And, his belief that "Satyagraha" would have helped the Jewish people in their terrible struggle with Hitler was at best idealistic, and at worst inconsistent with the nature of the task

Energize 

Gandhi had a knack of choosing causes which would have maximum impact, and which would have the maximum chance of touching everyone. Many members of Congress were skeptical of overly focusing on the Salt tax issue, as it had been a long-standing source of discontent. It could be seen as a minor issue in the grand scheme of the fight for Independence. Yet, the Salt March caught the imagination of the Nation, the global media and the world.

Not only could Gandhi energize on a large scale, but he could also touch individuals. A classic example is the response of the Judge who hoped Gandhi would be dealt with leniently, despite the Judge having to serve a mandatory sentence on him.

Gandhi’s humility, and obvious care for his opponents as equally as his followers, meant that virtually everyone Gandhi met had an emotional response to the man and his actions. Witness the Lancashire mill workers in England, who should have disliked his boycott on their products. His obviously truthful and heart felt explanation, both of why he was doing what he was doing, and why he hoped the mill workers would not suffer, struck a significant cord.

Gandhi also chose his personal symbols well, from the white dhoti ("cleanliness and humility") to only wearing sandals made of leather from cows that died naturally. The only decoration on the walls of his room at the Ashram was a crucifixion. He took the philosophy he espoused and turned it into visual representations of his "story". These symbols clearly provided a consistency to the energizing process he consciously used.

From a "story telling" viewpoint, his speech on the Salt March, almost angrily denouncing the overzealous use of scarce rural resources for the benefit of the marchers was a classic case of his speaking from his values, and galvanizing his Followers back onto the right course.

Single handedly, he stopped slaughter at partition in Bengal, with two of his most powerful energizing tools. He fasted without fear, and he met the "combatants" face to face, with no fear for his own safety. In fact, it is worth noting that his apparent fearlessness and disregard for himself was in itself a powerful energizing force, and a great problem for his opponents.

Yet, he also failed in energizing. The fait accompli of partition showed that he had failed to overcome both the fears of the Muslims in a largely Hindu India, and the nationalism / exclusiveness of Jinnah. He also failed to generate a sufficiently multicultural, pluralist sense in the leaders of Congress to build the right bridges. He could find insufficient enablers, and he could not energize a unanimous desire for "One India". Equally, his use of Hindu symbolism and obvious belief in the goodness of humanity , almost "against the odds", at least partly contributed to his own assassination.   

Gandhi’s effect on the world was and still is immense. On the positive side, he helped create the world’s largest democracy. He also

gave to the world a way of thinking about and acting upon value systems that profoundly influenced such important figures as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.  Gandhi directly influenced the American Civil Rights movement, and thus the broader Human Rights concerns and activities of today.

From a practical viewpoint, his focus on "Swadeshi" formed the core of India’s industrial policy, and that did deliver some real successes under Nehru’s Leadership. Yet, it is clear that the lack of Indian openness to the world economy, and the internal bureaucratization of Indian systems have held back that country over time. How much one can apportion "blame" to Gandhi is moot, as certainly those that followed him share the responsibility. That is a subject for another essay.
  
Net, even with his failings, Gandhi must still rank as one of the most effective and most positive Leaders of this or any other century.

Resources & Insights:-Mick Yates,Leader Values