Who is more important - Individual or Institution?

This is a million dollar question that is often argued endlessly by the Management experts. Though traditionalists subscribe to the idea that an institution is more important; otherwise how can an individual have any existence at all? I have always thought otherwise - and according to me an individual is more important. The institution is envisioned, built, nurtured and brought up by an individual. This individual will have extraordinary vision, courage, management and entreprenural skills. You may call it 'charisma' or strength of his 'aura' or his personality. It is always with this insight that he acts and succeeds. We have seen many institutions crumble and recede into oblivion once that individual either withdraws or disappears. The system that they build, simply cannot hold on to itself. This is true with some nations and their great leaders too. What has happened to India after Gandhi? We are finding a mockery made of his preachings.

The counter argument is that such leaders do not build or create a sustainable system behind them. In fact, Gandhi groomed thousands of his followers but, unfortunately most of them withdrew themselves from active leadership after his demise. What is left of today is only his memory. Einstein was very right when he said that the posterity would not believe that such a man walked in flesh and blood. Empires are built and empires are destroyed with the arrival and departure of great individuals. In the same way institutions thrive and decay with the individuals. They thrive as long as that vision thrives; they perish as soon as the persons behind the vision disappear. The glory of Rome did not sustain after Julius Caesar; however strong Mark Antony was.