A true leader should be like Lord Ram.
Lord Ram was not just a God, but an ideal for all of humanity for not just millenniums, but for posterity.
I suggest the first book on leadership that should be taught in all schools, not just management schools, is the Yoga Vasistha which formed the character of Rama and then the Shri Ramcharitamanas by Tulasidas which is the life story of what Rama actually did after his character was formed.
The Valmiki Ramayana also is very good, but it is much longer than Shri Ramcharitamanas and its essence is already contained in the Shri Ramcharitamanas by Tulasidas.
I have the version that is translated and edited by RC Prasad and I recommend it since it has the original Avadhi text, Hindi translation and English translation.
There is also a very good website of the Shri Ramcharitamanas (http://www.ramcharitmanas.org/) that I found recently.
You can also download a PDF of the book from https://holybooks.com/sri-ram-charita-manas-the-ramayana-of-goswami-tulasidas-pdf/.
Nobody can be completely like Lord Ram.
A divine being like Lord Ram is born only once as an ideal for humanity. But if a person has even 60% of the main characteristics I have mentioned below, they will be good leaders.
A combination of many such leaders can restore Ram Rajya in the entire world.
Even if we cannot achieve Ram Rajya, let us at least identify leaders who can at least help us achieve what Thomas Paine said:
When shall it be said in any country of the world,
My poor are happy, neither ignorance or distress is to be found among them;
My jails are empty of prisoners, my streets of beggars;
The aged are not in want,
The taxes not oppressive;
The rational world is my friend because I am friend of its happiness.
When these things can be said, then may that country boast of its constitution and government.
My main identification characteristics to identify True Leaders comes from reading our traditional scriptures of the Sanathan Dharma in Bharat, especially the Yoga Vasistha, Shri Ramcharitamanas, the Mahabharat especially the Shanthi Parva and the Bhagavad Gita and the folk tales of Rama like the tale of Rama and the Squirrel and the tale of Rama and the Dog among the many other tales I have heard of Rama.
Another great article on Leadership from modern times is the speech in 1998 by Field Marshal SAM Manekshaw – SAM Manekshaw on Leadership and Discipline.
- A true leader will be the first to walk the talk.
Word and action should be one like Paravathi and Parameshwara(Shiva).
Above is a very famous saying from Kalidasa who was the greatest poet and playwright ever in the history of the world.
For a person to be truly united in word and action, they should have achieved समत्वम्ं (Samathvam) and this only comes from sincere and sustained practice of ध्यान Dhyan.
A true leader will be the first to walk the talk. If they declare war on another country, they will be the first to fight in the trenches along with the rest of their troops. They will get their hands dirty. They will not believe in remote control leadership. If they want something done, they will do it themselves first as an example.
People say Rama fought Ravana. Not for land, not for money, not for oil, not for gold, not for ego but to rescue his own wife who was kidnapped by Ravana.
That is why there was Ram Rajya.
- Adherence to Dharma and its highest ideal of SEVA (Selfless Service) will matter more to a leader than money or adherence to GDP.
What exactly is Dharma? The concept of Dharma is best explained in the various books of the Sanathan Dharma .
There is no correct English translation of the word Dharma. The closest meaning is a virtuous way of conduct and living but this is not even a 20% completely accurate nor comprehensive translation.
The Uttharkanda section of the Ram Charitra Manas has described Dharma in the most succinct manner that can be understood by all.
Brother, there is no greater Dharma than benevolence(परहित), no greater sin than oppressing others.
I have declared to you, dear brother, the verdict of all the Vedas and the Puranas, and the learned also know it.
Benevolence means altruism or selflessness and being always concerned about and working for the welfare of others.
परहित is a very complicated word.
A simpler meaning is निस्वार्थ सेवा or simply सेवा (SEVA).
सेवा (SEVA) means Selfless Service.
So the highest Dharma is सेवा (SEVA) or Selfless Service not just to humanity, but to the whole world.
Because the highest ideal of the Sanathan Dharma is:
वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam)
The whole world is One Family.
There is another important definition of Dharma according to one of the greatest philosophers of modern times.
What is Dharma?
If you understand hurting another man is adharma (violation of Dharma), pleasing another man is Dharma, you have performed Dharma.
S Radhakrishnan, 2nd President of India.
- A true leader will value small grains of sand and minute powder particles of cement the same as mighty rock because you need all of them to make concrete. I got this lesson from the story of Rama and the Squirrel and how the squirrel got its three stripes. It is a very interesting story. Read it here. This is a folk tale of Rama and not found either in Valmiki’s Ramayana or in Tulasi Das’s Shri Ramcharitamanas.
Rama’s lesson from the story:Rama continued, “Always remember, however small, every task is equally important. Great work can never be completed by a few people alone. It needs the support of all, and however small, an effort should always be appreciated.
Rama lovingly held the squirrel close to him. He turned to the monkeys and gravely said, “Do not make fun of the weak and the small. Your strength or what you do is not important. What matters is your love. This little squirrel has love in its heart.”
“O monkeys, you are brave and strong and doing a wonderful job bringing all these huge boulders and stones from far away and dropping them in the ocean. But did you notice the tiny pebbles and stones that this small squirrel and other smaller creatures have brought are filling the small gaps between the huge stones? Do you not realise that the tiny grains of sand brought by this squirrel are the ones that bind the whole structure and make it strong? Yet you scold this small creature and fling it away in anger!”
Hearing this, the monkeys were ashamed and bowed their heads in embarrassment.
- A true leader will be spiritual, not moral.
Morality is like a laser light, powerful, focused and intense, which eventually blinds and disables you, and it mainly has darkness all outside its narrow and specialised area of focus.
While spirituality is like the light of a candle, soft, warm and spreading light all around it, even to the darkest of corners and you enjoy the warmth and glow of the candle.
- A true leader can be consistently trusted and consistently earns that trust only by their consistent and sincere actions, and not their words
- A true leader does not object to, and readily accepts verification of trust bestowed upon them.
- A true leader will be mainly inspired by sincere and humane ideals, and not mainly by monetary rewards or considerations.
- A true leader will not consider themselves indispensable nor will they regard others as indispensable, but they will recognise, honour, treasure and value loyalty, devotion, and sacrifice.
- A true leader will listen to learn. They accept criticism, have an open mind and can even pivot a 180 degrees from their original position if they see value in another’s opinion even if it is contrary to their own previously held opinion.
- A true leader will only make promises they can keep otherwise they will just say no.
- A true leader will not fight with violence (forcefully) unless they have exhausted all other options and absolutely have no other option.
According to the Sanathan Dharma there are four stages of fighting:
- Sama(try to befriend or form alliance)
- Dana(give gifts, presents and do favours)
- Bheda(confuse, deceive, separate, divide and rule)
- And finally when all else fails Dhand(military or physical force).
- A true leader wont decide punishment, they will leave the punishment to the victim to decide. I learnt this story from the tale of Rama and the Dog. Rama gave an audience and hearing for justice even to a dog who was a victim of a merciless beating by an offender. Rama let the dog decide the punishment to be given to the offender. According to Rama the victim best knows what punishment to mete out to an offender. This is assuming the victim is doing this out of their free and informed and unforced consent and given a cooling off period of at least 3 months for serious offences before meting out the punishment.
- A true leader will never consider themselves as superior to others, they will wear their humility and ordinariness lightly and always on their sleeve.
- A true leader will have समत्वम्ं (Samathvam). They will have empathy and treat all beings equally with love and kindness. I say all beings, not just human beings or living beings. Lord Ram gave justice and utmost respect even to a dog.
- A true leader will not exempt themselves or their family or loved ones from punishment if they have violated Dharma or the laws of the land.
- A true leader will realise that if you don’t first successfully invest in people, you will never be able to invest in anything successfully.
Investing in people is the most valuable investment a person can make.
To invest in people you do not need huge amounts of money.
In fact to invest in people, you do not need any money at all.
To invest in people you need the consistent practice of True Love, Dharma, SEVA (Selfless Service) and the things I have figured out.
- A true leader will place the highest goal of the Arthasastra– SEVA to the old as the highest ideal of Dharma.
सुखस्य मूलं धर्मः ।
धर्मस्य मूलं अर्थः ।
अर्थस्य मूलं राज्यं ।
राज्यस्य मूलं इन्द्रिय जयः ।
इन्द्रियाजयस्य मूलं विनयः ।
विनयस्य मूलं वृद्धोपसेवा॥
The root of happiness and well being is Dharma.
The root of Dharma is Artha (economy and statecraft)
The root of Artha is good governance.
The root of good governance is conquering by self control.
The root of conquering by self control is humility.
The root of humility is SEVA (selfless service) to the old.
- A true leader will recognise sacrifice and they will:
- Be aware of who sacrificed what and how much.
- Remain grateful for life towards those who sacrificed their well being for the well being of others.
- Make serious attempts to offer compensation, support and a permanent replacement of income to those sacrificed themselves, for at least 3 generations of their families.
- A true leader will try to convince, not command into obedience.
After all the Gita was explained, Lord Krishna said:
I have given you my wisdom, it is for you to do as you think fit.
- Never make a money counter a leader, a money counter is just a monkey and monkeys are only to perform tricks and to be paid only in peanuts. Great things came not from counting money, but from passionate hearts and devotion to sincere ideals.
- Never make a smooth talker or “Brilliant Orator” a leader, a smooth talker usually does not walk their talk.
- A true leader will focus on earning respect, not attention.
- A true leader will focus on earning loyalty, not obedience.
- A true leader will realise that age and authority does not mean automatic respect.
Below is one of the best motivational videos I have watched on life and leadership. You can watch all of Simon Sineks videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/SimonSinek
I wish I read this excellent article by NK Carlson on the qualities of a bad leader. It is an eye opener and warning never to work for a bad leader.
Transparency
Good leaders communicate transparently, but only to the point of necessity. Bad leaders communicate either too transparently or not transparently enough.
Compassionate
Good leaders communicate with compassion. Bad leaders communicate with no compassion. When bad leaders communicate, they do not take the feelings of others into consideration. Bad leaders communicate in a way that is cold and distant. The root of this is those bad leaders don’t actually care about anyone other than themselves and their own power. Along with this, bad leaders will never say, “I’m sorry.” They won’t say they are sorry for something they did, they won’t even say they are sorry that a situation is bad. A bad leader never apologizes.
On the other hand, a good leader cares about people and takes others’ feelings into account. Most importantly, a good leader communicates bad news in a way where employees leave the conversation knowing the leader cares about them.
Answers Questions
A good leader is helpful and answers questions and concerns. A bad leader ignores questions or dances around them. This goes with the transparency issue above. A bad leader will withhold information for their own purposes. Even when you could be transparent and give answers, they will not, especially when those answers would undermine their power. A bad leader is far from helpful. In many cases, a bad leader will ignore questions or even attack question askers.
A good leader welcomes questions and answers each one, even if that answer is, “I’m sorry, I am unable to answer that question due to confidentiality.” A good leader wants more information available rather than less. A good leader wants to foster understanding when decisions are made. A good leader will help their employees understand through questions and answers. A good leader has nothing to hide about how a decision is made and why.
Clarity
Above all, good leaders seek to communicate with clarity. Bad leaders do not seek clarity, because many times, a bad leader makes decisions that would not pass scrutiny. Ironically, bad leaders may use more words to communicate decisions.
A good leader will communicate clearly in as few words as possible because they know that many words often bring more fog than clarity. A good leader is direct. Listening is also a sign of good communication. A good communicator listens to concerns rather than monopolizing the conversation so they can better address those concerns. Good communicators and leaders know that face-to-face conversation is usually the best way to communicate, especially when communicating bad news.
Good leaders choose the proper medium so that clarity can be maximized.