Keshavan Nair
A Higher Standard of Leadership
Lessons from the Life of Gandhi
Berrett-Koehler, 1997
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If perfection is your leadership goal, why not emulate Gandhi? It’s not hard — just act upon absolute values, shun secrecy, train your conscience, reduce your attachments and resist temptation. Come on, any old once-in-a-generation hero can do that.
Recommendation
Keshavan Nair emphasizes the need for leadership based on a fundamental moral standard, as taught and lived by Mohandus Gandhi. The Indian leader embodied a moral life centered on truth, non-violence and service to others. Nair argues that business leaders today need to follow these basic principles. He stresses that these principles - and the practices based upon them - make good business sense in the long run, as well as being crucial to the survival of society. The text combines Gandhi’s experiences with Nair’s exhortations on how to apply these principles in the workplace. However, Nair provides few examples of contemporary leaders who practice these principles. Thus, the book occasionally comes across as somewhat preachy, wishful, overly idealistic and out of touch with the everyday realities of business. Yet, getAbstract recommends it in the face of those realities as a counterbalance, as well as a good quick read that encourages thought.
Summary
About the Author
Dr. Keshavan Nair, a life-long student of Gandhi, has more than 30 years experience as a consultant on leadership development and strategic decision making. He is the author of Beyond Winning: The Handbook for the Leadership Revolution, and a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business School.
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