Wallenda Factor

1. In the context of leadership as defined by our readings, one example of a leader from my perspective was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or Mahatma Gandhi. According to Bennis and Nanus, there are several defining characteristics of a leader, but two of the key qualities a leader possesses are his/her capacity to generate and sustain trust and his/her sense of alignment behind a common purpose. As one of the preeminent leaders of Indian independence from the British, Gandhi displayed both of these characteristics very strongly. Throughout his lifetime, Gandhi was able to unite the Indian people and lead them towards a common goal of independence from the British. While there were quite a few of these freedom fighters in India, Gandhi’s methods of organizing and uniting the people through non-violence were unlike any others. By living a very modest life similar to the majority of the Indian population and practicing what he preached, Gandhi was able to relate to the people and gain their trust. Through his leadership, Gandhi was able to unite both Hindus and Muslims, the rich and the poor, and the old and the young through a common vision of an independent India.

2. The “Wallenda Factor” is concerned with one’s perception of the outcome of the event. For Karl Wallenda, when he devoted more of his energy into not falling during his last stunt rather than walking the tightrope, he was destined to fail and thus die. All his life, Wallenda was not concerned with failure and focused instead on success but for his final act, his attitude changed and led to his demise. For me personally, the Wallenda factor means to embrace positive goals and focus on success rather than fear failure. The Wallenda Factor often comes into play in sports. We often witness teams go on significant winning streaks or have undefeated seasons only to have them cut short. One of the first things players and coaches will always mention after these losses is that they feared losing...