The Gita declares the qualities of leadership for heads of government and organizations, administrators, and other community guides.

Prowess, splendour, firmness, dexterity ,and also not fleeing from battle, generosity, lordliness;these are the duties of the ksatriyas born of (their own) nature. (18:43)

The eight qualities - bravery, vigour, consistency, resourcefulness, promptitude, courage in the face of the enemy, generosity, and lordliness - are here enumerated by the Lord as duties of a ksatriya, meaning, that it is the duty of a true man of action to cultivate, maintain, and express these traits in himself. In no society can leaders of men and affairs also claim to be the spiritual leaders of the people. Secular heads cannot be spiritual guides. A true leader is one who has the subtle ability to incorporate the spiritual ideals of a culture into the workaday life and maintain them in the community in all its innumerable fields of activity.

A ksatriya is not defined by Lord Krishna directly as the lawful son of another Ksatriya; on the other hand, He enumerates a series of qualities and behaviour noticed in a truly kindly personality. In the Gita the four castes are described in terms of their manifested individuality when interacting with the world of objects, the field of expression.

Prowess and boldness (sauryam and tejah) : These mean the vigor and consistency with which a leader meets his challenges in life. He who has the above two qualities, heroism and vigour of pursuit, certainly becomes a commanding personality.

Fortitude (dhrti): Herein, as applied to a ksatriya , it is the powerful will of the personality who, having decided to do something, pursues the path and discovers in himself the necessary drive and consistency of purpose to meet and, if necessary, break down all the obstacles until he reaches victory.

Promptitude (daksyam): The Sanskrit equivalent for the army parade-ground command “Attention!” is daksyam. This quality of alertness and smart vigilance is indeed daksyam. In the context here it means that the ksatriya is one who is prompt in coming to decisions and in executing them completely. Such an individual is industrious and has an enviable amount of perseverance, however hazardous the field of his activity may be.

Not fleeing from battle (apalayanam): One who has all the above qualities can never readily accept defeat in any field of conflict. He will not leave any work half done and retire. Since Krishna here is generally classifying the entire living creatures according to the gunas predominant in them, these terms should be understood in their greatest amplitude of suggestion. No doubt, a true warrior should not step back in a field of battle; but such literal interpretation is only partial. The field of battle should include all fields of completion wherein things and situations arrange themselves in opposition to the planned schemes of a man of will and daring. In no such condition can a true ksatriya feel nervous. He never leaves a field where he has entered, and if at all he leaves, he leaves with the crown of success!

Generosity (dana): Governments or kings cannot be popular unless they loosen their purse strings. Even today, every government budget in all democratic countries has discretionary funds, which are not discussed nor voted upon. A man of action cannot afford to be miserly since his success would depend upon his influence upon a large number of friends and supporters. The glory of prince is in his compassion for other who are in need of help.

Lordliness(Ishvara-bhava): Without confidence in one’s own abilities one cannot lead others. A leader must have such firm faith in himself that he must be able to reinforce other frail hearts around him with his own self-confidence. Thus, lordliness is one of the unavoidable traits in a ksatriya. He must waft a fragrance of brilliancy and dynamism, electrifying the atmosphere around him. A king is not made by his golden robes or bejewelled crowns. The crown, the robes, and the throne have a knack of electing for themselves a true wearer. Lordliness is the hallmark of the ksatriya.