A thought on Leadership

I based this entry on a leadership class that I took in my Master's program:


Values are the fundamental backbone by which leaders assimilate, process and make decisions that can affect not only their own position but the impact that they have on their followers. 'True Leadership' requires leaders to have a compelling vision, a foundation of ethical principles and ultimately embody a value set that establishes a mutually cohesive relationship between the leader and his or her followers. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest leaders of our time had no positional power, executive authority or even the experience but yet he galvanized a nation in it's march to freedom and established a set of guiding principles on 'passive resistance' to the injustices that occurred during his time. He offered the compelling vision of an India being free from British rule and persecution along with the principles of integrity, unity, non-violence,
service and passive resistance to injustice. Had he advocated a set of principles based on aggression and violence would he have succeeded? Probably not. This only goes to show that his values were based on a set of ideals that transcended everyday existence which focused on the potential of the human spirit and embraced a sense of divinity. We could probably conclude that Gandhi had Altruistic and Tradition values. People are ready to embrace an individual who not only offers a compelling vision of what could be but one who has in some way captured the ideals that have transcended our daily existence. We are always ready to participate in a realm that is greater than ourselves.
Whether we agree with his politics or not, George Bush, current president of the U.S claims
that the power of liberty can transform societies into institutions of democracy and human idealism. The United States was founded on these very ideals instilling a sense that every individual has the inalienable right and freedom to pursue their dreams as they so wish. Idealism and it's pursuit can be a strong motivating factor as demonstrated by the number of men and women who fight in Iraq and are willing to sacrifice their very lives in a cause that they believe to be noble and greater than their personal existence.