Effective leadership and commitment to principles.

Daisaku Ikeada:- " A person, who No matter how desperate the situation , gives others hope, is a true Leader"

There has been many occasion which sparked me over the years and present scenario of 'Empty Idealism', Liberalisation(in the case of currency only), provoked me to pen down my feelings over the issue of leadership.Time, when i Wrote this was 2nd October, which is celebrated as "Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday.Here I'm putting that...


Whether effective leadership requires that a leader consistently follow his/her principles and objective, is a complex issue- one that is tied up in defining effective leadership in the 1st place. in addressing the issue it is helpful to consider, three distinct forms of leadership;business, political and social - spiritual in the business realm , effective leadership is generally, at least in today's corporate culture,, as that which achieves the goal of profit maximization for a firms shareholders or other owners. many disagree , however , that profit is appropriate measure of business leader's effectiveness. some detractors claim , i.e. that a truly effective business leader must also fulfill additional duties- i.e. not to do intentional harm to their customers or to the society in which they operate.Other detractors go further- to impose on business leaders an affirmative obligation to yield to popular will, by protecting consumers ,preserving natural environment, promoting education and otherwise taking steps to help alleviate society's problems.

>>Whether our most effective business leaders are the ones who appease the general populace by contributing to popular social causes depends, of course, on own definition of business success.In my observation a business becomes subject to close scrutiny by the media and social activists, business leader will maximize profits in the long term only by taking reasonable steps to to minimise the social and environmental harm, their business cause.Thus the two definitions merge of effective leadership and commitment to principles.

>>In the political realm the issue is no less complex . Definition of effective political leadership are tied up in the means , a leader uses to wield his/her power and to obtain that in first place.Consider history's most infamous tyrants and deposts- such as Genghis Khan,Stalin,Mao,and Hitler.No historian would disagree that these individuals were remarkably great effective leaders, and that each one remains consistently committed to his tyrannical objectives and principles..Ironically, it was stubborn adherence to objectives that ultimately defeated all expect Khan. Thus in short term stubborn adherence to ones objective might serve a political leader's interest in preserving his / her power; yet in long term such behaviours invariably results in that leaders downfall-if the principles are not in accord with those of leader's would be followers.

Finally consider social-spiritual leadership.Few would disagree their ability to inspire others and lift the human spirits,Mahatma Gandhi and Marin Luther King were eminently effective in leading others to effect social change through civil disobedience.It seems to me that this brand of leadership,in order to be effective , inherently requires that leader remain steadfastly committed to the principles.WHY???????????

It is commitment to principles that is the basis of the brand of leadership.For example , had Gandhi advocated civil disobedience, yet been persuaded by close advisers that an occasional violent protest might be effective in gaining independence,, no doubt result have been immediate forfeiture of that leadership.Unfortunately presently we r lacking this brand in our country.Politics becomes party based instead of issue and development.Our leader enjoying trapeze on issue less issues such as temple.When they r supposed to act in condition of country's esteem like Kandahar abduction of airlines ,they get perplexed and release the terrorists.In contrast u might not forget action of Russia towards Theater hostage drama. For them country esteem was more important than life's of few civilians.Any way there must be change , definitely it will be ...

In sum strict adherence to principles and objectives is a prerequisite for effective social-spiritual leadership-both in short term and long term.In contrast political leadership wanes in long term unless the leader ultimately yields to the will of followers.Finally, when it comes to business,leader must create a balance between profit maximization-- the measure of effectiveness ---- and yielding to detain broader obligations that society is now imposing on them.