Lucknow: Referring to Pali and Sanskrit texts, Vice-Chancellor of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara University, Prof Siddharth Singh, listed four qualities of a leader as described by Buddha, at National PG College on Tuesday.
His address was part of a special lecture titled ‘Reimagining Leadership Development: Western Perspectives and Ancient Indian Paradigms’ at the department of history in the college.“Ability to unite people and keep society together is ‘Sangrahak’, while `Mitrkaro’ is about building trust and cooperation, `Vadiayo’ is generosity in thought and action and `Veet-machhko’ is selflessness and willingness to sacrifice,” he said, explaining how the Buddhist concepts can develop leadership qualities and help a leader grow further.He compared Western theories with Indian traditions and stated that leadership in India is linked to self development and ethical conduct. Citing example of Adolf Hitler, he pointed out that effectiveness does not define greatness and stressed that leadership must be judged on moral grounds.“Leadership is not only about skills or authority, it is about values, self control and the ability to bring people together,” said Prof Singh. He also spoke about the role of mindfulness, confidence, communication and silence in shaping personality. Explaining this, he stated that restraint helps a leader think clearly, avoid unnecessary conflict and maintain dignity in difficult situations.
