Disclosure: We sometimes use affiliate links in our content, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This helps us offset the costs of paying our writing team and keeping this website running. Thanks for your support!
This form of leadership can be observed from many leaders in history who have accomplished incredible feats that they could have never done on their own. In all cases, it is apparent that their acts were inspired by an altruistic wish for the good of the people they were leading, not by personal desires or ambitions.
Buddha leadership is based on what is known as Bodhicitta in Buddhism, which means “awakened mind” – an altruistic wish for the happiness of others. This practice serves as a basis for most Buddhist spiritual practices and is also one of the key features distinguishing Buddhists from non-Buddhists.
To attain enlightenment (the highest goal of Buddhism), it is necessary to develop bodhicitta; without it, it would be impossible to achieve nirvana (a blissful state free from suffering).
Who is Buddha?
The term “Buddha” is the title given to the founder of Buddhism, Siddharta Gautama. The word ‘Buddha’ is a title meaning ‘awakened one,’ which points to his teachings’ primary goal – to free people from suffering and attain nirvana (also known as enlightenment). However, Buddha lived in India 2500 years ago.
Related: Affiliative Leadership
5 Leadership Lessons from Buddha
We have no evidence that Buddha was not a role model in everything he said and did. The act of leaving everything he knew to find enlightenment is an excellent illustration of this. Here are the five Buddha’s Leadership Lessons.
1) Leaders are servants
The first leadership lesson to be learned from the figure of Buddha is that leaders should see themselves as servants to their followers. This idea has been popularized many times by great philosophers, among them Lao Tzu.
Both these individuals wrote about this concept in ancient times; possibly, they gained inspiration from Buddhism, which expounded on this idea centuries earlier. It would appear that its origin lies much further back in time than the founders of other religions – possibly with Buddha himself.
Regardless of the origins of the thought, there are numerous cases throughout history where great leaders have demonstrated that they are leading their people, not for personal gain but because they feel obliged to help those in need.
2) Leaders are teachers
The second leadership lesson of Buddha is that leaders are teachers who guide their subordinates towards self-improvement. One of the most important concepts in Buddhism is understanding the nature of suffering and how to end it, which Buddhists refer to as “the four noble truths.” By sharing his wisdom with others, Buddha showed that they must learn these lessons themselves instead of being taught by others for people to be happy.
Through this method, he achieved what no other leader has been able to over the centuries: creating and growing a community of followers motivated not by fear but by a genuine desire for change. Since everyone’s journey toward enlightenment starts at different points on the road, there is no way to force others to achieve it or help them reach the destination faster than they are ready for.
This method of leadership is entirely different from any other type in history because it does not involve creating dependencies but instead inspires people to become independent and self-sufficient. This also means that leaders do not hold all knowledge; instead, they should be seen as guides who facilitate learning rather than teachers who impose information onto their subordinates.
One of the essential tools in this process is communication, which dramatically helps develop trust between a true leader and followers.
3) Leaders must learn before teaching
The third lesson of Buddha leadership was that before someone can teach others, they must themselves have learned what needs to be taught.
For this reason, Buddha spent many years in India studying different religious traditions and learning from others. This is not to say that he accepted everything he was told without serious consideration; instead, it is an example of how much effort should be put into learning before someone feels confident enough to begin teaching others.
This lesson has particular importance in business management because it means that no matter what the job title or qualifications are, all employees should feel encouraged to share their knowledge with others instead of keeping it secret for fear of being judged. By allowing everyone to participate in exchanging ideas, teamwork will flourish. In addition, people will look forward to participating due to enjoyment instead of dreading the thought of doing so.
4) Leaders must learn from their circles of influence
The fourth lesson Buddha leadership teaches us that leaders must prioritize learning from their own experiences and those of others. For this reason, the most successful managers have a vast network of contacts and friends outside their company with whom they can exchange ideas.
This does not mean that leaders should always follow what other people say. Still, it does mean that hearing different opinions from those one hears daily is beneficial in any case because everyone has something unique to teach.
5) Leaders do what they say
The fifth and final lesson we have learned from Buddha is the importance of being trustworthy by doing what you have promised to do A leader’s word should be their bond, because if their subordinates are not able to trust them, then it will be impossible for the leader to get anything done.
The most important thing for business leaders is honesty because by being honest with your employees, you can earn their trust and respect while creating a stronger working relationship. Being open also means that you should not make promises you cannot keep or give advice unless you have tried it yourself first; this enables everyone in the company to know who to ask when they need help instead of having someone pretend that they are an expert on everything.
Related: Leadership Roles
Leadership qualities of Buddha
Buddha was a leader to many, and He often led the way by example. There are three leadership qualities:
- The first is self-confidence: You need to be confident in yourself and your goal to inspire others with this confidence. You must believe in your ability and potential. This quality alone encourages people to follow you.
- Discipline: Followers will always look at their leader as an example because they want approval and praise. They need boundaries because they do not know how to control themselves without direction from someone else; this makes it easy for them to go astray or rebel against authority if no one can set rules and limits for them. When a leader does not set any boundaries, the follower will be unruly and undisciplined, which is very much needed.
- The last leadership quality is taking responsibility: A good leader should be able to take full responsibility for his followers even if it means sacrificing himself as Buddha did when He took the poison offered by Jivaka. The last thing you want as a leader is someone who abdicates responsibility or blame because that makes him an unreliable guide. He might let you down at crucial times, which could prove fatal, especially in bad times.
Buddha did not become the Enlightened One before enduring many hardships and trials. Instead, he endured all of them very patiently, even though, at times, they seemed to be unbearable. This quality alone makes Him an excellent source of inspiration for anyone looking to improve patience.
As Buddha says On patience: “A jug fills drop by drop.”
Related: Leadership Skills
Are there any leaders in Buddhism?
The Dalai Lama was formerly in charge of Tibet’s administration, but China gained control of the country after he fled. The Dalai Lama remained at Potala Palace in Lhasa until 1959, when he left for Tibet’s capital. The first, and still the most famous, stumbling block in history was the Smyrna Tenzin Gyatso. The present Dalai Lama is his name.
Four noble truths by Buddha
Buddha taught four Noble Truths to hold that suffering exists and we need to realize its cause to end it.
1) The truth of suffering
“There is suffering,” the first truth states. Imagine an episode of intense sadness to understand this concept better: a loved one has passed away, or you lost your job. This overwhelming feeling of grief is suffering.
2) The truth of the cause of suffering
The second truth holds that this sorrow is caused by craving and aversion. In other words, we cannot simply avoid pain in our lives but also feel an intense longing for things to be different from the way they are right now. Attachment makes us uncomfortable with or afraid of change and envious of what others have.
3) The truth of the end of suffering
The third noble truth declares that there is an end to suffering. But before we can find this nirvana state of being, Buddha teaches us, and we need to understand.
4) The truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering
The Fourth Noble Truth—the way or path leading to the cessation of suffering. This path consists of eight steps: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.
Putting these eight steps together in concise teaching is known as the “Eightfold Path.” By following this path, we can extinguish suffering and reach enlightenment.
“All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”
Buddha
What is Bodhicitta?
Bodhicitta is a Sanskrit term composed of two words: ‘Bodhi‘ means “awakening,” and ‘Citta‘ is often translated as mind, heart, or spirit. The Tibetan translation for bodhicitta is “byang chub seems,” which means the state of awakened mind or enlightened soul.
Some people believe that enlightenment can only be attained through years of meditation study. However, this doesn’t explain how all Bodhisattvas throughout time have been able to achieve their Buddhahood in one lifetime!
There are many stories about ordinary, even foolish-looking beings becoming enlightened in a single lifetime after attaining bodhicitta in Buddhism. Therefore, it seems likely that with pure intention and good motivation, it’s possible for a human being to achieve enlightenment in this lifetime.
Some examples of Buddha Leadership
Following are some examples from Buddha’s time;
1) Not accepting servants or worshippers
In the whole of Buddha’s life, he did not seek out the leader, even though people would come to him asking for advice about the spiritual life. This is because he did not feel that he should be worshiped or treated as a servant. After all, he was on a mission to help all beings become free from suffering.
As Siddharta Gautama, he had been born into royalty and had grown used to being served by others. Yet when the time came for him to teach his students, he did so while also continuing with his daily farming activities and other menial tasks around the monastery where they lived together.
2) Not creating an institution centered around himself
After realizing enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, he returned to his home in Kapilavastu, where his father quickly had him thrown out of the city.
His first followers were the five ascetics with whom he shared his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and soon became his first student. Together, they left for Sarnath near Varanasi, where he began to teach not to fall prey to desires and delusions.
3) Not demanding total obedience from his students
One student refused to follow the Buddha’s simple rules: no eating afternoon each day and no luxurious beds or seats. So instead of beating that person into line, as Siddharta Gautama might have done before becoming enlightened, Siddhartha asked if this still posed a problem. The student said no, so he let it go.
4) Meeting opposition with compassion and patience
The Buddha taught that if someone offered you an insult or criticism, to not respond in kind but instead meet it with compassion for their lack of understanding. This became one of his followers’ techniques to deal with hostility directed at them during the monsoon retreats, where they would come together each year for several weeks to listen to him speak on spiritual matters.
5) Accepting women among his students
Despite how progressive his father’s kingdom was by Indian standards, women were not educated or sat among men in public gatherings.
Yet when the Buddha began teaching, women came out of their homes to learn from him just as men did, even after he told them that they had to “beg for their food” while the monks got theirs offered to them.
They made this concession because he saw how badly they needed guidance on spiritual matters, so he told them that if they received alms-food while standing outside of someone’s house instead of taking it directly inside, it would give them a greater chance of being exposed to teachings about virtue and nonviolence.
This is an example of Buddha leadership because it shows how Buddhists should live humbly without needing praise or attention for their actions; treat all forms of hostility with compassion, patience, and nonviolence; accept women to learn from the Buddha just as men do without any restrictions or limits based on gender; not judge people by their social standing, appearance, etc.; avoid divisiveness among Buddhists to preserve unity within the community, and give credit for something good that happened back to the person who inspired it instead of taking all the credit himself.
Related: Theory of Leadership
Final thoughts
From the examples throughout history, it is evident that Buddha’s teachings lead towards an incredibly powerful tool for accomplishing great things.
By developing a compassionate and altruistic attitude towards those you lead, you create an environment where people are more likely to feel inspired and motivated to work together towards common goals.
Suppose you’re looking for a way to become a better leader or interested in learning more about Buddhism. In that case, we encourage you to explore the concepts of Bodhicitta and Buddha leadership further.
Related: Levels of Leadership
