Dharmic Ethics and Contemporary Leadership Models: A Comparative Analysis of Indian Philosophical Thought and Western Scientific Perspectives

This study compares Indian philosophical ideas with Western scientific viewpoints to investigate the applicability of Dharmic ethical principles to modern leadership theory. Scholarly interest in value-based leadership frameworks has increased in recent decades due to growing concerns about ethical failings in corporate, institutional, and political leadership. The vast ethical worldview of classical Indian philosophical traditions is completely based on ideas like lokasangraha (collective wellbeing), nishkama karma (selfless activity), and dharma (moral obligation). These values place a strong importance on moral obligation, self-control, and social connectivity. Simultaneously, advancements in current research, particularly in relation to physics and systems thinking have initiated new philosophical discussions regarding levels of awareness, the way systems are organised and what the correlation between an observer and the reality of things is. Significant scientific figures including David Bohm, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schrödinger have gravitated towards those similar philosophical concepts that are found within Eastern Philosophy. Using a qualitative comparative research method, this research examines the connections between modern literature on leadership, science, and classic philosophy. As a result of the previous analysis, this study will also propose the Dharmic Leadership Matrix, which is a hypothetical model containing four important aspects of leadership; ethics, relationships with others, purposefulness, and transcendency.