I was challenged this last week as I’ve been reading through A Higher Standard of Leadership, Lessons From the Life of Gandhi. While the book tries to take a very practical stance on Gandhi’s life and the application to leadership, it is almost impossible to think about application that isn’t to the extreme since Gandhi’s life was so extremely extreme. That being said, here are a few potential lessons that I think we can learn from the Gandhi.

“It is not necessary to commit to perfection, but to progress.” ~ Nair

First, you have to know yourself well enough to have a single standard.  That is to say, who you are at work is who you are at home it’s who you are at church it’s who you are on the weekends and on and on and on.  Everyone has values. They just aren’t confident enough or committed enough to live them out each day and in every way.  I will not pretend that I am beyond reproach on this.  Nevertheless, I do believe it possible that one can become so comfortable in his own skin that he is willing to live out those values.  Will people notice.  Well, yes.  People will notice because this is definitely not normal.  This may attract accolades and it will surely attract insults.  That’s the reason why this is so abnormal.  It is apparently not popular, and it will not be easy by anyone’s standard.

Everyone can use what they believe in to serve others.  However, to serve those who have the greatest need of being served, you have to put yourself in those same shoes.  There are many ways to frame this up, they all involve humility and a fierce intentionality to participate in the least glamorous to dos.  While Gandhi committed his entire life to living like those he was trying to serve, most of us could make great strides by committing 10 minutes a day.  Whoever you desire to serve, or believe you should be serving the most,  figure out a way to put yourself in their place.  Truly, until we understand who they are, what they do, and what they go through, you cannot serve them at the highest level.

Gandhi believed in the intrinsic good in every individual – the universality of humankind. ~ Nair

By being bold about our values as well as being willing to serve in the most raw form, we will be leading at a much higher standard than the culture around us.  At the risk of sounding manipulative, I would like to point out that leading from this position of humility and servitude really would move our leadership forward.  It will help us lead others not because we are manipulating them with these good works, but instead leading by example.  Leading in this way creates a tremendous amount of trust and inherent influence.  It is a bonus when those around us also take a risk, take a stand, and release the seeds of good that are within them.  The most powerful of leaders are able to pull courage and servitude from those around them.

So…. what do you think? Can you do the Gandhi?  …or perhaps you might be the King of spain  (by Moxy Fruvous).   Full disclosure…my wife tells me I have terrible taste in music. 🙂