Leadership and Culture: Mahatma Gandhi and India’s Independence

Running head: LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE
MGMT 615 – Assignment 6: Leadership and Culture
Topic: Mahatma Gandhi and India’s Independence
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1LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE
Abstract
Mahatma Gandhi is one of the revered and respected freedom fighters and leaders of India.
Before the independence of India, British colonial rules oppressed the Indian people. Mahatma
Gandhi began his protest in South Africa first and he united the people of India for the freedom
movement. He practised non-violence and honesty as his principles and he led many of the
nationwide campaigns so that the people can unite together. Mahatma Gandhi took the principle
of transformational leadership and he encouraged, motivated and inspired the people to create
change in society. Hofstede Model of cultural dimension has been explained to show the degree
of cultural dimensions between the Eastern and Western world. Power Distance in India is high
as the hierarchy system shows the top-down structure. Before the independence, Indian people
had collectivist tendencies. Mahatma Gandhi took the approach of leading the people following
simple life; however, he believed in the practice of equality, non-violence, justice, honesty and
truth.

2LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE
Introduction
Mahatma Gandhi is recognised as one of the greatest spiritual and political leaders of the
twentieth century. Mahatma Gandhi pioneered and practised Satyagraha and he is honoured as
the father of the nation. Mahatma Gandhi showed resistance to tyranny against British through
mass nonviolent civil disobedience in India. Mahatma Gandhi led nationwide campaigns in India
to remove poverty, to build ethnic harmony, to expand the women’s rights and to eliminate
injustice of the race and caste system (Dhawan, 2016). Gandhi was well known for the
application of principles of nonviolent through civil disobedience and he played a significant role
in freeing his nation from British bondage and domination. His leadership was accepted as a
model of moral and ethical leadership and he showed an example of the rare blending of non-
violence and culture in the principles and practices. Mahatma Gandhi was a source of inspiration
for struggles to achieve rights for the common people of India. Mahatma Gandhi considered his
life to be integrated whole and he connected the life from immediate and eternal.
Anxiety and crisis that propelled him into a leadership position
As stated by Radhakrishnan, (2015), employing non-violent national movements as his
sharp weapon, Mahatma Gandhi poured his words to Indians to fight for the independence and
snatch their rights without shedding blood. Gandhi led the civil rights movement in India and
before Gandhi entered Indian national freedom, India was a country which had multiple diverse
nationalities. India needed a leader who can unite the country under one umbrella. Gandhi saw
that Indian people were deprived and British Government plundered Indian wealth and oppressed
the people of India. Gandhi felt the urge to unite the people to protest against British colonialism
and demanded equal rights. India was known as a rich nation across the world before British