24 June 2014 - QA 22

The world is facing unprecedented challenges on many levels today. In the wake of public dissatisfaction of political leaders, what type of leadership do we really need today to be effective in responding to the 21st century challenges?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

For a more educated society, we need a leader who doesn’t say, 'I am the leader', but instead leads from behind.
A leader who doesn’t have the mindset that I am a leader and I am going to lead you, rather one who promotes leadership from behind. A leader who works more through inspiration rather than authority, that type of leader would work more in an educated society.

A society which lacks basic education needs a decisive leader.
If you go to a doctor, and the doctor says, ‘Perhaps this medicine will work. May be you can try it’, you will hesitate to try it, isn't it?
A doctor has to be very decisive. ‘This will work you take it’, that confidence needs to be there.
Such confidence in a leader makes a lot of sense where people are not that high in their intellectual pursuit. Whereas, people with wisdom, with a high intellectual bend of mind, they need to be promoted from behind. They need to be encouraged to walk the path.
So a leader first of all should know whom he’s leading and where he’s leading.