Rethinking the notion of Leadership

I recently came across an article in Times of India, Mumbai (Lack of Values)

The article clearly brings out how people in India lack fundamental values! India was supposed to be a nation of rich culture, from whom the world can learn! But now it is in a pitiable state! Who cares for the people around thems? Who cares for a common property? People, if not all, have come more selfish! They think, as the writer says, "that rules are made to discipline the uncivilised common man; and that people higher up in society need not be inconvenienced by these rules".

Here is one incident quoted by the writer:

Who knows whose time is most precious? For whose convenience are others to wait? Many years ago, a senior executive of a Tata company rushed to Santa Cruz airport at the last minute, his bags having been sent ahead and checked in beforehand. The flight to Delhi was held up for him. When he entered the plane he found an irritated J R D Tata who had checked in with other passengers asking the steward, “Who is this VIP for whom we all had to wait ?”

Time is precious for every human...and no one can deprive the fellow men owing to his alleged superior status!

The writer then gives his perspective on Leaders and integrity. He stresses that we define leadership based on fundamental values rather than attributing to their 'star status'. The following is the paragraph by the writer:

We yearn for more integrity in our leaders. Integrity is a composite of two qualities. On one hand, integrity is the quality of being honest and uncompromising of values and principles. Many leaders of our times, in business and government in India and elsewhere, fail this test. On the other, integrity also means the quality of being integrated, of being in tune with and connected with wider society, which is something business leaders in India and elsewhere need to think about.

In my view, this kind of leadership with integrity defined in the above two perspectives applies to any kind..be it leader of the nation or the leader of a small social group or simply a teacher and his class of students.
In all the cases, the leader is expected to have uncompromising values and principles and is also necessary that he/she reaches out to the 'wider society' in an appealing way. There is no point in having high standards of values and not being able to reach out the 'wider society'!! And such a person will not set an example for anything!

I strongly encourage you to read the article: Lack of Values