Application Journal #5

The Dalai Lama – a Transformational Leader

Liz Horgan

Comm 628 Summer 2010

Dr. Kristen Johnson

July 13, 2010

 The Dalai Lama, which means a teacher who is spiritually as great as the

ocean, is both the head of state and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.

“He frequently states that his life is guided by three major commitments: the

promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human

happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony and the welfare of the

Tibetan people, focusing on the survival of their identity, culture and

religion.” (dalailama.com)

Lhamo Dhondup was born in 1935 and at six years of age was selected to

be the next Dalai Lama. He was taken from his family at that time and began

his monastic education. He is deemed to be the 14th reincarnation of the

manifestation of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion

and patron saint of Tibet, and is now named Tenzin Gyatso.  In 1950, at the

age of 15, he assumed full political power in Tibet after China’s invasion of

Tibet. He was forced to flee his country in 1959 after Tibetan uprisings were

brutally put down. He continues his work in exile from Dharamsala, India on

behalf of the Tibetan people and supports peaceful issues worldwide

(dalailama.com).

Transformational leadership “is a process whereby a person engages with

others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality

in both the leader and the follower” (Northouse, p 172). I believe the Dalai Lama
is a transformational leader. The Dalai Lama is concerned with the collective

good, he has a special charisma, he elevates his followers by personal example

(by word and deed), he engenders trust and loyalty from his followers. He does

this in a very difficult environment; Chinese repression of Tibetans, and

systematic attempts to decimate the Tibetan culture and change the face of

Tibet have created huge challenges for the Tibetan people. His followers at

times want very much to retaliate, to fight and to resort to the same violence

shown to them by the Chinese. However, they do not for the most part, as their

leader, the Dalai Lama, believes in total non-violence.

The Dalai Lama works with his diverse followers and presses for positive

change in Tibet and for the Tibetan people by stressing dialog. He travels the

world spreading his messages, at 75 years of age he keeps up what many

consider a brutally difficult traveling schedule. I had the opportunity to meet

him two years ago and was amazed by his vitality, his positive outlook and his

dogged focus on peace for his people and for people the world over. He

meditates 3 hours a day, every day. This centering and reflection clearly guides

his communication behaviors. His personal charisma begins with low-key

talking (many times through his trusted interpreter, even though he can speak

English, and is capable in several other languages as well), yet he is animated

and sparkles with humor, interest, vitality and his entire being radiates a power

that brings weight to his messages. He is non-combative in the way he

addresses the key conflict with China he is working to help resolve. He

embraces China. The Dalai Lama is a realist as well as a spiritual leader, and

through calls for dialog works for compromise and peace for both the people of

China and the people of Tibet. He works with his followers to practice peaceful

communication in the face of brutal repression. The Dalai Lama said at a

gathering in Japan recently in June that “respecting Tibetan Rights (is the) key to

a Compassionate China - if the Tibetan people can achieve genuine autonomy

in protecting and promoting their culture, language, identity, and way of life, it

can also provide hope for a more just and compassionate society in China

where the frenzied rush to accumulate wealth and power has led to the rapid

erosion of moral principles” (dalailama.com).

The Dalai Lama uses talk, and not violence, as his weapon in the struggle

to transform the Tibetan situation. He talks directly to interested people

around the world, giving talks to supporters and others with a focus on young

people; he follows the talks/lectures with question and answer opportunities to

allow dialog and two way idea and thought sharing. His presence worldwide

keeps the Tibetan cause alive in the minds of a broad base of people. His main

focus is on Tibet, and yet his messages speak to issues of peace everywhere.

He is interested in many things, in compatibility of science and religion, the

environment, religious harmony, Buddhism and world peace. The Dalai Lama

uses his reputation, his widespread recognition and power to help others. He
has written the forward for many books, he accepts a large number of

invitations to speak and lends credibility to a variety of causes – he spreads

himself out so his vision can be accessible to others.

He has pushed through a change in structure of Tibet’s government in

exile. The Dalai Lama ceded his historic role where he had absolute power as

the ruler to a changed, democratically organized Tibetan government in exile in

Dharamsala, India. The Dalai Lama announced his semi-retirement from his

duties as head of state in 2008, he said that the future course of the movement

he had directed for nearly five decades would now be decided by the elected

parliament-in-exile (Wikipedia). His concern for the future of Tibet, for the

vision he and his followers have of an autonomous Tibet, is made with self-less

regard to self. The Dalai Lama is old and in fragile health. Political wrangling

about a false (Chinese selected) Lama and other succession issues have the

Dalai Lama working to preserve the Tibetan movement so that it can be

sustained after he is gone.

This clear vision of the future state of the organization is what Bennis and

Nanus (1985) identify as one of the four strategies used by transformational

leaders (Northouse, 2010). The Dalai Lama epitomizes other descriptions of

transformational leadership, such are his role as a social architect; he has

consistently led the Tibetan people in a non-violent approach to China, even in

circumstances of great suffering by the Tibetans. He is a realist as well as a

visionary. His fight is against a heavily armed China, yet he finds his power in

“right”, in humanity and in continuously arguing for the humane treatment of

his people as he dialogs ceaselessly on the compassionate treatment of all

peoples. Bennis and Nanus note that transformational leaders have “created

trust in their organizations by making their own positions known and then

standing by them” (Northouse, 2010). There is no “power grab” or

aggrandizement on the part of the Dalai Lama; rather his humble approach,

supported by his daily meditations, give him a power of might that stems from

his spirituality. Lastly, he is aware of his own competence and is able to “fuse a

sense of self with the work at hand” (p. 183) to further the vision for an

autonomous Tibet.

The Dalai Lama is “the first leader of Tibet to become a world leader,

even without a political base -- just on his moral force," according to his close

friend Robert Thurman, professor of Indo-Tibetan studies at Columbia

University (nytimes.com). He uses his teachings, his interactions with famous

people globally (Richard Gere, many Presidents and Heads of States), his public

talks and lectures, to raise the level of morality of many supporting groups

through talk. He uses spiritual teachings that he does each year to attend to

the needs and motives of followers. He encourages many others to support the

Tibetan cause, to support environmental care and world peace, all through

dialog and talk.

 The Dalai Lama uses his constant dialoging and communications to shape

meaning around his vision for Tibet and Tibetan people, for peace and for

issues both practical and spiritual which impact his followers. He has been able

to navigate world politics for decades, consistently delivering messages of hope

and positive change while at the same time standing up for a people oppressed.

While he is a transformational leader, and has been able to sustain his vision

over time, he has not prevailed. The struggle in Tibet continues, seemingly

unabated and minimally affected by his efforts. Being a transformational leader

does not necessarily mean the leader is successful in achieving specific

outcomes and results; as with the case of the Dalai Lama, good has instead

come to followers through being involved in the process.

References:

Dalai Lama. Nytimes.com. Retrieved July 12, 2010

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/d/
_dalai_lama/index.html

Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA:

Sage.

(July 11, 2010). Official website of the Dalai Lama. http://www.dalailama.com/

Wikipedia, Retrieved July 12, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

14th_Dalai_Lama