How a Coward Changed the World – Lessons in Brave Leadership From the Man Called Gandhi
cory galbraith
He ran home from school to avoid speaking to people, had low self-esteem, and once contemplated suicide.
Mohandas Gandhi began life viewing himself as a coward, afraid of almost everything, unwilling to take a stand and preferring to live in the shadows.
But the terminally shy Gandhi would become enraged at the injustices of the world, see that others were doing little about it, and transform himself into one of the world’s great ambassadors of peace.
The incredible transformation of the young Gandhi, rarely studied, is revealed here, showing a clear path for how all of us today can rise up and make a difference in our lives and in this troubled world.
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
Gandhi came from a family of vegetarians and as a boy was told that westerners were bigger and stronger because they ate meat. Wanting to be physically powerful, the boy Gandhi became a thief and began stealing to pay for his meat, which he secretly ate away from home – deceiving his family. Gandhi admitted his wrongdoing to his father, but also noticed that no matter how much meat he consumed, he was still small. Strength, he concluded later in life, is not about brute force. It’s about discipline, focus and a strong will. Today, we underestimate our own ability to influence outcomes. The world is too enormous, we believe. Gandhi’s determination inspired millions. We too can help others by setting an example with our will power.
“A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”
Speaking about himself as a young person, Gandhi said, “I was a coward. I used to be haunted by the fear of thieves, ghosts and serpents. I did not dare to stir out of doors at night. Darkness was a terror to me.” (Quote from Gandhi’s autobiography “The story of my experiments with truth” Chapter 6).
His fear was so paralyzing that he was incapable of loving himself and others. He would come to realize that bravery, devotion to family, and fighting for a cause – were expressions of love. Today, are we too afraid to express love? Has the world’s uncertainty and brutality beaten love out of us? Or can we step out of our comfort zone, be brave, and show the power of a loving heart and mind?
“My creed of nonviolence is an extremely active force. It has no room for cowardice or even weakness.”
In his time, Gandhi was highly criticized for his movement of non-violence. Yet, he viewed the refusal to take up arms as a sign of strength, not weakness. The idea of peaceful demonstration is credited to Gandhi who changed the fate of a nation without firing a shot. Today, it takes strength to be kind in a world that easily succumbs to violence. We have the power to show our co-workers, friends and family that talking is better than fighting.
Gandhi believed that manual labor was an honorable way to make a living. To assert independence, he advocated all Indians use the spinning wheel to make their own clothes, rather than depend on British imports. This photo of Gandhi spinning was taken just a few months before his tragic assassination in 1948 at the hands of a fellow Hindu.
It was perhaps because Gandhi saw himself as a coward in his early life that he became so against cowardice in his battle to fight injustice.
It is not well known, but even Gandhi believed in the use of violence when confronted with evil and given no other choice. In his words; “He who cannot protect himself or his nearest and dearest or their honour by non-violently facing death may and ought to do so by violently dealing with the oppressor.”
Cowardice, above all else, in Gandhi’s mind, was the greatest sin. A coward, he angrily said, “does not deserve to be a member of a society of men and women.”
Today, as leaders in business, and self-leaders, let us ask ourselves whether we are being cowards or brave, in our decisions. Choosing to be brave means living our convictions and dying without regret.
Cowardice can be removed when we see things that just aren’t right. It was that way with Gandhi.
The year was 1893 when the 24 year old Gandhi travelled from his birthplace of India to try a court case in South Africa. It was there, as a young lawyer, that Gandhi chose bravery over cowardice.
In the courtroom, the judge told Gandhi to remove the turban he was wearing. Gandhi defied the judge, saying that removing the headgear was a sign of disrespect in India.
But Gandhi’s shock at mistreatment, and his decision to fight it, escalated when he took a train ride as part of his case research. He proudly purchased a first class ticket but was told by the train conductor that because he was Indian, he had to travel in a third-class compartment.
Of course, Gandhi refused. As a result, he was kicked off the train. Alone, dejected and with nowhere else to go, he spent the night freezing in the train station.
He thought seriously about just going back to India. Instead, at that moment, in the quiet of the night, he decided to fight racial oppression.
The shy, afraid coward was gone. A new person was born, renewed by a life purpose, willing to starve himself and go to jail, aware that others may want to kill him for his beliefs, and determined to make a difference.
Bravery would become the Gandhi trademark.
Sorely lacking today, his legacy of single-minded focus is nudging us all to open the door and step out of our comfort zone.
Despite being what some would argue, the greatest ambassador of peace the world has ever known, Gandhi was never awarded the Nobel Peace prize, even though he was nominated five times. The peace prize committee has admitted that was a mistake.