Definition of purpose, discipline, congruence, spirituality and good social relations are some of the characteristics of Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership.
One of the most representative leaders of the 20th century was Mahatma Gandhi; Without using violence, this “practical idealist”, as he defined himself, achieved great changes in his country, India. How did he achieve it?
According to specialists, Gandhi fulfilled three leadership skills: he defined a purpose, had discipline, and was an upright and spiritual being. Here we explain how each one was developed.
Gandhi’s vision and his clarity in achieving his objectives were key to liberating India, without using violence.
Gandhi knew that salt production was an exclusive activity of the British government in the colony, so to demonstrate the right that all Indians had to exploit their country’s natural resources, he marched 350 kilometers to the sea and extracted salt water.
This shows that he knew how to detect his enemy’s strengths, turned them into a weakness, and took advantage of areas of opportunity.
Mahatma Gandhi believed that challenges helped him get closer to his goals. His attitude was “do or die”, that is, he had to liberate India or die trying.
In this way, the leader was always willing to assume the consequences of his actions.
One of the most representative actions of his discipline are the prolonged fasts to which he underwent as a form of protest. For this reason, its most representative image is that of an extremely thin man, naked from the torso, with a goat and a spinning wheel at his sides.
Likewise, Gandhi sought to achieve his goals by following his own principles: integrity and spirituality. This Indian leader never stopped believing that the principle of non-violence was the ideal path to liberate his country from Great Britain.
With this ideal as his flag, he found a way to motivate other Indians to join the movement. His gentle and wise personality allowed people to sympathize with him and follow him, as they clearly knew his methods and objectives. In addition, Gandhi was a great orator: his followers remained silent when he spoke, paying attention to each of his words.
Gandhi was also a flexible leader who, without abandoning his principles, adapted his strategies to the new challenges imposed on him.
His spirituality was imprinted in each of his actions. Gandhi believed that the best way to combat hatred and weapons was love and peace. The Indian leader even considered his enemies to be his friends.
What leadership skills from Gandhi can you apply to your daily life? How could you relate to your employees and colleagues through the teachings of this character?
