The Feminine Divine, the Hug And Feminine Hindu Spiritual Leadership

Abstract

In their recent article, Sharma and Jain (2013) make the point that leadership and management are twinned, complementary and inextricably linked, or as they put it, “Go hand in hand”. They go a step further though and draw from Warren Bennis' list of the differences between 'the leader' and 'the manager' and state that while the manager administers, the leader innovates, and where the manager is a copy, the leader is an original (Sharma and Jain 2013). One completely agrees with this, for as Sharma and Jain assert, the leader's task is to inspire and to motivate. This essay will use the theoretical prism of intertextuality and work through the leadership framework above, as put forward by Sharma and Jain. The essay will attempt to show how this understanding of a leader and leadership is a potentially valuable lens to appreciate the spiritual leadership of the Hindu saint popularly known globally as Amma (Mother). The paper will show that Amma as a Hindu 'guru', is a particular kind of leader who fits many of the contexts that Sharma and Jain describe within their leadership model. The paper will attempt to further show that the saint known as Amma, typifies a unique and particular kind of charismatic feminine power and female leadership that both inspires and motivates millions of Hindu followers the world over.

Key Words: mother, feminine, leader, spiritual, female leadership