The war was not merely a battlefield for military confrontation; it was also a test of leadership. In the account presented in this article, Imam Khomeini’s record during the war can be viewed through three elements: trusting the people, listening to experts, and accepting responsibility for momentous decisions.
These three elements present a model of leadership in which the people are not merely recipients of decisions, experts are not merely implementers, and the leader does not distance himself from responsibility for the final decision.From this perspective, examining Imam Khomeini’s leadership during the war can go beyond a historical account and become a discussion of how to confront crises and make difficult decisions in today’s society.
“This record of Imam Khomeini’s command during the war is comprehensive in both substance—that is, instilling a spirit of self-reliance and national unity—and form—that is, participating in momentous decisions, accepting consultation, and assuming responsibility.”
Adapted from the article “The Art of Imam Khomeini’s Command During the War” by Mohammad-Sadegh Darvishi