Mark of a true leader

"A leader should have a vision," said my guest from the US. "He should be able to share this vision with those who are with him. He should welcome criticism as a springboard for better leadership. A leader is not an individual; he is many in one." He was echoing the Indic philosophy of 'One in All'. In other words, a leader should have a secular vision of whatever he is leading-a corporate office, or a nation.

I recall here the words of Sadhu Vaswani. He said, "In a true democracy, a nation is one family, one brotherhood, and at the heart of brotherhood are village folk, farmers and the labourer." Today, we have politicians, he wrote. But where are the leaders?

What is the difference between politicians and leaders? Politicians are architects of their empire. True leaders are architects of the nation. In history, there is Emperor Ashoka. Initially, he was a greedy politician, but the Kalinga war transformed him, and he became not only a true leader but an excellent architect of the nation-directing people with principles rooted in ahimsa, and reverence for all faiths. To him, his subjects were one large family. He taught dharma, the need for righteousness and good deeds.


According to Sadhu Vaswani, the four marks of a true leader are:

1. Absolute unselfishness: A leader lives for others

2. Simplicity: True leaders reject showmanship and ostentation.

3. True leaders have good judgment: They think right, taking the people with them.

4. A leader has compassion and love for the poor, the less privileged. True leaders are humane, without ego and totally selfless.