19 Ways Gandhi used to Move People To Action

In 2014, I spent one month in India. There's me in the photo to the right surrounded by a class from a primary school. In preparation for spending the time in India, I read lots about Indian people and history. I read "The Story of My Experiments with the Truth", Gandhi’s autobiography.

Gandhi's Great Achievement: Uniting Human Beings

Gandhi’s greatest achievement was uniting all Indian leaders. Hundreds of different leaders came together under his Satyagraha (non-violent, non-cooperation) movement.

How did Gandhi unite people? How did he bring together different religions, different regions, different dress codes under one movement?

As I look at the world today in March 2017, as I see Britain preparing for Brexit, Donald preparing to build "The Wall", Marianne preparing to become French President... we need to learn these lessons of how Gandhi brought people together more than ever.

How Did Gandhi Move People To Unity?

I believe Gandhi's greatest strength was that he was good with not being "right". He didn't debate to win the argument. He sought to deeply understand all others, and he always stayed true to a deeper purpose. He never got caught up in a debate.

"Without action, you aren’t going anywhere." Gandhi

Aristotle tells us that the aim of rhetoric is to move people to action, not to be right. This is a vital distinction. The arguments in a persuasive speech need to be enough to move the audience, not just to demonstrate logical correctness. Gandhi was never interested in just being right – he was interested in progress.

Gandhi’s highest personal value was Ahimsa. Ahimsa is "nonviolence towards all living things". His aim was to end systematic mistreatment of poor people (specifically by corrupt hierarchical officials) and to protect all those who could not protect themselves.

So how did Gandhi do it? He used the following 19 strategies, which you too can utilize:

1. Understand Human Nature

"People don’t resist change, they resist being changed."

Most people take some time to change their mind – allow them to change at their own pace, don’t get angry and aggressive if it takes a little time. All ideas will face some resistance.

2. Avoid Preaching

"An ounce of patience is worth more than a tonne of preaching." Gandhi

You need to provide the minimum arguments and evidence to move people to take some action. You don’t need to convert them to your cause for life. Don’t push for too much.

3. Listen

"Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress." Gandhi

I believe that nobody ever does anything really stupid – everyone has their own reasons. Each of us sees the world in a way that makes our current action valid. What are others seeing that you are not seeing? What are they not seeing that you do see? Communicate your differences.

4. Seek to Understand

"It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." Gandhi

Ask lots of questions. Seek to understand the world view of the others. Seek to reflect back to them what they are seeing, how they are feeling, who they trust.

5. Stay Calm

"Nobody can hurt me without my permission." Gandhi

The sure way to block change is allowing emotions to get out of hand. The moment that emotions become strong, blood flow reduces to the frontal cortex and people get locked into an animalistic fight or flight mode. If you aim to change, you need to speak to the frontal cortex – make sense and stay calm.

6. Don't Sweat over Every Detail

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong." Gandhi

Don’t fight over every single issue. Accept some issues as complex and move on to the ones where you can make it simple and clear. Sometimes a shift back to the agenda, or asking a big overall question to raise the level of the debate out of a small issue is the best course of action.

7. Celebrate Those That Already Agree

Who is already with you? Raise their status and regularly let the world know that you are proud to have them on your side.

8. Accept The Fence Sitters

The great majority are probably sitting on the fence. Acknowledge that they are wise, that it is good that they take their time to decide. Accept that they may have some valid concerns about your proposal.

Be more passionate about the importance of choosing a good path than about the path you propose.

9. Love the person, attack the argument

"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind." Gandhi

And those who argue against you? The hostile audience members? Learn to love the person and attack the argument. The person who questions your view will help you clarify your own reasoning.

10. You Learn More about Kasparov by studying Karpov

"See the good in people and help them." Gandhi

There is a an expression in the world of chess: that you can learn more about Grandmaster Kasparov by studying Karpov, his great rival. Our enemies hold us to the highest standards. Get to know them. Get to see the world from their point of view. If you don’t understand something, there might be an area that you are blind to. Be very careful of dismissing out of hand arguments that you can’t “get” yet.

11. Stay Humble

"Change yourself – you are in control." Gandhi

This is not about one side winning and the other side losing, this is about groups working through a process to improve the answer. Look inside yourself: are you interested in "winning" or are you interested in achieving the best outcome? Use the process to improve your case, to improve your own understanding of its pros and cons – do not celebrate victory, enjoy the struggle as a path to ever greater clarity.

12. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Repeat your simple, clear arguments over and over. Do not expect the audience, no matter how smart, to get it because you said it once. Donald got this one: "Make America Great Again", "The Wall", "America First". Obama said "Yes We Can" over, and over, and over...

13. Use "Next-Level" Arguments

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." Gandhi

Audiences are wise. They have already reflected on the simple arguments. People know that staying healthy is good, yet they still eat fat and don’t exercise. It is not knowing more about health that will make them take action, it is something deeper. Find that argument that speaks to the next, deeper level.

In my classes, initially people sell exercise by explaining benefits: "energy, strength and living longer". Day 2, they move to "do it because it is hard, it is the type of person you want to be". Day 3, they move further "do it as an example to those you love". These are "Next level" arguments.

14. Acknowledge All Good Points

It gives you credibility when you accept the validity of the opposition’s good points. Your aim is to get action, not to show 100% rightness. Be open in accepting that they have a valid point when they do.

Except if you are Donald. That is a longer story... Actually the media would hang him out to dry if he ever accepted that the other side had a positive point.

15. Frame Your Argument With Metaphors

Metaphors are a powerful shift of perspective. Find simple metaphors that work in the world of the audience. Debate is sailing, not driving a car. You can’t drive directly into the wind – you have too adapt to the conditions.

16. Tell Stories

When I was in debating club as a 16-year-old school boy, I would justify my losses as being due to stupid audiences – not because I was unable to communicate in a manner that reached them. Now I know that I wasn’t telling compelling enough stories. Stories are important to keep audiences engaged.

17. Simple Personal Examples

"Be the change that you want to see in the world." Gandhi

Gandhi always traveled in third class rail carriages. He could afford more, but he wanted to experience the real life of those he represented.

18. Stay Simple

As soon as you get complex, you lose. Donald Trump got this. Hilary did not.

Be complex: you might impress yourself, but you alienate the rest. If you can’t explain your cause to a child, you don’t understand it well enough yet.

19. Stay Trustworthy

We finish with trustworthiness, because it is the most important. Where there is no trust, the words will not be heard.

There was a time in South Africa when thousands of poor Indians were forced to move from a township because of plague. They had stored all their wealth by burying it. They refused to move because they feared for their money. They were worried about it being stolen and knew no other way to keep it safe. These people did not trust banks, they did not trust police, they did not trust the government. The only person they trusted to hold their wealth was Gandhi. In the end his office accepted to take care of all their money. 60,000 rand was handed in to his office into his keeping. This was a huge sum of money in the 1900s. After the township was relocated, every coin was safely returned to the family.

"How you do anything is how you do everything." Verne Harnish

Gandhi consistently tested himself and practiced ever greater self-restraint as he grew older. Initially he practiced with his diet – constantly restricting his food to vegetables, then only raw fruits and nuts. His practice of self-restraint and consistent actions in favor of the poor allowed millions to trust his every word and see positive meaning in his every action.

If I can’t trust myself not to eat dessert after dinner, can I trust myself in leadership? As the pies get bigger, you need to have greater and greater levels of self-restraint in order to be trustworthy. How do you practice restraint and self discipline in small things?

About Conor Neill

Conor Neill is the President of Vistage, Spain and a Professor at IESE Business School. His mission is to improve the effectiveness and enhance the lives of CEOs and key executives. Read more of his articles at https://www.conorneill.com

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