PREPARATION
Objectives of Module 9:
- To understand the nature of poor leaders and how they impact people.
- To understand classes based on social psychology.
- To understand the Social Cycle and Sadvipras.
- To understand how to become an ideal leader.
Check Your Understanding
At the end of this module, you should be able to explain the following concepts:
- Define incompetent, inefficient, and dangerous leaders.
- How do sociology, Marxism, and Prout define social classes?
- What are the positive and negative aspects of each of Prout’s four classes?
- What is the Social Cycle and how does it rotate?
- What is a Shudra Revolution and who leads it?
- What are the qualities of sadvipras?
- What is the role of sadvipras?
- What is the inner struggle of a sadvipra?
- What is “emotional intelligence?”
Readings to Prepare for Module 3:
The Social Reality: Dangerous Leaders
Prout’s Vision: Classes Based on Social Psychology
Cooperative Game – The Sarkar Game:
CIRCLE TIME
Excitement Sharing:
“What is something good that has happened in your life since we last met? Or would anyone like to read from your journal or share your recent activities?”
[After everyone has spoken, 10-15 minutes] Now let’s shift our focus, because, as usual in this course, we want to focus on the solutions.
The Social Reality: Dangerous Leaders
A position of leadership gives one an unusual degree of influence over others which can be either positive or negative. Studies in capitalist firms show that the actions of the leader account for up to 70 percent of how employees perceive their organization (Beck and Harter 2015).
Incompetent and inefficient leaders tend to cause their organizations to be incompetent and inefficient, wasting everyone’s time. The Peter Principle is a management concept developed by Laurence J. Peter in 1969, which observes that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to their “level of incompetence.” This means that an employee is promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent. This happens because skills needed in one job do not necessarily transfer to another job (Peter and Hull 1969).
Besides those leaders who are incompetent or inefficient, some leaders are actually dangerous. We can spot dangerous leaders by comparing them to psychopaths, whom psychologists recognize as having a personality disorder of persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, uninhibited, and egotistical traits. Psychopaths are usually charming, charismatic, and intelligent. They brim with self-confidence and independence, and exude sexual energy. They are also extremely self-absorbed, masterful liars, compassionless, often sadistic, and possess an insatiable appetite for power (Patrick, Fowles, and Krueger 2009).
That insatiable appetite for power means that psychopaths will go to any lengths to become leaders, whether it be of a criminal gang, or a nation.
Of course, not all bad leaders are psychopaths. But here are some traits that can harm organizations and people that they control:
Autocratic: they want control over everything. Overbearing and distrustful, they do not share information. They do not listen well, and do not recognize the achievements of others. Mistreating people creates high levels of stress, turnover, absenteeism, and burnout among those around them.
Narcissistic and vain: they often rely on contempt to make others feel like losers, so that they feel like winners. They will belittle the work of others or ridicule them at meetings. When they need something, they may threaten. People around them often doubt themselves.
Paranoid: they tend to be suspicious and mistrustful of others. Feeling in danger and easily insulted, they constantly look for signs and threats that validate their fears or biases. They tend to be guarded and have very constricted emotional lives. They bear grudges, and tend to interpret others’ actions as hostile.
The Social Reality Discussion Question: Dangerous Leaders
Our question now is: Have you ever met a dangerous leader? If so, what were they like? How did they make you feel? What effect did they have on their organization?
We will go around the room, and ask everyone to say briefly what your opinion is about bad leaders, and how they make you feel. Please speak for just one minute each.
Cooperative Game – The Sarkar Game:
Before the game, print enough copies of the scripts below so that every participant gets a copy of the script for their group. Divide all the participants into four equal groups. Gather work tools (hammers, screwdrivers, brooms, etc.) for the first group; ideally, one tool for each member of that group. Give toy guns or large kitchen knives to the second group, books to the third group, and credit cards and play money to the fourth. A bell, whistle, or red flag for the facilitator to get everyone’s attention is optional.
“Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar’s theory of the Social Cycle shows the different ways that humans have dealt with their physical environment and with one another through both individual and collective psychology.
“Read your script and play just that role. Please remember that there are both positive and negative aspects of your archetype. Be aware of both potentials as you interact with others. Take a few minutes to discuss in your group what you want to do.” [Give everyone five to ten minutes to plan.]
Below are the written instruction scripts to be handed to each group:
Group 1, Workers: You work hard and take pride in doing a good job. You are preoccupied with survival and mundane pleasures. You tend to trust and support your fellow workers. You want safety, security and reasonable comforts. You want inspiration and faith to ease suffering and the fear of death. TV, a cold beer, sex, and watching sports are common pastimes. You usually leave complex political and economic decisions to leaders you trust. When inspired, you loyally follow leaders of the other classes. But if your needs are not met, you can disrupt, create chaos, or even bring the system down. Your group will begin the game. So prepare a simple skit lasting a couple of minutes or so, revealing your nature until the other groups enter and interact with you. Remember there are both positive and negative aspects of your archetype. Use your imagination and speak loudly and clearly.
Group 2, Warriors: Your physical strength and courage are your greatest assets. You embrace challenge and struggle. You value honor, discipline, and self-sacrifice. Your will, patience, and hard work are your strengths. You protect society from danger and chaos, by enforcing order. The military, police, firefighting, and rescue teams are your chosen work. Sports and martial arts are your hobbies. You obey and expect others to obey authority and follow orders, no matter what. Your group will be the second group to enter the game. Decide how you will interact with the first group of workers. Remember there are both positive and negative aspects of your archetype. Use your imagination and speak loudly and clearly.
Group 3, Intellectuals: Your developed mind is your greatest asset. The search for truth, removing errors and confusion, is your purpose. Some of you have knowledge of science, while others have knowledge of spiritual reality. You protect everyone by making rules and laws and commanding the warriors to enforce them. You debate hard so that the best ideas win. You create enlightenment. The arts are your hobbies. You lead others by establishing your religion, your science, or your political system as the Truth. Your group will be the third group to enter the game. Decide how you will interact with the groups of workers and warriors. Remember there are both positive and negative aspects of your archetype. Use your imagination and speak loudly and clearly.
Group 4, Merchants: You make money easily and invest it wisely. You excel in organizing and running companies. Efficient and effective, you manage large numbers of people to make new products and carry out difficult tasks. Through wealth and power, you can help everyone. You reward loyal service with higher salaries. Efficiency is very important. Your group will be the last group to enter the game. Decide how you will interact with the groups of workers, warriors and intellectuals. Remember there are both positive and negative aspects of your archetype. Use your imagination and speak loudly and clearly.
Facilitation Tips: This is an action learning process that introduces participants to the Social Cycle and its holistic perspective of social change. Invite the workers to begin their role play and the other groups to observe until called in. After two or three minutes, invite the warriors to enter. When you feel that perverse behaviors are present or the game is going flat, stop the play and ask the intellectuals to enter. Allow the three-part dynamic to continue until the behavior again becomes perverse, and then the merchants are invited in. When all the groups have had their chance to dominate, stop the game.
Then ask everyone to sit down but to stay in their groups. Debrief each group in turn, with everyone listening. Ask one member to read their script aloud. Then ask the group to describe how they tried to act out their role, and ask the other groups for their opinions. Build a dynamic picture of each group. Highlight the healthy form of each class, and how each group wins power in a beneficial phase. Point out, too, the inherent suffering that each group in the end creates in its perverse phase. Even though each class succeeds in managing problems, it also contains the seeds of its ultimate decline. It is important for people to remember that all four classes exist in each society.
We all have deep scripts that tell us about roles, power, and relationships in the world. These scripts have been programmed into us and continue to direct us unconsciously until an experience makes us aware of them. This game creates an experience of social change that is, at its heart, revolutionary.
Once the nature of social change is clear, you can then introduce the idea of an invisible fifth force in the room. Conscious of the strengths and weaknesses of each group, one can choose to personally develop all four abilities and become a spiritual revolutionary. [20 minutes.]
Prout’s Vision: Classes Based on Social Psychology
Social classes are forms of ‘social stratification.’ Sociologists usually denote three main classifications: the upper class or elite, the middle class, and lower class. What mainly determines social class are a person’s hereditary family, wealth, income, influence, power, educational attainment, and job prestige. In Latin America, for example, race and ethnicity have been and still are prime determinants of class, with white-skinned colonial elites claiming privilege, and the various mixed-race, indigenous, and African descendants having much less privilege. The same is true in North America.
In Marxist theory, only two main classes exist. First are the capitalists or bourgeoisie, who own the means of production and purchase the labor power of others. Second are the workers or proletariat, who only have their own labor power which they sell for a wage or salary. Marx believed that the members of each class share common economic interests, and they engage in collective action which advances their interests. In other words, the workers try to increase their wages and benefits, while the capitalists try to increase their profits and reduce their costs, including the wages and benefits of their workers.
- R. Sarkar presents a radically different perspective on social classes. Basing his model on how humans relate to their natural and social environments, he identifies four basic types. In Sanskrit, these groups are known as varnas, or “mental colors.” The concept of varnas is a valuable model to analyze class dynamics. Like archetypes, these classifications are useful to identify the powerful forces which impact societies. They are less useful for understanding individual psychology, where other complex factors apply.
This concept of varnas generates a model of social dynamics and historical analysis unique to Prout. The theory holds that, at any given time, a society is dominated by the psychology and administration of a particular varna. It further proposes that social change occurs in cycles. Together these ideas are referred to as the Theory of the Social Cycle, which describes the changes that take place in society as dominant values and power bases shift from one varna to the next in a cyclic manner.
The four varnas are: shudras (workers); ksattriyas (warriors); vipras (intellectuals); and vaeshyas (merchants).
Prout’s theory of class differs from the caste system of India, which uses the same terms, but locks people into a rigid system of hierarchy and discrimination by birth. Sarkar strongly opposed the caste system. Instead, he viewed varna as a psychological outlook which manifests in a particular style of survival and growth in a given environment.
On an individual level, every person possesses a mixture of and potential for all the four varnas, although usually one psychology tends to be dominant. Through education, training, and social environment, a person can develop any of these tendencies, or even all four simultaneously. Each varna has both positive and negative qualities.
Shudra (Worker): Skilled tradespersons know how to work well, how to make things, and how to fix things. When you need a job done, you look for a worker who takes pride in their labor. Workers tend to support one another and often develop a keen spirit of trust and friendship. These people tend to work hard, and to enjoy mundane pleasures. Sports, drinking, good food, and television are common pastimes. The shudra mind seeks safety, security, and some creature comforts. Workers tend to be followers, not leaders. Of course, the shudras of today are much more developed than those of the past. Shudras live according to the trends of the dominant collective psychology. This class essentially reflects mass psychology.
In general, common people who have not been politicized and who have not entered a struggle for social justice, exhibit these traits. However, the mentality of working and unemployed people changes when their consciousness is raised, when they begin to fight for their rights and the rights of others. As their minds expand and they acquire new skills and viewpoints, their varna begins to shift.
Ksattriya (Warrior): The second varna is composed of those with a warrior bent, who bravely confront the environment with physical strength and fighting spirit. Such people who embrace challenge and struggle gravitate toward athletics and martial arts, the military, police, firefighting, seafaring, and rescue work. They strive for self-mastery through will, patience, and hard work. They are willing to take calculated risks to achieve a noble goal, and are ready to die to keep a promise or oath. Usually stoic, they give great importance to loyalty, honor, integrity, courtesy, discipline, and self-sacrifice for others, to protect the weak.
Yet on the negative side, they may also choose violent aggression, blind obedience, machismo, cruelty, and ruthless competition. They can be trained to kill, to torture, to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Nazi and Japanese empires that committed crimes against humanity were ksattriya societies gone amok.
Vipra (Intellectual): Those with a developed intellect, who seek to impact society by virtue of their mind, make up this third class. Their positive qualities include critical thinking, curiosity, and skepticism. They can think independently, teach and share ideas, concepts, arguments, and explanations. Vipras push scientific, religious, and cultural boundaries, question assumptions, and do original, creative research. They can use their gifted minds to inspire and empower others, ideally developing humility, intuition, and wisdom.
But vipras can also allow their dark side to grow. Theoretical, impractical and irrelevant intellectuals can waste their time on projects that benefit no one. They can be arrogant, cynical, and argumentative. They can criticize, insult, and condemn opponents. Hiding their ugly nature through hypocrisy and clever lies, they may impose dogmas, fear, and inferiority complex in simple-minded people. Creating divisive rules and policies for their own selfish desires, they can manipulate, dominate, and verbally torture others.
Vaeshya (Merchants): The fourth varna or social class is that of the vaeshyas, a merchant class which excels in managing and accumulating resources. An entrepreneur is a risk taker and opportunity seeker who always looks for new ideas and money-making opportunities and then makes a plan to get them to market. Results-oriented, these people are efficient and effective, strategically organizing and managing large numbers of people to get tasks done. Imaginative, ambitious, and innovative, they are persistent and refuse to accept the idea that something is impossible. Creating wealth, they have the capacity to enrich communities and benefit thousands of people with creative products, services, and jobs.
Sadly, people with a merchant mindset can also be ruthless exploiters. Greedy to own everything, they can mercilessly bankrupt competitors. The craving for more wealth even propels some capitalists to exploit the markets of corruption, pornography, the sex trade, drugs, and organized crime.
History and the Social Cycle
The social cycle progresses in a natural sequence of historical eras from shudra (laborer) society to ksattriya (warrior), followed by vipra (intellectual), and then vaeshya (merchant). Later on, a new cycle begins. This cyclical view of history does not imply that society moves in circles, retracing its steps. Rather, the social cycle is like a spiral that gradually progresses toward greater human consciousness.
The launch of each era is dynamic on all levels: political, cultural, and economic. This occurs as new leaders arise and free people from the oppressive institutions of the old order. This optimistic trend peaks sooner or later as the new class tightens its control. Finally social decline occurs as the dominant class strives to carry on its power at the expense of the basic needs of the people. Social unrest builds.
From the time of the first human beings, who lived together in clans or tribes for mutual safety, shudras struggled to survive amid the dangerous forces of nature. Through clashes with the environment and inter-group conflicts over food and other resources, the human mind slowly became stronger and more complex. In this way, some humans developed confidence, bravery, and the capacity to rule and dominate over others as well as their environment. Thus the ksattriya psychology appeared.
These Stone Age warriors gradually won acceptance as symbols of the unity of the tribe in the true beginning of human society in its most basic form. Unity, discipline, and a sense of social responsibility slowly developed in these clans. The fight for prestige and supremacy raged between different clans during the Ksattriyan Era, and people developed strong feelings of loyalty and pride regarding their clan. The early ksattriya societies were matriarchal.
The golden era of the ksattriyas was one of expansion and conquests, dating from the prehistoric era through the great empires of ancient history until the end of the Roman Empire, the Chin Dynasty and the Indo-Aryan expansion. Ksattriyas greatly valued courage, honor, discipline and devotion to duty, making ksattriya societies well-organized and united.
In the struggle of warrior societies against one another, human intellect grew. The ingenuity of the vipras resulted in the first scientific advances. As armies became larger, superior weapons, strategy, and logistics became as decisive as strength and skill. Without sharp minds to devise tactics, victory in warfare became impossible. As cities and nations grew, skilled administrators became essential. Hence vipras gradually became the most valued assets of the ksattriya leaders.
Over time the intellectual ministers acquired more actual power than the warrior kings. At the same time, organized religion assumed the role formerly held by tribal shamans. The Hindu and Buddhist societies of Asia were vipra-led, as was the Catholic Church, which gained greater power than all the royalty of Europe. Islam swept across the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Asia. In Tibet, the monks and lamas assumed both political and religious power. With the coming of the Vipran Age the personal authority of the warrior kings became less important as social administration based on scriptures and laws developed. Through different social, religious, and scriptural injunctions, intellectuals in the roles of minister, priest, lawmaker, and adviser began to rule society and shape its growth.
In the vipra stage of the social cycle education and culture thrived. Human beings attained new heights of mental development and awareness. Cultural, religious, and governmental institutions grew during the golden age of the vipras. Science, art, and the other branches of knowledge flourished under these hosts. The early Buddhist ages of India, China, and Southeast Asia all illustrate this trend, as do the monastic centers of learning in the European Middle Ages. Some rulers, such as King Frederick the Great, were great patrons of science and learning.
In time, of course, the vipra class also became oppressive, focusing on their own material and social privileges. To keep control, they resorted to hypocrisy, injecting superstitions, dogmas, and psychic complexes into the minds of the other classes.
Gradually, their concern with comfort and privilege caused the vipras to obey the vaeshyas, who were building more and more wealth. In turn they developed the capacity to buy the vipras’ land and to employ them in their service. In this way, the merchant class slowly grew in size and influence, infusing new dynamism into societies that had been suffering under a corrupt vipra class. The skillful and practical vaeshyas directed the great ocean voyages of discovery around the Earth and captured tremendous wealth.
When the conquistadors and colonizers first arrived in the Americas, Spain, Portugal, France, and England were in transition from vipra societies—led by a royal family, court ministers, and the Church—to a vaeshyan one. They employed the warrior class with their superior weapons to invade and colonize the world in an effort to extract resources, including slaves. Most indigenous tribes of the Americas and Africa that they came across were led by warriors (ksattriyas), though it is possible that a few were led by intellectual “shamans” (vipras). The vast fortunes that were made in the colonies and through slavery helped to establish the wealthy elites as the new power brokers.
In Latin America, Africa and elsewhere, European capitalists also urged priests and ministers to try to convert the people to Christianity. Wherever they were successful, inferiority complexes were imposed and the populations became more compliant. Leonardo Boff and others have argued that there have, in effect, always been two Catholic Churches in Latin America: one of the rich and one of the poor. The Catholic Church of the rich and the military has served the financial interests of capitalists.
As the merchants gained power, they created new financial, political, and social systems. Democratic movements led to the creation of the House of Commons in Great Britain, the American, French, and Haitian revolutions, and a slow increase in gender equality. Great advances in the arts and sciences were also inspired under the patronage of the merchant class.
Capitalists tend to view all things, even human beings, as potential sources of profit. The merchant class built industrialized nations by exploiting the labor and resources of the rest of the world. In capitalist eras, business leaders and corporate directors are depicted as heroes; wealth and power make them great.
Political rule is also determined by capitalists behind the scenes who buy and sell politicians and hold true power. All capitalist societies are in this condition now, as shown by the dependency of political leaders in most countries on “big money” to finance their election campaigns. Though constitutional democracy was a positive development in the merchant age, as practiced today it has largely become a tool of the financially powerful to control national economies.
Intellectuals and warriors are also bought by capitalists to do their bidding. Most scientific research that is funded benefits corporations or the military. The United States armed forces have approximately 800 formal military bases in 80 countries and go to war to protect US corporate interests (Slater 2018).
Today, the capitalist age is declining. Hunger, poverty and unemployment cause greater misery and affect more people than ever before. Decadence and degradation of the human spirit have become extreme. The gap between the rich and poor is greatly increasing. Money is acquired and hoarded by the rich, therefore circulating less in the economy. Most intellectuals and warriors are reduced to the economic condition of shudras. Fewer and fewer people benefit from capitalism. These are clear indicators of the extreme exploitation of the other classes by the capitalists.
Shudra Revolution and a New Cycle Begins
In the Social Cycle of Prout, due to increasing exploitation and eventual market failures, the common people—led by disgruntled intellectuals and warriors—will in time rise up in a popular revolt and take economic and social power into their own hands. This shudra revolution marks the end of the merchant era and the beginning of a new cycle.
Technically speaking, shudras should lead society in the wake of the overthrow of the vaeshyan order. However, this shudra period is, in effect, a very brief time of anarchy, lasting only as long as it takes the ksattriya leaders of the revolution to solidify their power. The workers’ communist revolutions in Russia in 1917, followed by China, Yugoslavia, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and other countries, qualify: vaeshya rule ended through shudra revolution, resulting in a new, ksattriya-led society.
The Social Cycle moves in constant rotation. Based on the traits of the different classes (varnas), we can detect distinct ages in the history of different societies. The social and administrative domination of one of the classes marks each age and shapes the main values and social psychology of the society. As a rule, at any given time, only one class is dominant in each society. The four ages of shudra, ksattriya, vipra, and vaeshya together make one complete spiral of the Social Cycle.
Within each spiral there is also a dialectical movement that accounts for the birth, maturity, and death of an age, leading to the birth, maturity, and death of the next age.
Spiritual Revolutionaries: Sadvipras
While Prout takes a macro view of class struggles, it also accepts that strong individuals have the ability to influence and offer hope to society. Prout sees that intellectually developed spiritual leaders called sadvipras (literally, those with subtle minds), will arise. Sadvipras are those who by virtue of their physical, mental, and spiritual efforts have developed the positive qualities of all classes combined. They also possess the moral force and courage to fight injustice and exploitation, and to protect the weak.
The qualities of a sadvipra include honesty, courage, dedication, and sacrificing spirit for humanity. They follow universal ethical principles. They are leaders devoted to the welfare of society. By personal example they inspire and guide society forward in a holistic and progressive way.
During his lifetime, Sarkar always spoke of this concept with the highest respect, saying that sadvipras embody the greatest ideals that one could aspire to hold. We can grasp that as society progresses, an ever-higher ethical standard will be expected of these spiritual revolutionaries.
Anyone can become a sadvipra by humbly learning the positive traits of all four classes and setting a personal example of self-discipline and service.
While Sarkar sees the rotation of the Social Cycle as inevitable, he believes these socio-spiritual visionaries who have struggled to rise above their class interests can smooth society’s progress. Because they have risen above their class identity, they feel allegiance to everyone, not to any group or party or nation. They are open-minded, multicultural, and dedicated to justice for all. Without personal ambition, with a universal spiritual outlook, their thoughts are clear. Sarkar describes their role as one of working in the “nucleus” of the Social Cycle, helping each group to develop and lead society in turn. As soon as signs of social decay or exploitation appear, sadvipras will apply ample force by mobilizing the people to speed up the transition to the next varna, thereby decreasing periods of exploitation.
The magic of Sadvipra leadership was best captured by Lao Tzu: “A leader is best when people barely know she or he exists; when the work is done, the aim fulfilled, they will say: ‘we did it ourselves’.”
Prout’s model of sadvipra leadership seeks to harness the dynamic forces of humanity in a positive way. Prout uses the individual and collective potentials on all levels—physical, psychic, social and spiritual—and synthesizes them in an effort to create an ever more progressive and vibrant society.
Prout’s Vision Discussion Questions:
Which qualities of the four classes (laborer, warrior, intellectual, and merchant) have you developed in your life? What would it take to develop the others?
According to the theory of the Social Cycle, which class is dominating your society now, and what would it take to move it forward?
Do you think that anyone could become an ideal leader, a sadvipra? Why or why not?
“One’s universal outlook is a way to judge whether a person is a sadvipra.” Is your outlook completely universal, or do you harbor negative feelings about any group of people?
“True leaders empower others to be great. They sincerely listen to the opinions of others, and they encourage and praise the accomplishments of others.” Do you?
“What we despise in others—the qualities that we hate—are actually within us.” What qualities do you hate in other people? Are those qualities also within you?
Have you ever met someone who was “emotionally intelligent:” sensitive, aware, and always able to make others feel better?
Have you ever met someone you consider to be a true hero? What were they like?
Activist Tools: Becoming an Ideal Leader
Sarkar writes, “It becomes the prime duty of all people to make themselves and others sadvipras” (Sarkar 1967).
Sarkar stresses that there is a perennial conflict going on the world over between good and evil, light and darkness, virtue and vice. Humanity progresses through this conflict. Through this struggle for justice, through this churning, sadvipras are created.
However, spiritual revolutionaries also develop through another struggle, the inner one. Expanding one’s mind continually through meditation and spiritual practice, must take place simultaneously with the struggle for social justice. Both are essential.
Sarkar revealed that in addition to one’s conduct, morality and fighting spirit, one’s universal outlook is also a way to judge whether a person is a sadvipra. “Due to their benevolent idealism and mental development they naturally look upon all with love and affection. They can never do any injustice in any particular era or to any particular individual” (Sarkar date unknown).
This is interesting, because conversely, a person’s sentiment for a particular group would be a way to recognize that a person is not yet qualified to lead society. Some activists still hold an unconscious feeling of superiority of their nation, family, language, race or class. Some men and even some women distrust women leaders, and some women feel resentment against men because of this and so many wrongs committed.
The list of countries that have had a woman leader in modern times is relatively short. Women who have led countries have not stayed in power long, either. In the past fifty years, only 56 of the 146 nations (38 percent) studied by the World Economic Forum in 2014 and 2016 have had a female head of state for at least one year. In 31 of these countries, women have led for five years or less; in 10 nations, they have led for only a year (Geiger, Abigail & Kent 2017).
Why is there such a disparity in the number of women leaders? Part of the problem has to do with women being discriminated against if they have family and caregiving responsibilities and need family leave. The only two modern heads of state to give birth while in office were Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan in 1990, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand in 2018.
Women also face a double bind in that women who adopt masculine styles of leadership (directive and assertive behaviors) tend to be disliked and their ability to wield influence can be undermined. Yet women who embrace feminine stereotypes of cooperation and listening to all voices are sometimes thought to be too weak to be good leaders. Men who have assertive leadership styles, on the other hand, are respected and admired. Women also risk not getting a job or a promotion when they are too direct (Tepper, Brown & Hunt 1993).
Researchers at the University of Buffalo studied gender stereotypes over a 59-year-period with more than 19,000 participants and 136 studies from lab, business, and classroom settings. Emily Grijalva, Assistant Professor at the Buffalo School of Business Management, states:
We found showing sensitivity and concern for others—stereotypically feminine traits—made someone less likely to be seen as a leader. However, it’s those same characteristics that make leaders effective. Thus, because of this unconscious bias against communal traits, organizations may unintentionally select the wrong people for leadership roles, choosing individuals who are loud and confident but lack the ability to support their followers’ development and success (Biddle, Matthew August 7, 2018).
Even among activists, it is very easy to get attached to one’s own plans. Yet if we refuse to listen to others and discuss other positions, then our rationality becomes of less concern than being “right.”
All of these feelings have developed due to our background and our life’s experiences. They are a natural result of what has happened, and yet they prevent us from “looking upon all with love and affection.” Can we honestly say that we feel love and affection for every person we know? To strive for that highest spiritual outlook and to develop compassion for all is the personal goal of a spiritual revolutionary.
True leaders empower others to be great. They sincerely listen to the opinions of others, and they encourage and praise the accomplishments of others. Such leaders know that “who I am” does not depend on titles or positions. As loving parents are proud of the accomplishments of their children, these leaders show joy when others become great, too. Because economic democracy is about empowering people and communities, sadvipras are uniquely suited to facilitate this process.
The path of revolution is the most difficult path of all, and those who choose to walk this path will encounter greater and greater risks and challenges from many directions. Yet, the greatest enemies to be faced are one’s own inner enemies and bondages: one’s complexes, weaknesses, and fears. For example, many people are afraid of failure and of looking bad in front of others. Organizers will eventually find themselves faced with whatever it is they fear. The key is to confront these fears with courage and to overcome them.
The inner work of leaders is very important. As human beings, we all long for love, for approval, for certainty, for belonging. If we are not conscious of our own needs, then we tend to blame others for our unmet needs. Often we blame those who are around us.
The process of self-analysis is essential to inner progress: evaluating one’s mistakes each day—indeed, each moment—and struggling to overcome each defect as it arises.
The downfall of many revolutionaries has been the desire for small comforts and security. The power of spiritual struggle, as embodied in the ancient science of Tantra Yoga, can help to overcome such desires. Rather than avoiding physical and psychic clashes, one needs to confront and embrace them for personal transformation and growth.
It is true that what we despise in others—the qualities that we hate—are actually within us. Every human being has the same basket of mental tendencies; we express them according to our individual nature. We tend to project what we dislike within ourselves onto others. We often see those we disagree with as enemies, and get into heated arguments and bitter conflicts. Projection is a trick the mind plays to avoid facing the enemies within.
There is a way to identify this. Think of someone with whom you have the greatest difference of opinion. This person may have done something wrong; you or others may have been hurt by their actions. But if you feel hatred, anger, or superiority toward this person, then that is a problem that you must face and overcome. While you may disagree with someone’s actions, and while you should fight against immorality and injustice, you should not confuse a person’s behavior with the person.
Sarkar counseled, “Even while dealing with persons of inimical nature, one must keep oneself free from hatred, anger, and vanity” (Sarkar 1975). The feeling of jealousy should be overcome by super-imposing the idea of friendliness toward that person. Hatred should be overcome by compassion and forgiveness, envy by praise and encouragement. This is, of course, not easy, but with constant effort each propensity can eventually be brought under firm control. It is a life-long practice of continual self-improvement. This effort is vital to the ethical basis of social responsibility.
Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
Effective leaders must develop what Daniel Goleman calls “emotional intelligence.” This concept explains how some people may be brilliant intellectuals, with vast knowledge and skills, yet still be unable to understand or be sensitive to the impact they have on others. Those who lack emotional intelligence are unaware of how others feel. Ideal leaders are “visionary,” “coaching,” and “democratic,” and rarely use the less effective “pace-setting” and “commanding” styles (Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee 2002).
Most people connect more easily with others from the same cultural background. Yet in the struggle to change the world, we will have to live and work with people from other races, cultures and nations. Cultural clashes, translation difficulties, misunderstandings, disagreements about values, and different ways of seeing the world, are very real problems that leaders must face. Ideal leaders treat all people as their sisters and brothers, dealing fairly with everyone based on universal principles and individual merit.
Another key principle for all leaders is to set an example by individual conduct before asking others to do the same.
Some leaders, unfortunately, become arrogant. They believe that because their cause is great, they are also great. This is not necessarily so. Arrogant leaders lack sensitivity and care little for the feelings and values of others.
True leaders, instead of developing ego, develop humility. A leader who is humble gives joy and inspiration to others.
Insecure leaders feel threatened by the success of others. Some men feel threatened by the achievements of women and may even create obstacles in their paths to diminish their success. Insecure leaders, both men and women, often become fiercely competitive, viewing the success of another’s project as a disgrace to them. Although healthy internal competition can inspire people to work harder, the spirit of coordinated cooperation is also needed.
Insecure leaders are also afraid of losing control. They are afraid to hear complaints or criticism, of doing things a new way, of challenge and change. They are afraid of failure. They do not realize that they can learn from every failure, that every unsuccessful effort is an opportunity for personal and collective growth. They fear that admitting a mistake and apologizing for it will mean a loss of face. On the contrary, an honest apology for an error along with a willingness to make up for it, whether it was done knowingly or not, heals hurt feelings and often increases one’s esteem in the eyes of one’s peers and the public.
Activist Tools Exercise: The Great Game of Power by Augusto Boal
This game helps us understand how power is created, perceived, and experienced in different situations.
Arrange a table, six identical chairs and a bottle at the front of the room. Ask a volunteer to come forward and silently arrange the objects so as to make one chair become the most powerful object, in relation to the other chairs, the table and the bottle. Any of the objects can be placed on top of one another, or on their sides, or whatever, but none of the objects can be removed from the space.
Everyone is invited to analyze which chair has the most power while the person who made the arrangement keeps quiet. Ask, “What real life situation does this image represent? Why? What else could it be?” The diverse experiences and beliefs of each person will color their decisions and perspectives. Remember, there is no right answer.
Next invite another person to silently arrange the objects. Many variations should result. Then the group could choose one arrangement in which one chair is clearly more powerful. Invite a person to enter the scene without moving anything and position their own body so they have the most power. Once someone is in place, the other members of the group can enter the space in succession and try to place themselves in an even more powerful position, and take away the power the first person had.
Reflection: What are some of the different ways we saw power in this game? What makes someone or something powerful? Who or what is powerful in our world today? Why? (Boal 2002)
Closure:
The facilitator should remind everyone about further viewings, readings, and activities – Do as many as you can. Ask everyone to read the next module in the manual before the next meeting. Confirm the date, time, and place of the next meeting. Show the following roles for the next module and ask people to volunteer to lead a part.
MODULE 10: NEOHUMANISM
Facilitator: _______
Timekeeper: _______
Excitement Sharing: _______ (10 min.) 0:00
The Social Reality: Media Lies – review and lead discussion question: _______ (15 min.) 0:10
Cooperative Game – Prejudice: _______ (20 min.) 0:25
Prout’s Vision: Human Sentiments and Neohumanism, A New Definition of Progress – review and lead discussion question: _______ (15 min.) 0:45
Prout’s Vision: Psychic Exploitation, Culture, Civilization and Pseudo-Culture, An Educational Revolution – review and lead discussion question: _______ (15 min.) 1:00
Activist Tools: Critical Thinking and Unpacking Privilege – review: _______ (15 min.) 1:15
Activist Tools Exercise: Mapping Difference: _______ (15 min.) 1:30
Closure, Feedback, Course Evaluation: _______ (15 min.) 1:45
Ask participants to write anonymous feedback about the session before they leave. They can use the Feedback Form at the end of Module 1, or write whatever they like.
Activities—Do as many as you can:
Do a survey of your family and friends. Ask each one, who was the worst leader they ever met, and who was the best? Ask them to explain why they feel that way about those people.
Try to contact a leader in your community whom you admire. Tell them that you admire them, that you’re trying to become a leader, too, and that you’d like a few minutes of their time to ask their advice.
Make a short questionnaire for leaders and send it to at least a dozen leaders whom you admire. If only one out of ten take the time to respond, you’re doing great!
Is there a leadership training course in your area? Check colleges, youth programs, and community centers. If you find one, learn as much as you about it and what they teach. Form your own opinion about the value of their program.
What are your shadows, inner enemies, complexes, weaknesses, and fears? How can you examine and confront them? Make a plan of what you need to work on to become an ideal leader, a spiritual revolutionary.
FOLLOW-UP
Further readings:
Friedman, Uri. 2016. “Why It’s So Hard for a Woman to Become President of the United States.” The Atlantic, November 12, 2016.
Logan, Ron. 2015. “Sadvipra Leadership.” Prout Institute.
Covey, Stephen R. 1992. “Principle-Centered Leadership: An Executive Book Summary.”
Turner, Caroline. “Obstacles for Women in Business—the Double Bind.” HuffPost, December 6, 2017.
Further viewings:
Barstow, Cedar and Eva Fajardo. 2014. “Introduction to the Right Use of Power: The Heart of Ethics for the Helping Professional.” Webinar by Addiction Professional. December 8, 2014. 1 hour 6 minutes.
Sandburg, Sheryl. 2010. “Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders.” TEDWomen 2010. 14 minutes.
“Thoughts of PR Sarkar – Sadvipra Samaj.” February 2, 2016. 8 minutes.
Westbrook, Adam. 2016. “The Simple Reason Things Always Go Wrong: the Peter Principle.” April 20, 2016. 8 minutes.
Wiseman, Liz. 2017. “Leaders as Multipliers.” November 28, 2017. 1 hour 2 minutes.
References:
Beck, Randall and Jim Harter. 2015. “Managers Account for 70% of Variance in Employee Engagement.” Gallup Business Journal, April 21, 2015.
Biddle, Matthew. “Many Don’t See Women as Leaders at Work.” Futurity- University at Buffalo. August 7, 2018.
Boal, Augusto. 2002. Games for Actors and Non-actors. New York: Routledge.
Epitropaki, Olga. 2012. “What Holds Women Back? Gender Barriers at Work.”
Geiger, Abigail and Lauren Kent. 2017. “Number of Women Leaders Around the World has Grown But They’re Still a Small Group.” Pew Research Center. March 8, 2017.
Goleman, Daniel, Richard E. Boyatzis and Annie McKee. 2002. Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School.
Hofherr, Justine. 2015. “Founders of Women’s iLab Seek to Close the Gender Gap in Tech.” March 8, 2015.
Patrick, Christopher, Don Fowles, and Robert Krueger. 2009. “Triarchic Conceptualization of Psychopathy: Developmental Origins of Disinhibition, Boldness, and Meanness.” Development and Psychopathology. Cambridge University Press. 21 (3) (August): 913–938. doi:10.1017/S0954579409000492.
Peter, Laurence J. and Raymond Hull. 1969. The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong. New York: William Morrow and Company.
Sarkar, P.R. “Dialectical Materialism and Democracy.” (date unknown).
— 1967. “The Future of Civilization.” Cosmic Society.
— 1975. Ananda Marga Caryácarya Part 2. “Paiṋcadasha Shiila (The Fifteen Rules of Behaviour).” Calcutta: Ananda Marga Publications.
Slater, Alice. 2018. “The US Has Military Bases in 80 Countries. All of Them Must Close.” The Nation, January 24, 2018.
Tepper, B. J., S. J. Brown, and M. D. Hunt. 1993. “Strength of Subordinates’ Upward Influence Tactics and Gender Congruency Effects.” Journal of Applied Social Psychology. Volume 23, Issue 22, November, pages 1903-1919.
Women’s Ilab. 2017. “The Status of Women in Leadership Positions, According to an AAUW Study.” Huffington Post. July 8, 2017.