A Comparative Analysis of Leadership Styles: Servant Leadership in the Cases of Mahatma Gandhi and Sir Winston Churchill

Author: Kshitij Jayantilal Bopalkar

Issue: Summer Issue, 2025

Abstract

The leadership practices of Mahatma Gandhi and Sir Winston Churchill are examined through Greenleaf’s servant leadership. The nonviolent and grassroots approach of Mahatma Gandhi and the decisive, crisis driven leadership of Sir Winston Churchill are compared to each other, demonstrating core servant leadership traits despite the vastly different context like social and economic conditions. The study also includes the comparative analysis of various factors like context, timing, social and economic conditions that influenced the leadership styles. Results showed servant leadership is highlighted through Gandhi’s approach to uplift communities through ethical commitment and Churchill’s empathetic yet pragmatic decisive leadership style. In conclusion, this research uses a triangulation methodology to fill a scholarly gap by integrating Greenleaf’s framework with preexisting data, and theoretical concepts. It also suggests global leaders utilize hybrid servant leadership approaches to tackle complex modern business challenges.