MAHATMA GANDHI
LEADERSHIP STYLE
OUTLINE
• Mahatma Gandhi, originally named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, (born
October 2, 1869— assassinated January 30, 1948), Indian lawyer, politician
and social activist who became the leader of the nationalist movement
against the British rule of India. Also called Bapu, Gujarati, and Gandhi ji,
and is known as the Father of the Nation. Gandhi is internationally known
for his belief of nonviolent protesting (satyagraha) to accomplish political
and social advance.
GANDHI`S LEADERSHIP STYLE
• Yukl (2010) states that followers may view leaders as charismatic if they undergo self-sacrifice,
sustain high costs to accomplish the vision they embrace, and take personal risks.
• “By re-creating himself, through the power of his passion, in the humble, vulnerable image of
India's poorest starving naked millions, Gandhi could, when moved to do so by his ‘inner
voice,’ call upon that unarmed ragged army, whose pain he mirrored and magnified in his own
naked body, to follow him barefoot up India's Via Dolorosa to freedom. And countless millions
unhesitatingly did follow him, not as a modern political leader, nor as a medieval native prince
or martial maharaja, but as their own Mahatma, India's “Great Soul.”–Stanley Wolpert (2001, p.
4-5)
GANDHI`S LEADERSHIP STYLE
• Bass (1985) argued that transformational leaders possess unique charismatic behaviors
including sacrificing personal benefits for the sake of the group, setting an example of
ones` self for followers and demonstrating high moral standards.
• Weber (1947), stated that the emerge of charismatic leaders are more likely to take place
in crisis situations.
• According to the above, it can be concluded that Gandhi`s leadership style emerged
mainly from his personal characteristics, how his followers viewed him as a charismatic
leader without neglecting the situational factor of India being in crisis.
EXAMPLE 1 OF LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR
THE DANDI MOVEMENT
• During Calcutta Congress of 1928, Gandhi declared that the British have to grant India
dominion status or a revolution for complete independence will be inevitable. The British
did not pay attention to this.
• Gandhi opposed the British Salt Tax which he knew was wrong, and in spite of fears of
being arrested, he marched along with the protesting Indians nearly 250 miles to Dandi.
EXPLANATION OF BEHAVIOR IN THEORY
• Meindl, Ehrlich and Dukerich (1985) stated that charismatic leadership is romanticised, in
that it is more dependent on followers’ emotional responses than of the leader’s
personal behaviour or characteristics.
• The action of Gandhi in opposing British salt tax with bare hands inspired million of
Indians to follow him in his movement because of what it reflected in their minds and
hearts as they attributed it as self-sacrificing and taking full risk neglecting personal
consequences.
EXAMPLE 2 OF LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR
FASTING
• Holmes (1943) stated that in 1924 Gandhi went into fasting for full 21 days, the purpose
of fasting was to unite the Hindu and Muslim Indian population, the result of this fasting
was getting the attention of Hindu – Muslim community in uniting for the first time after
the non-cooperative movement, interestingly enough, Gandhi ended his fasting in such
influential way listening to the Quran and Gita being read.
EXPLANATION OF BEHAVIOR IN THEORY
• Lowe, Kroeck and Sivasubramaniam (1996) concluded from their meta-analytic study, a
high correlation of the first two dimensions of transformational leadership, idealised
influence and inspirational motivation.
• They mentioned that idealised influence defined as being the leader behaving according
to high moral and ethical standards and so inspires confidence and loyalty in followers.
Thus, the act of Gandhi’s fasting reflecting adhering to high ethical standards motivated
both Hindu and Muslim communities to unite, after both communities gained much
respect and belief in the real purpose of Gandhi as a leader to liberate India.
HOW GANDHI'S` LEADERSHIP STYLE MOTIVATES
HIS FOLLOWERS ?
• Meindl`s (1990) theory of social contagion suggests that heightened levels of excitement
may create enough follower arousal to evoke charismatic attributions that are spread
from follower to follower.
• Michelle and Jill (2010) argued that there are evidences support the importance of the
content of Gandhi's communications in creating a dramatic vision that resonated with his
followers.
HOW GANDHI'S` LEADERSHIP STYLE MOTIVATES
HIS FOLLOWERS ?
• Probably the most influential characteristic in Gandhi`s personality to motivate and
inspire millions of Indians is his strong tactful use of articulation in his speeches, Gandhi
mastered his way in reaching people`s hearts and touched their emotions through his
words and unpredictable actions and behaviors which got their attention in the beginning
, gained their trust in the middle and inspired them to take action at last.
CONCLUCION
• Gandhi was one of the most influential charismatic leaders known to mankind, as Einstein
remarked: “It is hard to believe such a one has walked the earth in our time.” Gardner
(1993).
• Thought provoking questions to be asked :
• Does Gandhi style of leadership is appropriate in all situations ?
• What would happen if Winston Churchill took the same approach in leading world war
2 against Germany ?
REFERENCES
• Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York: Free Press.
• Gardner H (1993) Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity Seen Through the Lives of Freud, Einstein,
Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham and Gandhi. New York: Basic Books.
• Holmes J. H. (1943, March 4 )."The Previous Fasts".The Indian Express, Retrieved from
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LLw-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=JEwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4995,4559107&dq=
• Low K. C. P. (2010) ‘Leading the Mahatma Gandhi Way’, Leadership & Organizational Management Journal,
Volume 2010 Issue 2, p. 110 - 117.
• Meindl, J.R., Ehrlich, S.B. & Dukerich, J.M. (1985). The romance of leadership. Administrative Science
Quarterly, 30, 78-102.
REFERENCES
• Meindl, J. R. (1990). On leadership: An alternative to the conventional wisdom. Research in
Organizational Behavior, 12, 159−203.
• Michelle C.B., Jill L.R. (2010). Was Gandhi “charismatic”? Exploring the rhetorical
leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. The Leadership Quarterly,Volume 21 Issue 5, p. 844 -855.
• Weber, Max, 1864-1920. (1947). Max Weber, the theory of social and economic organization.
New York : London :Free Press ; Collier Macmillan.
REFERENCES
• Wolpert, S. (2001). Gandhi's passion: The life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
• Yukl, G., & Mahsud, R. (2010).Why flexible, adaptive leadership is important. Consulting
Psychology Journal , 62 (2), 81–93