When I think about how I define leadership, I think of building honest, open relationships, moving forward toward a vision based on excellence, recognizing the importance of each individual, holding myself accountable to high ethical and moral standards, working hard, and showing dedication and perseverence. Those are qualities I think a good leader should have.
Gandhi is someone I believe fits those criteria. Whether it was his lifelong commitment to nonviolence, his pursuit of independence for India from British rule, or the quest to not allow a person to be labeled "untouchable," Gandhi lived his values every day. He selfelessly served others in a pursuit for a higher standard. That is leadership. He did not ask anything of anybody that he would not do himself. When asking others to give up the practice of discrimination against the untouchables, he lived among them. When protesting unjust laws, he willingly went to jail. His life was about living his word. And he would not allow the actions of others to change his morals or values or how he treated others. He lived leadership, he did not just practice it.
Some quotes from Gandhi that really fit my definition of leadership are:
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
"My life is its own message."
"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."
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