Servant Leadership, The Essence Of Ram Rajya

Elections are over. Govt formation has begun. New

GOI

will want to have a new agenda. Here's a thought for all newly elected public representatives: adopt the idea of

servant leadership

. The term 'servant leaders', coined by

Robert K Greenleaf

, refers to leaders who prioritise empowering individuals over their personal gains, focus on well-being of people, and sincerely seek solutions to the electorate's most persistent problems.

Greenleaf says, "The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is a leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions. For such it will be a later choice to serve - after leadership is established."
Gandhi says, "President means chief servant," emphasising that elected leaders must serve those who have reposed their faith in the leaders' ability to govern. A servant leader does not seek power for herself but only to help people better their lives by putting them first. Servant leaders - whether elected members of Parliament, founders of unicorns, or CEOs of large corporations - have empathy towards all, patience to actively listen and help others, an awareness of problems of people they work for, and the ability to find workable solutions and provide a healing touch.
More importantly, servant leaders do not use authority; they rely on consensus-building as the basis for policymaking. They are visionaries focused on long-term gains rather than short-term victories and have foresight to anticipate future problems and find solutions. Such leaders analyse mistakes to learn from the past, so that they are not bitter and are ready to face the present. Servant leaders are not independent governors/managers in ivory towers but stewards of their organisation/country, conserving resources and acting responsibly. They are willing to invest in and promote others, irrespective of their allegiances. Pettiness has no place in servant-leaders' mental makeup. They believe in fostering a sense of belonging among the community and their organisations, promoting inclusivity and unity.
The world has seen several servant leaders, such as Ram, Bharat, Mahavir, Buddha, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, BR Ambedkar. In the corporate world, Herb Kelleher, Indra Nooyi, Satya Nadella, and Ken Blanchard, among others, are examples of servant leadership.
Indic philosophy and mythology have several examples of servant leaders. At the centre of

Ram Rajya

is an empathetic leader with his ear to the ground. Ram is the epitome of justice, and his reign is marked by fairness and equity. He ensured that every citizen, regardless of status, received justice. Ram sacrificed his desires to ensure the well-being of his people.

Virtues synonymous with servant leaders are also reflected in the Buddhist concept of shunyata, emptiness, which says that all phenomena depend on several causes and conditions and are empty of independent existence. So, all phenomena arise through interconnected causes and conditions. Understanding shunyata fosters a sense of humility, interconnectedness and compassion, essentials for a servant leader focused on her constituency's well-being.
Authored by: Sonal Srivastava