Leadership Style And Power Tactics Of Gandhi History Essay

Leadership Style And Power Tactics Of Gandhi History Essay With the aid of leadership theory and specific examples, this paper reflects upon and analyses the leadership style and power and influence tactics of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi as portrayed in the movie Gandhi. The analysis is primarily based on Gandhis personal identity and behaviour in relation to others and the external environment. More so, the relationship shared between him and his followers is embedded throughout the paper to further support the analysis. Lastly, this paper makes a short comparison between the leadership style of Gandhi and Jinnah. Gandhi is popularly referred to as Mahatma Gandhi, meaning great soul, and is commonly called bapu in India, meaning father. He is officially honoured in India as the father of the nation, as it was under his leadership and guidance than the freedom movement in India gained momentum, ultimately leading to Indias independence in 1947. Gandhi was a national leader, a freedom fighter, a visionary, a humanist, and a socialist reformer. He has been a source of inspiration and role-model for not only the common man, but various other leaders such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela as well. Defining Leadership According to Yukl (2010), Leadership is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives. Gandhis Leadership Style Gandhi was not a born leader, but he certainly had traits of one (Exhibit 1). He was a simple man leading a simple life, but strongly believed in and practiced the values of unity, equality, truth, non-violence, justice, and honesty. His values and personality were instrumental in fighting the might of the British. He was patient but persistent, as he knew it was no simple task attaining Indias independence. While he was defiant, resistant, daring and provocative at times, he always remained calm, caring, humble and polite. He exhibited distinct characteristics, qualities and behaviours of a charismatic leader, transformational leader and level 5 leader, which are analysed below. Charismatic Leadership According to Weber (1947), charismatic leaders are more likely to emerge in crisis situations. As depicted in the movie, India was suffering from the atrocities of the British rule for decades, causing widespread distress. People were desperate to end the suffering, but were unable to find a solution. Gandhi provided the vision of Independent India, and led various movements from the front. Indias social crisis provided Gandhi with the perfect stage to rise from amongst the masses and lead India to independence. Most importantly, his actions were highly unconventional. He fought the British using the methodology of truth, non-violence, non-cooperation and peaceful resistance, rather than using violent means. These unconventional means of protest impressed and inspired his followers, who saw him as extraordinary and charismatic. Yukl (2010) states that leaders are more likely to be viewed as charismatic if they make self-sacrifices, take personal risks, and incur high costs to achieve the vision they espouse. In the movie, there were various instances when Gandhi made personal sacrifices and took personal risks. For example, he stopped wearing western clothes and donned a simple dhoti to blend with the masses; he was jailed on numerous occasions for lengthy durations; he led a simple life without materialistic pleasures; and even got beaten on occasion. Gandhi was highly trusted by his followers, given the fact that he was not motivated to free India for personal self-interest, but for the betterment and concern of the people. He drew vast admiration due to his noble intentions, high moral values and ethical standards. During his funeral procession in the movie, the commentator rightly stated, The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived. A private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not the commander of armies, nor a ruler of vast lands. He could not boast of any scientific achievement or artistic gift. Yet men, governments, dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom. Gandhi was highly self-confident, and strongly believed that India would gain independence. It was his belief that it was just a matter of when and in what form. It was his confidence and enthusiasm to free India that united his followers to jointly accomplish what seemed impossible to achieve. Gandhis vision, inspiration, confidence and positive attitude motivated and enhanced the collective efficacy of the people, inspiring the belief that unity is critical in order to free India. This collective belief fuelled the determination of his followers to willingly put in additional effort, and persist the long, hard road to freedom. Gandhi was by no means an impressive leader by appearance either. Despite being old, short, and slim-built, he had the ability and charisma to appeal to the masses through his public speaking and interpersonal skills, which had a widespread effect. In short, he was a crowd-puller. Meindl (1990) explains this spontaneous spread of emotional and behavioural reactions among the people through the process of social contagion. The people of India were emotionally and physically prepared to make self-sacrifices in order to gain independence. Gandhi activated this social identity amongst the people, at a time when their survival was being threatened. For example, the movie shows how the people of Champaran were facing a social crisis, and how Gandhi travelled there to see, hear and feel their pain. Gandhis mere presence in Champaran led to his arrest, and what followed was extraordinary. Being a crowd-puller, rioting ensued in the region, and the people swarmed the court room at his hearing . Without any heroics, Gandhi was able to pressurize the British to make changes. However, his followers viewed him as heroic and exceptional, and this feeling began to spread spontaneously among the people, stirring the whole nation. There is little doubt that Gandhi was a positive charismatic, and that he had a socialized power orientation. According to Yukl (2010), leaders with socialized power orientation exhibit the following characteristics, as did Gandhi: Strong self-control Motivated to satisfy the need for power in socially acceptable ways More emotionally mature Exercise power for the benefit of others Hesitant about using power in a manipulative manner Less egoistic and defensive Accumulate fewer material possessions Have a longer-range view His leadership influence emphasized internalization rather than personal identification. He was self-sacrificing and led from the front to communicate his commitment to the freedom struggle. Gandhi once stated, You must be the change you want to see in the world. Gandhis followers were responsive to his ideologies and appeals, and became increasingly involved in this socialized charismatic relationship. According to Yukl (2010), the affective reaction charismatic leaders arouse often polarizes people into opposing camps of loyal supporters and hostile opponents, and the intense negative reaction by some people to charismatic leaders explains why they are often targets for assassination. Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic, assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on 30th January, 1948, as he felt Gandhi was personally responsible for the partition of India as well as for the deaths of thousands of Hindus. Transformational Leadership According to Bass (1985), transformational leaders possess unique charismatic behaviours that include sacrificing personal gains for the benefits of the group, setting a personal example for followers and demonstrating high ethical standards. Gandhis leadership style clearly showcases the essence of transformational leadership. For example, his followers were motivated by him, trusted him, admired him, were loyal to him, and respected him. Transformational leaders also appeal to higher values like liberty, justice, peace and equality. Gandhi lived for such causes, and fought his entire life to stand by them. Gandhis transformational leadership encouraged his followers to transcend their own self-interest and fight in unity. Thousands of Gandhis followers went to jail, and at times were violently beaten as well (e.g. Hundreds of Gandhis followers willingly gathered at the Dharasana Salt Works and stood together while being beaten with sticks by the British officials. Nevertheless, they not once resorted to violence because they respected Gandhis sentiments). In fact, according to Dirks and Ferrin (2002), transformational leadership is highly correlated with trust in the leader. According to Bass (1985), transformational leaders exhibit the following behaviours: Idealized Influence This behaviour arouses strong follower emotions and identification with the leader. Gandhi was able to influence the masses because he was a man of his words, and always practiced what he preached. He was a role model for the masses, and won their respect and trust through his actions. He demonstrated high ethical conduct (non-violence), self-sacrifice (voluntary poverty and non-materialism), dedication and persistence in order to attain Indias independence. Intellectual Stimulation This behaviour increases follower awareness of problems and influences followers to view problems from a new perspective. Gandhi was always supportive of his followers, and encouraged them to think openly, ask questions, and solve problems. He was willing to accept wrong-doing and mistakes, and was not ashamed to discard a strategy that didnt work as planned. For example, he called off the non-violent campaign despite opposition from his subordinates because there were some people who used violent means. Individualized Consideration This behaviour includes providing support, encouragement and coaching to followers. Gandhi was always supportive of his followers. For example, he patiently listened to the grievances and concerns of the poor with regards to their inability to maintain a livelihood due to British policies. Gandhi was also extremely supportive of other leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel. He nurtured them, encouraged them to share ideas, and even empowered them to make decisions, never making them feel dependent on him. Inspirational Motivation This behaviour includes communicating an appealing vision, and using symbols to focus subordinate effort. Gandhi stood by his personal values, and consistently communicated his vision of independence. By openly communicating his vision, and using symbols such as the Salt Satyagraha movement, he provided his followers with a sense of meaning, which in turn inspired them to remain optimistic and increase their effort. Level 5 Leader Jim Collins (2005) states that a Level 5 Leader is someone who has genuine personal humility blended with intense professional will. Gandhi exhibited distinct characteristics of such a leader (Exhibit 2). He was extremely humble and modest, and lived a life on the principle of simple living and high thinking. He wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, which was woven from yarn spun by hand using a charkha. He was humble and appreciative, and never hesitated in saying Thank You. However, he was extremely persistent in his resolve to gain Indias independence. Despite facing various challenges and set backs in the pursuit of independence, he never gave up. Leader Member Exchange (LMX) Theory Gandhi developed and shared a high-exchange relationship with his subordinates, followers and other leaders. This relationship grew stronger over time, resulting in a high degree of mutual dependence, loyalty, trust, respect, support and affection. According to Graen and Uhl-Bien (1995), high-quality leader-follower relationships are positively associated with transformational leadership behaviours. Even Deluga (1992) found a significant relationship between the transformational leadership behaviours of charisma and individualized consideration and high-quality LMX. While Gandhi provided the vision and inspiration, most of the ground work was carried out by his subordinates and followers, who were highly committed to the freedom struggle. They also took considerable initiative on their part to carry out the planning. For example, Nehru used his contacts in the press to take Gandhis message to the masses. It can also be stated that the exchange relationship Gandhi shared with his subordinates was favourable. Gandhi was highly supportive of his subordinates, and used to frequently consult them. He acted more as a mentor to them. He was non-dominating in conversations, and had to be highly persuasive with Jinnah on multiple occasions. His subordinates began demonstrating organizational citizenship behaviour, as their trust in Gandhi grew stronger. Dirks Ferrin (2002) validate this by stating that a favourable exchange relationship is highly correlated with subordinate trust. Gandhis Power and Influence Tactics A leader needs to be influential, and so was Gandhi. In the movie, Gandhi primarily used the process of internalization to influence his followers. According to Kelman (1958), under the internalization process, the target person becomes committed to support and implement proposals espoused by the agent because they appear to be intrinsically desirable and correct in relation to the targets values, beliefs, and self-image. Gandhi was able to influence the masses by invigorating their values of freedom, justice and self-respect to fight against the British. To a certain extent, personal identification was also depicted. Kelman (1958) states that under personal identification, the target person imitates the agents behaviour or adopts the same attitudes to please the agent and to be like the agent. In the movie, Jawaharlal Nehru was initially shown as wearing western clothes. But after Gandhis influence on him, he chose to wear clothes made of Indian fabric (khadi), thereby adopting the same attitude of Gandhi. Similarly, millions of Indians boycotted English garments in their support of Gandhis view that we should wear khadi. According to Yukl (2010), power is the capacity to influence the attitudes and behaviour of people in the desired direction. Gandhi was shown as exhibiting the use of referent power in the movie. According to French and Raven (1959), referent power is derived from the desire of others to please an agent toward whom they have strong feelings of affection, admiration and loyalty. Gandhis friendly, attractive, charming and trustworthy character empowered him with high referent power. He was able to increase this power by showing concern towards to needs of the people, by demonstrating trust and respect, and by treating people fairly and equally. Moreover, his high levels of personal integrity and consistent values allowed him to maintain this referent power. According to Yukl (2010), most power studies have found that referent power is positively correlated with subordinate satisfaction and performance, and that effective leaders rely more of referent power to influence subordinates. He further states that people are more likely to cooperate with an agent who has strong referent power. This partly explains the effective leadership of Gandhi, and reasons why his followers were highly attracted to him. Comparison Between Leadership Style of M.K. Gandhi and M.A. Jinnah Gandhi and Jinnah, as portrayed in the movie, seem to be very different in their traits, behaviour, appearance, lifestyle and leadership style. Jinnah is shown to lead a comfortable, sophisticated and lavish lifestyle, and in certain ways emulates the British. Gandhi led a lifestyle quite opposite to that. While Gandhi was the leader of the masses, Jinnah by no means came close. While Gandhi has been portrayed as warm and affectionate, Jinnah appears to be intimidating, arrogant, stubborn, manipulative, and at times sarcastic. In terms of leadership style, Jinnah exhibits characteristics of a negative charismatic. Negative charismatics have a personalized power orientation. In the movie, it can be noticed that while Jinnahs original ideology was that of an independent India, by gaining power over time, his ideologies changed. He later personally advocated creating a separate Muslim state Pakistan. While his concerns were valid, they seemed to be highly exaggerated. More so, even though Gandhi persuaded and tried to reason with Jinnah, he remained stubborn. It is only when Gandhi told him he could become the 1st Prime Minister of India with full freedom to choose his cabinet that he seemed content. Hence, it seems that Jinnah had a greater concern for self-glorification and maintaining power. In contrast, Gandhi was never in the chase for power, which is supported by the fact that he never held an official title or office. Conclusion Gandhi has been a role-model and source of inspiration for many generations. His unconventional means to fight injustice (truth, non-violence, non-cooperation and peaceful resistance) have earned him high admiration and respect. He led from the front to attain Indias independence, and influenced millions of followers to fight for a moral and just cause. He epitomised life based on moral conduct, and showed its strength to the world. While laying the foundation for democracy in India, he has also showed how unity and humanity can fight the strongest of forces. While it is highly unlikely to witness another Gandhi in our lifetime, humanity has critical lessons to learn from his leadership and life.

british punk Essay -- essays research papers

Punk This is Peter Inskip coming to you live from triple j, with this week’s segment in our ‘Music and Society’ series. For the next half hour we’ll be looking at the punk music scene starting in the mid-seventies. Punk was born in the early 70’s in New York, and is still evolving. No other style in the history of rock, has been so uncompromising, or made such a dramatic impression as Punk Rock. The two versions of punk, the original American and its British descendent, were very different. British punk was aggressive and angry. It demanded immediate change and had no interest in working for the solution. The Sex Pistols typified British Punk with such songs as "Anarchy In The UK," which did not give a thought to anarchy's effect. American punk seemed lazy by comparison. It was sarcastic where the English version was more violent; the British pushed one step further, thus gaining more recognition. The first of the punk rock bands to be signed up with a record company were the Ramones. The Ramones survived through to the mid 90’s and still have a huge following. In that time they released over a dozen albums, most of their songs are short and simple three or four chord arrangements. Artists like the Ramones, Patti Smith, Television, Talking Heads, and Blondie, came out of the U.S, but Punk took on greater strength in England, where Bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Damned, the Clash, and the Buzzcocks emerged with more aggression than their softer Amer... british punk Essay -- essays research papers Punk This is Peter Inskip coming to you live from triple j, with this week’s segment in our ‘Music and Society’ series. For the next half hour we’ll be looking at the punk music scene starting in the mid-seventies. Punk was born in the early 70’s in New York, and is still evolving. No other style in the history of rock, has been so uncompromising, or made such a dramatic impression as Punk Rock. The two versions of punk, the original American and its British descendent, were very different. British punk was aggressive and angry. It demanded immediate change and had no interest in working for the solution. The Sex Pistols typified British Punk with such songs as "Anarchy In The UK," which did not give a thought to anarchy's effect. American punk seemed lazy by comparison. It was sarcastic where the English version was more violent; the British pushed one step further, thus gaining more recognition. The first of the punk rock bands to be signed up with a record company were the Ramones. The Ramones survived through to the mid 90’s and still have a huge following. In that time they released over a dozen albums, most of their songs are short and simple three or four chord arrangements. Artists like the Ramones, Patti Smith, Television, Talking Heads, and Blondie, came out of the U.S, but Punk took on greater strength in England, where Bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Damned, the Clash, and the Buzzcocks emerged with more aggression than their softer Amer...

DEP GARD Case Study Essay

When reviewing the Supply Chain design for DEP/GARD, there are various stages which add value, and some which fail to add value. Looking at figure 1. below, you will see the diagram outlining the supply chain value stream enabling DEP to delivery product to GARD. Areas which fail to add value, and have the potential to erode DEP’s ability to remain a valued supplier for GARD include the following: 1. Failure to utilize LEAN manufacturing principles causing DEP to carry excess inventory: Inventory shortages which caused shutdowns leading to DEP to abandon LEAN principals look to be primarily driven by a lack of structured supplier management. Suppliers of key raw materials were selected based solely on price, with DEP neglecting the critical service component of their supplier’s delivery capabilities. This lack of consistent and reliable delivery required DEP to carry excess safety stock, increasing their inventory carrying costs, and reducing the ability to produce on a JIT basis. 2. Manual order receipt and handling process: Orders are placed via fax and phone to the marketing and sales department, at which time orders are manually entered into the order information system. Lost faxes, order entry personnel entering an order incorrectly, or even being distracted by another priority leading to failure to enter the order at all; these are all potential failures by not having a more up to date, automated ordering processes with their customers. 3. Inconsistent timeline to complete pick, pack, and ship process at the distribution warehouse: There is a three day variation in the time it takes for an order to leave the warehouse once it is received from manufacturing. Without additional details, I cannot comment on the cause for this long time fence, however from a high level overview, I’m using the assumption that the warehouse follows generally a similar process to perform their tasks to enable final shipment, thus a 3 day variation in the time it takes to complete these tasks seem to degrade value. 4. Twice-a-week delivery options for customers within 200 miles of DEP: This appears to show a lack of flexibility on the part of DEP in terms of delivery capabilities to local customers. Assuming a Tuesday and Thursday delivery schedule, and order that is ready to ship late Thursday (possibly missing the fleet truck leaving the warehouse), now will not ship until Tuesday the following week, adding three business days to the total performance cycle to the order. Stages which are value added: 1. Same day movement of produced finished goods to warehouse 2. Utilization of DEP fleet trucks to make deliveries to short distance customers Figure 1. Upon reviewing the primary suppliers of polymer feedstock for DEP, specifically the suppliers awarded with 60% of the volume, I am able to calculate a maximum performance cycle of 25 days to deliver product to GARD. Assuming inventory is NOT available for some reason requiring an order from polymer suppliers, the longest lead time to receive polymer is 9 days from the 60% suppliers. To receive, process, and produce the material for the customer order, you then add 8 days, as this is the longest production cycle time. Orders are sent to the warehouse, prepared for shipping, and another 6 days may elapse before the order is actually shipped. Using the assumption that GARD is within the 200 mile radius, the longest time that delivery may take place based on twice a week deliveries is 2 days. This gives us a total of 25 days. Vice versa, when looking at the minimum performance cycle for this total supply chain, I calculated a 10 day cycle. DEP has abandoned LEAN principles and stores 7 days’ worth of inventory on hand at all times. Based on this, my assumption is that inventory is immediately available to begin production of the customer order. DEP has a minimum production time of 6 days from receipt and processing of the order to completed production. Material is immediately moved to the warehouse and prepared for shipment. This process takes a minimum of 3 days to complete and ship the order. Similar to my assumption used in calculation of the maximum performance cycle, I assume GARD is within the 200 mile radius. I’m also using the assumption that DEP can make deliveries on the day an order is processed and ready for shipment, provided the order is prepared in sufficient time, thus giving a 1 day shipping time in a best case scenario. This calculates to a 10 day minimum performance cycle. Looking at the total supply chain, it is possible to improve the consistency of the performance cycle; however, due to the fact that the production process from order receipt to finished product takes 3-6 days, the minimum performance cycle could not be improved. By simply switching to primary use of the 25% and  15% polymer suppliers, there would be opportunity to receive several of the raw materials in as low as 2 days, however if DEP were to shift back to a JIT process, this would simply add two days to the overall current minimum performance cycle (currently, inventory is already on hand), instead of improving the cycle time. For products E and F, the minimum lead time is 4 days, still negating opportunity for improvement. Automated ordering systems (online, vendor managed inventory, etc) would allow for a more consistent process and reduce opportunities for manual failure on the part of DEP, to theoretically narrow the gap from the current 3-6 days to produce finished product from the time of order placement. Similarly, shifting to a delivery cycle of daily shipments for customers within 200 miles would also reduce variability in delivery times. If I were Tom Lippet in this scenario, there are several changes I would make, some of which I have touched on previously. Current inventory strategies may not be the most optimal in terms of cost, however Tom’s concern is of service to GARD, as pricing is already in line with market competitors. Based on this and due to the variability in supply time consistency from polymer raw material suppliers, I would not make any changes to inventory strategies. However, due to the variability in the time it takes to produce product from the time of order, as well as the variability in the time it takes to process an order for shipment at the warehouse, I would work with supply chain leadership to request a detailed value stream map of the entire internal supply chain process, to highlight the key areas causing such variability and work to implement improvement strategies to shorten these times on a consistent basis. In terms of shipping, I again would work with supply chain leadership to analyze the cost-benefit impact of either moving to ta daily delivery route with the DEP truck fleet, or look at the opportunity to supplement utilizing common carriers where DEP trucks are unable to delivery in the shortest time window possible. In order to â€Å"sell† Richard Binish on DEP’s capabilities to deliver consistently within the service level criteria now required by GARD, I would highlight critical improvements being implemented by DEP to better align capabilities with Richards service requirements from key suppliers. Obviously, price is a common qualifying criteria component, and I would need to ensure that these improvements made within DEP’s supply design did not raise costs to the point of eroding  margin or requiring a price increase to the level of pricing ourselves out of the GARD business. Product quality is also critical, but we already know that DEP product is in line with competitors in terms of quality, thus making it somewhat of a â€Å"commodity† product. Price and service will be the critical components. I will need to visually show demonstrated improvement in delivery service since these improvements were implemented as compared to historical service to GARD. Assuming that these improvements were successful, there theoretically should be a much higher demonstrated performance level within a tighter service window. In closing, Supply Chain management plays a critical role in the overall commercial success of a business. Setting proper service expectations and maintaining levels within that range is critical to maintaining share with key customers. Analyzing gaps in those performance expectations from a customer against actual capabilities, and actively working to close the gaps should be an ongoing process.

All Quiet On The Western Front - 1585 Words

The loss of innocence is an evident yet bitter theme in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. The group of young men, introduced at the beginning of the book, had no idea of the hardships and brutalities of war that come. Following their disclosure to battle and the front, the boys instantaneously become men. They are no longer naive and innocent. The theme is also shown with the protagonist, Krebs, in the short story â€Å"Soldier’s Home.† Krebs is home on leave, and does not have passion for life anymore. This saddening topic is also shown in the poem â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth.† All three of these works of literature have the same surreal and sorrowful characteristics, that dismally happens to many young men. In the short story,†¦show more content†¦She asks Krebs if she is his beau and if he loves her. He gives very monotone and lifeless answers to her, saying â€Å"Sure,† or â€Å"Uh-huh.† His sister, although, does not buy this , and holds the belief that he does not love her. His mother asks Krebs if he loves her as well. He responds, â€Å"No, I don’t love anybody. It wasn’t any good. He couldn’t tell her, he couldn’t make her see it.† (Hemingway 5) Naturally, she reacts upset and dejected, obviously not understanding what Krebs has seen and gone through. Krebs’ behavior after he came home from the war is typical for most. He has definitely lost his outlooks on life he had before. â€Å"He had tried so to keep his life from being complicated. Still, none of it had touched him. â€Å" (Hemingway 6) Of course, he had not been exposed to the brutalities of war then. He came home a new man. He cannot unsee what he lived through. As much as his family wishes he was, Krebs has let go of his innocence and pleasure for life. The poem by Wilfred Owen, â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth,† the descriptive language used can give readers a view of how detrimental war is f or young men. â€Å"Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -- The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells.† (Owen) This quote means that nothing can restore these men back to their original selves.