Subhash Chandra Bose displayed both masculine and feminine leadership traits. Masculine traits included being committed to the cause of Indian independence, taking action-oriented approaches like leading the Indian National Army, and using his power and intelligence to directly challenge British rule. Feminine traits included being a persuasive orator who could motivate large groups, negotiating diplomatically with other world leaders to gain support, and maintaining an unbiased and magnanimous approach that embraced all Indians regardless of identity. Overall, Bose demonstrated a predominantly masculine style focused on achieving independence through decisive action, but also incorporated relationship-building and inclusive feminine traits.

1. LEADERSHIP THROUGH
LITERATURE
SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE
SUBMITTED TO
PROF. PARVAIZ TALIB
SUBMITTED BY
SIMRAN KAKKAR
18MBAIB04
FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES
AND RESEARCH
ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY

2. INTRODUCTION
According to Prof. Anne Cummings of University of Minnesota of Duluth, leadership traits
demonstrated by different leaders can be divided into feminine and masculine. Feminine
traits are patience, collaboration, affiliation, democratic work environment, compassion,
humility, etc. leaders demonstrating these traits are known to be followed feminine style of
leadership.
However, traits like focus, competitive, assertion, dominant, powerful, strong, confident,
independent working, result oriented, etc are characterized as masculine traits; leaders
displaying these traits follow Masculine style of leadership.
Feminine style of leadership is associated with relationship orientation, whereas masculine
style of leadership tends be task oriented. Here, I will be analyzing the leadership style of
Subhash Chandra Bose on the basis of the traits displayed by him during different events and
walks of his life.
ABOUT SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE
Subhash Chandra Bose was an Indian revolutionist whose role was prominent in the
independence movement against British rule in India. He was the leader of Indian National
Army (INA) from abroad against the British during World War II.
Born on 23 January 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa Division, Bengal Province, he was from a
wealthy family, his father was an advocate. He received his education from University of
Cuttack (B.A. in philosophy) and University of Cambridge (B.A. in mental and moral
Sciences).
Bose allegedly died at the age of 48 in a plane crash due third degree burns on 18 August
1945 in Taihoku, Japanese Taiwan (present-day Taipei, Taiwan).
LEADERSHIP STYLE
Leadership style manifested by Bose has prominently been masculine. He showed
tremendous strength, power, assertion in his words as well in his actions, be it his
motivational slogans like “तुम मुझे खून दो, मैं तुम्हें आज़ादी दूूंग़ा” (you shall give me blood, I
shall give you freedom) and his approaches to achieve complete freedom at any cost like

3. leading INA, joining hands with Axis powers during world war II. He makes the perfect
example of task oriented leaders. However, his personality shows sign of interpersonal
orientation as well he went to Italy to meet Benito Mussolini; he also met emperor of Japan,
Hilter of Nazi Germany and brought the Indian freedom struggle at an international level, his
ability to move people won hearts of many international leaders of that time to come in
support of him against British.
Therefore his style can be taken as predominantly masculine but feminine to an extent as
well.
LEADERSHIP LESSONS
Masculine Feminine
Committed to a cause Orator
Action-oriented Persuasive
Powerful Magnanimous
Intelligent Unbiased
MASCULINE
COMMITTED TO A CAUSE
“One individual may die for an idea, but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a
thousand lives.” He faced legal action, numerous arrests, betrayal from congress and even
exile for the sake of protecting his nation. Yet he had unwavering faith in his idea of freedom
and was willing to sacrifice his life for the cause.
ACTION ORIENTED
“No real change in history has ever been achieved by discussions.” He always believed in
action, reason of his disagreement with congress was this. That is why he led INA and
secures the help of Axis powers for achieving independence which can’t be possible with
talking only.
POWERFUL

4. The Azad Hind Government or provisional government despite being a government-in-exile,
issued its own currency, stamps and other official documents, and these were accepted by all
the Axis powers.
It was a direct assault challenging the writ of the British Empire. Militarily, the INA was just
a shadow compared to the strength of the British government, but the challenge and the
manner in which it dared to defy the status quo of the empire is worthy of applaud. It lost the
war, but eventually broke the backbone of the empire.
INTELLIGENT
Way back in 1938, almost a year before the War broke out (War broke out in 1939), Netaji
had openly advocated siding with the enemies of Britain in the event of a war. That is
foresight. He was the only Indian leader who had an in-depth understanding of global affairs
and was excellent at reading the emerging trends.
FEMININE
ORATOR
“Forget not that the grossest crime is to compromise with injustice and wrong. Remember the
eternal law: you must give, if you want to get.” He had always been a great orator. When it
came to recruiting men to build INA, he would appeal to their nascent patriotism and tell
them that the only way they could achieve the freedom they so desired was if they were
willing to give themselves to the cause of the nation.
PERSUASIVE
He meet leaders all around the world from Germany to Japan and raised an army of PoWs
from Germany and Japan that too at the condition that Indian soldiers in respective nations
will not fight for axis powers. He also negotiated for Andaman and Nicobar Islands which
was under the control of Japan successfully.
The fact that Netaji was not physically present in Germany, but thousands of miles away in
Singapore, and still the Germans adhered to the conditions of the treaty, does speak highly of
the influence that Netaji wielded over the German high command and Hitler himself.

5. MAGNANIMOUS
Although congress had become estranged towards Bose, still he showed magnanimity in
naming his brigades in the INA after Nehru and Gandhi. He did not let his political
differences with the Congress color his judgment. The main goal was India’s independence
and naming brigades after Nehru and Gandhi was a statement to the Indian people and the
British as well, that difference aside, all Indians stood united in the freedom struggle against
Britain.
UNBIASED
The Free India Legion and the INA never followed that practice. The INA units were formed
as all-India units devoid of any bias towards caste, creed or color. After Independence, the
new units raised by the Indian Army were modeled on this concept.
Also, at a time when many countries, including India, have shied away from inducting
women in combat roles, Netaji had raised the Rani Jhansi regiment comprising women
officers and soldiers.
Therefore it can be said that Bose had style of leadership that motivated others to sacrifice
their lives for the sake of motherland, his passion had helped to large extent to drive British
out of the country, he left the life of comfort and all means in order to serve the nation and its
people, he was a visionary, persuasive and assertive hero of Indian freedom struggle, whose
energy still motivates people from all walks of life.