A Higher Standard Of Leadership

Introduction

The ability for us to consciously change is one thing that makes us different from animals. If we utilize our positions of leadership for selfish reasons we are very self centered. This is not the behavior that is taken by one of the greatest leaders of all time, Gandhi. People who use their position to acquire power and prestige are in my opinion poor leaders. To follow the example of, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, is to exhibit: integrity, service to others, non-violence, and being a person of action. This sets a very high standard for us as leaders.

Integrity

Many people believe that to be a successful leader today you must compromise integrity. Many people believe that leaders lack integrity. However, Gandhi, showed us that integrity was a higher standard. If we maintain our integrity we live up to our moral principles (most people want to be honest). We must integrate our values and principles into our everyday public, business and private lives.

Service

Many people believe that along with a leadership role comes the benefits of power and prestige. Also that maybe you as a leader are even better that another or have more value than another. This tends to form a different classes of people. The have and have nots. Gandhi, strove to reduce classes. He had a major focus on the abolition of discrimination. He was an advocate for all religious classes of people to have equal status with one another, to live in peace and harmony.

Another aspect of service is to dedicate yourself to the betterment of something. In my case it is the Fire Service. When conducting a Seminar with a number of Fire Chiefs about 15 years ago, my primary goal was to improve the organization through a paradigm change. The department needed to improve communications, to develop an effective leadership style and to work more collaboratively.

Non-Violence

As you think about non-violence, each of us will say, "We are non violent." We wouldn't think of using violence to get our way. Or would we? There are some leaders who abuse their position and power by forcing people to do things their way. They use intimidation and coercive behaviors to force people to submit. These types of leaders use force and power; which is in turn using violence. Gandhi, eliminate the use of violence in all of his actions. He promoted mutual respect and tolerance, striving for peace and harmony. We need to develop a trusting environment with cooperative teamwork; working together in collaborative approach.

The above four points are indeed valuable to us as leaders. We must strive to integrate these into our personality and actions. We can consciously change if we know it is for the better. These lessons from Gandhi's life challenges all of us to become better leaders. We must look at our own conduct and always strive to a "Higher Standard of Leadership."

A Single Standard of Conduct

In today's world it is very difficult and complex to accomplish things at times. People tend to bend the rules, tell white lies, and change things to benefit themselves. This causes a double standard of conduct. Some leaders want to talk about integrity and doing the right things, but don't "Walk the Talk." Below are some examples of a double standard.

Double Standards

Social Activists - Using Violence
Business Executives - Focusing on the Bottom Line
Journalists - Publishing Half-Truths
Business Executives - Abusing Credit Card Privileges
People - Cheating on Their Taxes
Mechanic - Charging for Work Not Done
Lawyers - Adds a Few Hours When Billing Clients
Supervisors - Poor Treatment of Employees

If we are to be leaders of high integrity we must set the example. If our behaviors are like these above, we make our role of a leader less effective. We also, loose respect and trust with those we lead. Gandhi's ideal of a single standard of conduct in both public life and private life is an example to emulate. To adhere to this ideal of a single standard requires commitment and adherence to personal values. It takes courage and work to accomplish this important goal.

Conclusion

We need to eliminate double standards of conduct. We need to develop a code of conduct and embrace integrity, service, and non-violence. We need to put into action the above values. We need to use these values as a moral compass to dictate our actions. We need to eliminate exploitation and discrimination wherever we can. A leader has a great responsibility. Therefore, always set the example. Strive to a "Higher Standard of Leadership!"

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