Mahatma Gandhi as a Leadership Role Model

Mohandas Karamchand who is known as Mahatma Gandhi was born in October 2, 1869 at Porbandar, India. He is one of the most known and successful leader of India. He is mostly known as Mahatma Gandhi all over the world. Mahatma means the divine soul in South African language. He is also known as “Bappu” which means father in Indian language as he was treated as father of the nation during the period of anti-British movement.

Being born in a very small village in India and remote place Gandhi was successful to bring all the Indian people under one roof to protest against British Government. He was born in a country where people were discriminated in terms of caste, poor infrastructures of development, and a non-independent country. He was the first one to raise the voice against the British government and seek for the change while India was ruled by Britain. People who used to raise voice against British government used to be locked up and tortured. Gandhi was locked up numerous times while raising his voice against the British government. Gandhi’s protest was always nonviolent. He didn’t believe in violence. He believed in the power of the community, society and the country men to bring the change rather than guns and bullets. He started various forms of protest during anti British regime in India - Hunger protest, walking long distance with his followers and public speeches.

Gandhi, when we look at his picture - is really thin built with a walking stick on his hand. His pictures describe his personality and charisma. He might look thin and weak, but his intelligence and leadership quality is top of the point. He was always very well informed of the current events and knew how to unite people for a cause. He urged the country men to support him on anti-British activity- eventually everyone supported his as well. Everyone believed in his vision and they could see that plan laid by whim could free the Indian people from the British.

He always had a clear vision and goals and he planned very well to achieve them. He knew that to move British government from India he would have to educate people in India at first. He started constructing school, colleges in his hometown for which he was arrested numerous times. He started to reunite people for building schools, cleaning cities, and building infrastructures. People eventually believed in his plan and supported him in the anti-British movement. But, Gandhi always requested to his supporters for a non-violence protest. He is very committed to non-violence.

Gandhi was exiled and locked up numerous times during Anti British protest. Even during his hard time during the jail where he was beaten several times, and was not offered a single drop of water he never gave up. He was always planning and preparing for his next step. He was always thinking how can he reunite the country and free his country and make India an independent country.

Indian people till date believes that Gandhi was one of the successful leader of India of all time and I second that as well. Learning and studying about the qualities of leadership (Fundamentals of Leadership (Unit 1), Effective Thinking (Unit 2), and Emotional Intelligence (Unit 3)). I have even realized the same. I see him as a great leader as well. He was always adoptable to the situations. He knew what kind of steps he needs to be taken during times. No matter if the times are bad or good. He never gave up. He knew what his dream. He was kept following it until he achieved it which is one of the most needed traits for a leader. For a successful leader he- she needs to be aware of the society and its situation as well. He knew that the society he’s living in needs to be educated in order to move the British government out of India. He created awareness in the society which is also an exemplary instance of great leadership quality. Gandhi was knowledgeable, confident and very consistent towards his goals. He never gave up though he faced numerous challenges while achieving his goal. To sum up he had all the leadership qualities that a great leader should possess.

Gandhi was an effective thinker. His thought of eliminating the poverty from India was appraising. He was the first one to raise the voice against caste systems in India. It took him long time to eradicate caste system, poverty and even the British government but it took a lot a patience, confidence, positivity and emotional intelligence to win over the challenges.

It would be doubtful for a person to achieve what he has achieved if he didn’t have positivity. Gandhi never gave up. He never stopped believing in himself. He fought for the country until his last breath. His values, moral, paths are followed by many generations after him till date and is still being followed. Gandhi has been true inspirations to many leaders and to other famous person after him. Great Leaders like President Obama, Steve Jobs, Jawal Nehru has praised the deeds and leadership qualities of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi himself being so powerful and one of the main members of Indian congress and even known as father of nation he lived his life in a very simple manner. He never had big houses, car, or fancy dresses. He always dressed simple which I found more impressive which always gives us the impression that the leader can be simple as an ordinary person. The leader is not only born in big cities or highly developed countries. Successful leaders are also born in villages, in a poor family who can reunite and bring all the youth and countrymen of the whole country together for the protest against their sovereignty, independence and freedom.

For all these reasons, I have chosen Mahatma Gandhi as my leader for this class assignment. I believe it would be a great idea to share more history and facts about Mahatma Gandhi with my class as lot of people wouldn’t know about him. There are numerous books about Mahatma Gandhi that was been published till date. Most of them are tied to leadership, nonviolence, and Positivity which will help me analyze his leadership style, traits and behaviors throughout this course.