Michael J. Gelb focuses our attention on 10 people who revolutionized our world and the way we see, think, and interact with the world in his book; Discover Your Genius. In a masterful way Gelb uses the life work of these 10 revolutionaries to shed light on very specific qualities these geniuses honed and used to accomplish their life work. Gelb then goes a step further by providing exercises we can do to make those genius qualities ours.
I gained several key insights that helped me understand my life mission in a better light, and also know how I can better accomplish that life mission. From Columbus I learned how to sail perpendicular to the coastline in order to discover a new world. Gandhi taught and inspired me how to control my appetites. Plato has taught me to appreciate and seek out true beauty. In fact my favorite exercise in the book is in the chapter on Plato where Gelb challenges one to write 100 questions, in one setting- stream of consciousness style, of what is important to you. I was able to do this exercise over a couple hours while my wife and I spent a serene couple days in a Forest Service cabin in Idaho. During this quiet time, unencumbered by the usual stresses of regular life, I was able write out a hundred questions of what was important to me which then enabled me to see deeply into my soul and gain insights about my purpose in life that I was unable to see previous to doing this exercise. For example, I've always known that I want to make a difference in peoples lives, yet have never been able to know exactly where I could make the biggest difference. Writing out 100 questions in one sitting helped me dig deeper into my soul to find out what trully was important to me. This is why when question 86 rolled out of my pen I was quite taken by surprise. I wrote; "What truths give people freedom and purpose, and allowe them to live the life that God would have them live?" I now understand that my greatest contribution will come as I dedicate myself to find and teach those truths that enable men and women everywhere to live the most fulfilling lives.
There are many intellectual gems hidden in this book, which you can mine and then use to make your life better.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Republic by Plato
Plato’s seminal work has not only helped shape the values that have guided western civilization for millennia, but the “Republic” has also continued to stay relevant over almost 2500 years despite the radical changes humanity has gone through. This only goes to prove that true principles, unlike seasonal fashions that go out of style, are rather the threads which make up the very fabric of society. We would be naked without these guiding principles.
What’s interesting to me is the fact that Plato writes this book at a time he feels that Greek civilization is in moral decay. In the “Republic” Plato goes on to explain what characteristics and principles make up a principled individual and a moral government. Plato’s ideal is for philosopher kings who are dedicated to the search and application of truth to lead and safeguard society.
Plato describes that the four principles that should govern both a virtuous man and government are; wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice. While wisdom is the principle by which one reasons and governs, courage is the principle by which one is valiant. Temperance is then the principle by which one becomes one’s own master and keeps the forces of wisdom and courage in “friendly harmony”. Justice then is the principle that governs the other three principles and keeps them in their proper place, and without which the others are unable to exist.
However my favorite part of the book is the explanation of what a philosopher king truly is. Plato, in allegorical form, explains that we are all living in a cave where we are shackled facing a wall. There are several things happening outside of the cave, but the people inside the cave are only able to see the shadows which fall on the cave walls. The leaders breaks free from those shackles, turns their backs on the cave and goes towards the light (in spite how uncomfortable it is to face the light, and know that what you have seen and have known thus far are only shadows of that which is true). Finally, the true leaders don’t just stop there. They return to the cave to enlighten those who are still unaware of the truth.
This is a classic, that will continue to stay relevant for those who wish to learn to be ethical leaders.
What’s interesting to me is the fact that Plato writes this book at a time he feels that Greek civilization is in moral decay. In the “Republic” Plato goes on to explain what characteristics and principles make up a principled individual and a moral government. Plato’s ideal is for philosopher kings who are dedicated to the search and application of truth to lead and safeguard society.
Plato describes that the four principles that should govern both a virtuous man and government are; wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice. While wisdom is the principle by which one reasons and governs, courage is the principle by which one is valiant. Temperance is then the principle by which one becomes one’s own master and keeps the forces of wisdom and courage in “friendly harmony”. Justice then is the principle that governs the other three principles and keeps them in their proper place, and without which the others are unable to exist.
However my favorite part of the book is the explanation of what a philosopher king truly is. Plato, in allegorical form, explains that we are all living in a cave where we are shackled facing a wall. There are several things happening outside of the cave, but the people inside the cave are only able to see the shadows which fall on the cave walls. The leaders breaks free from those shackles, turns their backs on the cave and goes towards the light (in spite how uncomfortable it is to face the light, and know that what you have seen and have known thus far are only shadows of that which is true). Finally, the true leaders don’t just stop there. They return to the cave to enlighten those who are still unaware of the truth.
This is a classic, that will continue to stay relevant for those who wish to learn to be ethical leaders.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
President Harry Truman
President Truman is remembered for many things including; making the decision to drop the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, promotion and creation of the United Nations and NATO, decision to get involved in the Korean war, and the firing of General MacArthur. Behind all these decisions stands an extraordinary man with an extraordinary character. Although he grew up in what may be considered very ordinary circumstances, and never inherited fame or fortune through family, Truman achieved much by way of hard work and effort. Here are a few insights into his life and character that I gleaned by reading his biography written by David McCullough.
1) Great and undying desire to learn.
- Truman read voraciously and studied the lives of great people. He would one day tell a friend that he did this in order to be worthy of his wife.
- When someone asked his daughter what Truman liked the best she answered (in essence); a comfortable chair, a good reading chair, and plenty of books around him.
- Truman made it a point to always study the situation to the best of his ability before making a decision (as when he read up on what Lincoln did in considering to fire McClellan).
2) Loved and genuinely cared for people, especially his friends.
- As a captain in WWI Truman took personal interest in the men and talked to them in ways other officers didn’t. He even allowed a fellow soldier to ride his horse because of an injured leg, choosing to walk instead (which was against orders). On another occasion he loaned money to several soldiers who had the leave to go to Paris but did not have the money. Yet, he was a strict disciplinarian and never allowed anyone to get away with things.
- Truman knew each of the servants who worked at the White House, and what was going on in their lives. Alonzo Fields noted that; “[Truman] understood me as a man, not as a servant to be tolerated, and that he expected me to be a man.”
- When the Secretary of State was out of the country and his daughter was in the hospital Truman would call the hospital everyday to get a report and then relay the report to the Secretary of State.
3) Truman had integrity and virtue.
- Truman was known to have said that a man who is not honorable in his marital relations is not usually honorable in any other. Truman never put himself in a position of compromise with another woman. For instance, when invited to a meeting in a hotel room he took along a trusted friend, and when a woman in a negligee opened the door he turned around and ran away.
- Although Truman had all the opportunity to funnel public funds into his personal accounts he never stole a penny. Thus, although he never became rich, Truman always had a honorable reputation and a good name among all.
- Truman has said (in essence); do what is right for the sake of truth and honor, and not reward.
4) Concentrated hard work.
- As a farmer, Truman was ingrained with the work ethic of waking up before sunrise and working hard.
- He was always noted to be never idle, but always working.
- He was known for doing every job he took to the best of his abilities.
5) Leadership
- Was humble, unpresuming, and accessible to all.
- Truman never had a big ego. He let others take center stage, and was not threatened by the strengths of others.
- Was not intimidated to surround himself with smart people and help him accomplish his work (Acheson, Marshall, Eisenhower)
- He welcomed other’s ideas, and was not afraid of the competition these ideas offered to his own.
- A compliment that was paid Truman was that he was natural and unspoiled by high office.
I hope you get to read this book and become better acquainted with his character.
1) Great and undying desire to learn.
- Truman read voraciously and studied the lives of great people. He would one day tell a friend that he did this in order to be worthy of his wife.
- When someone asked his daughter what Truman liked the best she answered (in essence); a comfortable chair, a good reading chair, and plenty of books around him.
- Truman made it a point to always study the situation to the best of his ability before making a decision (as when he read up on what Lincoln did in considering to fire McClellan).
2) Loved and genuinely cared for people, especially his friends.
- As a captain in WWI Truman took personal interest in the men and talked to them in ways other officers didn’t. He even allowed a fellow soldier to ride his horse because of an injured leg, choosing to walk instead (which was against orders). On another occasion he loaned money to several soldiers who had the leave to go to Paris but did not have the money. Yet, he was a strict disciplinarian and never allowed anyone to get away with things.
- Truman knew each of the servants who worked at the White House, and what was going on in their lives. Alonzo Fields noted that; “[Truman] understood me as a man, not as a servant to be tolerated, and that he expected me to be a man.”
- When the Secretary of State was out of the country and his daughter was in the hospital Truman would call the hospital everyday to get a report and then relay the report to the Secretary of State.
3) Truman had integrity and virtue.
- Truman was known to have said that a man who is not honorable in his marital relations is not usually honorable in any other. Truman never put himself in a position of compromise with another woman. For instance, when invited to a meeting in a hotel room he took along a trusted friend, and when a woman in a negligee opened the door he turned around and ran away.
- Although Truman had all the opportunity to funnel public funds into his personal accounts he never stole a penny. Thus, although he never became rich, Truman always had a honorable reputation and a good name among all.
- Truman has said (in essence); do what is right for the sake of truth and honor, and not reward.
4) Concentrated hard work.
- As a farmer, Truman was ingrained with the work ethic of waking up before sunrise and working hard.
- He was always noted to be never idle, but always working.
- He was known for doing every job he took to the best of his abilities.
5) Leadership
- Was humble, unpresuming, and accessible to all.
- Truman never had a big ego. He let others take center stage, and was not threatened by the strengths of others.
- Was not intimidated to surround himself with smart people and help him accomplish his work (Acheson, Marshall, Eisenhower)
- He welcomed other’s ideas, and was not afraid of the competition these ideas offered to his own.
- A compliment that was paid Truman was that he was natural and unspoiled by high office.
I hope you get to read this book and become better acquainted with his character.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Leadership and Self Deception by the Arbinger Institute
This is a book that I highly recommend every body reads once a year. My wife gave me this book to read a couple weeks ago knowing my interest in leadership, and also because I had complained for a couple days regarding certain problems I was facing at work. The book, while not giving me a list of items to work and focus on, provided me the opportunity to reflect deeply on my own life and character. This self reflection helped me recognize some of the blinders that I had on while interacting with people around me, and as a result provided me the impetus to change the way I behaved. However, as the book explained, and as I experienced, taking the blinders off is a life long exercise!
The book's central theme is how we decieve ourselves in regards to our relationships with others, and how this self deception affects the relationships we have with family, friends, colleagues, and the random people we face every day (whether we are in the box or out). At the center of the deception is selfishness and pride which are the motivating factors that affect our daily interactions with different people. The book sheds light on how to overcome these self centered traits and to treat others as humans who have feelings, needs, and purpose just as we do.
As I have mentioned in my initial article on character based leadership-that leadership begins with and within the individual, the Arbinger Institute also point out that change must come from within ourselves. If we are able to see people around us without the blinders of self deception, we will be better leaders and better people because we are able to deal with them honestly.
The book's central theme is how we decieve ourselves in regards to our relationships with others, and how this self deception affects the relationships we have with family, friends, colleagues, and the random people we face every day (whether we are in the box or out). At the center of the deception is selfishness and pride which are the motivating factors that affect our daily interactions with different people. The book sheds light on how to overcome these self centered traits and to treat others as humans who have feelings, needs, and purpose just as we do.
As I have mentioned in my initial article on character based leadership-that leadership begins with and within the individual, the Arbinger Institute also point out that change must come from within ourselves. If we are able to see people around us without the blinders of self deception, we will be better leaders and better people because we are able to deal with them honestly.
Friday, May 21, 2010
MBA Programs and Ethical Pledges
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601010&sid=a1lZrOzMxnMM
There have been several articles recently (like the one above which I found on Bloomberg) in regards to an ethics pledge taken by MBA graduates. Undoubtedly, this is a response to the huge amount of anger and resentment over the recent financial meltdown which continues to shed light on the unethical decisions made at a grand scale by various parties (which includes a large contingent of past MBA graduates!) especially in the financial sector. Here is my take on it.
The first question that needs to answered is whether the MBA education itself is responsible for the irresponsible decisions made by those who hold such degrees. My answer to this question takes a middle of the road approach. Firstly, it can be said that the professional record of past MBA graduates covers the entire gamut of good to bad. Hence while the tool (MBA education) itself is not bad, the person (graduates) who uses the tool can dictate whether the tool is used for a good or bad purpose. On the other hand, (many) MBA programs in the past have not made ethics
an important part of the MBA education thus inadvertantly instilling a decision making process that is too narrow in scope. In addition to considering whether decisions make financial, operational, and strategic sense for the organization, students need to be taught to think about how their decisions impact people (individuals in and outside the firm, communities, society etc), and the environment. The fact that MBA programs worldwide are evolving to integrate ethics into the curriculum (hopefully they are not just adding one or two required ethics classes, but making ethics a part of the discussion in each class), providing the opportunity to make an ethical pledge at graduation, and providing the impetus in and out of class to have a debate about ethics (hopefully this is not a shortlived trend based on the current environment) is a step in the right direction. However, these initiatives need to be understood by the MBA community as only a first step, that much more needs to be done, and that further improvements should not be sidelined until the next crisis hits. The MBA community needs to show that their attitude towards ethics is one of being forward looking and visionary, instead of being reactionary.
So what more can be done?
Many MBA programs have dedicated programs in place to develop the leadership qualities of their students. As I have described in an earlier article/blog; leadership begins with and within the individual. This means focusing on ethical (or character based) leadership. Thus MBA programs should focus on instilling a set of principles and virtues that augment the knowledge and skill set they are instilling through their education. Students (who should already have learned these values) should (still) be taught to value time tested principles (such as honesty, integrity and charity) and not to sacrifice these for any amount of money or other personal gain. Students should be taught to evaluate how the decisions they make are a reflection of their characters, and therefore cultivate a character that is above reproach. Schools would be wise to see that students thus taught will reflect well on the schools themselves.
Secondly, ethical pledges should be augmented with serious consequences for those not abiding by them. While the ethical pledges of MBA programs have been compared to the Hippocratic oath, MBA ethical pledges lack the disciplinary measures meted out to those not abiding by the Hippocratic oath. While this may be considered absurd, such a program is already in place within the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) community. Those hoping to become a charter holder completes three rigorous exams and
promises to abide by the CFA ethical guidelines. Not abiding by these principles can result in a variety of disciplinary measures including being stripped of the charter. Imagine the same concept working for Harvard graduates (or graduates from any other MBA program)? Graduates who are found to have broken the pledge can have their MBA degree stripped from them. While this may be a bold step, and one that is
difficult to implement considering the vast number of fields MBA graduates work in, it should be something that should be seriously considered. Such a step would act as a huge deterrant to graduates tempted to make bad ethical decisions, and protect the integrity of the programs that created these graduates.
There have been several articles recently (like the one above which I found on Bloomberg) in regards to an ethics pledge taken by MBA graduates. Undoubtedly, this is a response to the huge amount of anger and resentment over the recent financial meltdown which continues to shed light on the unethical decisions made at a grand scale by various parties (which includes a large contingent of past MBA graduates!) especially in the financial sector. Here is my take on it.
The first question that needs to answered is whether the MBA education itself is responsible for the irresponsible decisions made by those who hold such degrees. My answer to this question takes a middle of the road approach. Firstly, it can be said that the professional record of past MBA graduates covers the entire gamut of good to bad. Hence while the tool (MBA education) itself is not bad, the person (graduates) who uses the tool can dictate whether the tool is used for a good or bad purpose. On the other hand, (many) MBA programs in the past have not made ethics
an important part of the MBA education thus inadvertantly instilling a decision making process that is too narrow in scope. In addition to considering whether decisions make financial, operational, and strategic sense for the organization, students need to be taught to think about how their decisions impact people (individuals in and outside the firm, communities, society etc), and the environment. The fact that MBA programs worldwide are evolving to integrate ethics into the curriculum (hopefully they are not just adding one or two required ethics classes, but making ethics a part of the discussion in each class), providing the opportunity to make an ethical pledge at graduation, and providing the impetus in and out of class to have a debate about ethics (hopefully this is not a shortlived trend based on the current environment) is a step in the right direction. However, these initiatives need to be understood by the MBA community as only a first step, that much more needs to be done, and that further improvements should not be sidelined until the next crisis hits. The MBA community needs to show that their attitude towards ethics is one of being forward looking and visionary, instead of being reactionary.
So what more can be done?
Many MBA programs have dedicated programs in place to develop the leadership qualities of their students. As I have described in an earlier article/blog; leadership begins with and within the individual. This means focusing on ethical (or character based) leadership. Thus MBA programs should focus on instilling a set of principles and virtues that augment the knowledge and skill set they are instilling through their education. Students (who should already have learned these values) should (still) be taught to value time tested principles (such as honesty, integrity and charity) and not to sacrifice these for any amount of money or other personal gain. Students should be taught to evaluate how the decisions they make are a reflection of their characters, and therefore cultivate a character that is above reproach. Schools would be wise to see that students thus taught will reflect well on the schools themselves.
Secondly, ethical pledges should be augmented with serious consequences for those not abiding by them. While the ethical pledges of MBA programs have been compared to the Hippocratic oath, MBA ethical pledges lack the disciplinary measures meted out to those not abiding by the Hippocratic oath. While this may be considered absurd, such a program is already in place within the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) community. Those hoping to become a charter holder completes three rigorous exams and
promises to abide by the CFA ethical guidelines. Not abiding by these principles can result in a variety of disciplinary measures including being stripped of the charter. Imagine the same concept working for Harvard graduates (or graduates from any other MBA program)? Graduates who are found to have broken the pledge can have their MBA degree stripped from them. While this may be a bold step, and one that is
difficult to implement considering the vast number of fields MBA graduates work in, it should be something that should be seriously considered. Such a step would act as a huge deterrant to graduates tempted to make bad ethical decisions, and protect the integrity of the programs that created these graduates.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
His Excellency by Joseph Ellis
Here is a short list of characteristics of George Washington that stood out to me from the book. I will probably go into much more depth as I read other books, and reread this book in order to get a better understanding of the characteristics that led these leaders to make the choices they made.
1) Self Control
a. Washington displayed a lot of control over his emotions and feelings. A great example is the control he displayed when he developed feelings for his best friend’s wife. Instead of acting on them he chose to ignore them and court the woman he later married.
b. One of Washington’s greatest strengths was his ability to be silent. Instead of speaking in the heat of the moment he chose to be silent, which allowed him to think out his stance and thus how to act.
2) Integrity towards principles
a. Washington always stood by his principles despite the personal sacrifice and the cost. At the same time he was open to change when he knew that he was in the wrong (his stance towards slavery).
3) Never giving up
a. Faith to see beyond the present circumstances, and beyond the horizon
b. Courage to act and not be on the sidelines of history
c. Tenacious enough to never give up on what he wanted to achieve (even when the odds were stacked against him)
4) Ability to step down from power
a. Washington, it seemed, loved power but also had the integrity and self-control to pass the baton when he had completed his role (instead of becoming a dictator).
5) Seizing opportunities and riding the wave
a. Washington had the uncanny gift of seeing opportunity around him, seizing them, and riding these opportune waves to their end before catching the next wave.
6) Life of service
a. While he was a wealthy land owner, Washington is known not for the plantations he owned but for the service he rendered (where he did not earn a fortune) for his country when it was difficult and not expedient to do so.
7) Life of labor
a. While Washington was a wealthy land owner, he worked very hard to maintain his plantations. Even in retirement, and his old age, he was known to ride his horse and supervise the work on his plantations.
b. As the leader over the military, and later as the president of the new republic Washington never took a back seat allowing his subordinates to do the work. Washington took an active role in the work that he took upon himself.
8) Choosing exceptional leaders as support staff
a. Washington was never threatened by having exceptional people help him fulfill his work and mission. He had the amazing ability to seek out great leaders and surrounded himself with them, mentoring and teaching them, while also providing them opportunities to shine and show off their talents.
Here is a short list of characteristics of George Washington that stood out to me from the book. I will probably go into much more depth as I read other books, and reread this book in order to get a better understanding of the characteristics that led these leaders to make the choices they made.
1) Self Control
a. Washington displayed a lot of control over his emotions and feelings. A great example is the control he displayed when he developed feelings for his best friend’s wife. Instead of acting on them he chose to ignore them and court the woman he later married.
b. One of Washington’s greatest strengths was his ability to be silent. Instead of speaking in the heat of the moment he chose to be silent, which allowed him to think out his stance and thus how to act.
2) Integrity towards principles
a. Washington always stood by his principles despite the personal sacrifice and the cost. At the same time he was open to change when he knew that he was in the wrong (his stance towards slavery).
3) Never giving up
a. Faith to see beyond the present circumstances, and beyond the horizon
b. Courage to act and not be on the sidelines of history
c. Tenacious enough to never give up on what he wanted to achieve (even when the odds were stacked against him)
4) Ability to step down from power
a. Washington, it seemed, loved power but also had the integrity and self-control to pass the baton when he had completed his role (instead of becoming a dictator).
5) Seizing opportunities and riding the wave
a. Washington had the uncanny gift of seeing opportunity around him, seizing them, and riding these opportune waves to their end before catching the next wave.
6) Life of service
a. While he was a wealthy land owner, Washington is known not for the plantations he owned but for the service he rendered (where he did not earn a fortune) for his country when it was difficult and not expedient to do so.
7) Life of labor
a. While Washington was a wealthy land owner, he worked very hard to maintain his plantations. Even in retirement, and his old age, he was known to ride his horse and supervise the work on his plantations.
b. As the leader over the military, and later as the president of the new republic Washington never took a back seat allowing his subordinates to do the work. Washington took an active role in the work that he took upon himself.
8) Choosing exceptional leaders as support staff
a. Washington was never threatened by having exceptional people help him fulfill his work and mission. He had the amazing ability to seek out great leaders and surrounded himself with them, mentoring and teaching them, while also providing them opportunities to shine and show off their talents.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Great Article on "Face to Face" Leadership
Here is a fantastic article written by Curtis D. Lebaron (an associate professor of organizational leadership and strategy at the Marriott School of Management at BYU) where he highlights how leadership is evident in the small personal interactions between individuals. He provides examples from the work place, his life, religious leaders such as Joseph Smith, and Jesus Christ.
http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=2589
http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=2589
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Ethical Leadership
I've always been fascinated with leadership. As a result I've constantly asked myself what leadership really means. Over many years my ideas of leadership has been shaped by the idea that leadership is an external quality. What I mean by this is that leaders are responsible for leading others to achieve a certain objective or goal. While in high school I was one of the captains of our basket ball team, and it was my responsibility to lead my team to victory. Over the years I have also led many groups at work and in school to achieve specific objectives. Furthermore, I have also led a volunteer organization (which consisted of 125 volunteers coming from over 10 countries) by coming up with a strategic initiative, implementing that strategy, and guiding the organization to success by achieving its core objectives. Hence, it is no surprise that I have always felt that leadership is one's ability to lead other people. I'm quite certain that the general world view about leadership is not too distant from this definition. In fact Stephen R. Covey, one of the great leadership thinkers of our day, has gone so far as to say that over the last several decades most of the research and writings on leadership has been focused on this quality that people have to lead others. I have no qualms about this definition of leadership; however I believe that this is a very narrow lens through which one should look at leadership. Over the last couple of years, I have begun to see that leadership is also a private thing.
Have you ever looked through binoculars? If you, like me, have played around with one maybe you've tried to just look through just one of the lenses (while closing the other eye). Looking at leadership as just an external quality is pretty much like looking through just one of the lenses in a set of binoculars. The picture is kind of blurry, it is kind of uncomfortable, and you obviously cannot see the whole picture. Yet, when it comes to leadership, we are so used to looking through just the one lens that we have become so used to just seeing the partial picture. In a sense this is the paradigm that has shaped our ideas of leadership over the last few decades. Opening the other eye, allows us to see the whole picture, see it more clearly, and most importantly allows us to make better decisions while becoming better at the same time. Opening the other eye makes us look inward, and allows us to focus on our own character. Hence in the leadership binoculars while one lens focuses outward to the environment surrounding you the other is firmly focused inward to the soul to help you understand your position in relation to that environment.
Each lens is pivotal to the development of the ethical leader. The outward focused lens, like an umbilical cord, provides us information and knowledge that helps us learn truth and develop as human beings. This lens also provides us the context by which we live our lives. Many times, we are unable to choose the environment in which we live. For example, we do not choose whether we are born to live in the US or Sri Lanka. We do not choose whether we will be born to a wealthy family or to a family that lives in the slums of India. We do not choose whether we will live in a time of war, or live through great calamities (think great depression, or the more recent Asian tsunami). While the context in which we live our lives is given us, how we live our lives within that context is primarily in our control. As Victor Frankl explains in his landmark book; Man's Search for Meaning, "everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." You see, while we are unable to choose the picture that greets our eyes through the outward focused lens, we are able to choose how we will act in response to that image. This is where the inward focused lens comes into play.
The inward focused lens helps us look into ourselves and see ourselves for who we are. This may be tough for so many who have blinders of pride on. Pride prevents us from seeing our weaknesses, and shortcomings, thus preventing us to consciously overcome those weaknesses. The sad thing is that pride is a transparent set of clothes we wear to hide our own insecurities. Furthermore, pride generally exacerbates the weaknesses we have rather than even hiding or masking our weaknesses effectively. Thus when looking through the inward focused lens we need to be able to put away pride, and look at ourselves objectively. Here I wish to ask a question. When we look through the inward focused lens what is it that we see? What are my strengths and weaknesses? What character qualities do I display through my daily actions? Am I courageous enough to stand for what is right and act within the context I am living or do I find cowardice where I am content to do nothing or join the ranks of those in the wrong? More importantly, do I know what is right and wrong; do I know what I believe in, and what principles I am choosing to live my life by? Here, it is important to note that while we may be unhappy at the image that greets us through the inward focused lens, we are definitely capable of changing that image. Here, I wish to defer to Aristotle and his seminal work; Ta Ethica, where Aristotle discusses what makes a virtuous character. An important point that Aristotle wishes to explain is that character requires effort to maintain, and unlike habit (which interestingly is ethos with a short e in the Greek) requires one to make a conscious choice. We must be willing to expend the effort required to become the best person we can be and understand that the most important work that we will be engaging in is shaping and molding of our own characters. Leadership truly begins with and within me!
It is here that I wish to jump into defining what ethical leadership means. The word ēthos in the Greek translates to character, and therefore ethical leadership translates quite simply to character based leadership. Ethical leadership embodies several elements. Understanding these elements and allowing these elements to guide our actions leads us in the direction of becoming ethical leaders. Here is an introduction to a few of these elements that I have become acquainted with.
The first of these elements (inspired by Socrates) is the constant search for truth. Knowledge and wisdom (what I like to describe as truth) expands our capacity as human beings and thus permits us to act beyond our pre-truth ability and more importantly act in better ways than we were capable of previously. I truly believe in the inspired words of Winston Churchill; “The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.” Imagine the eternal truthfulness of these words. People may live and die, so do empires rise and fall. Beautiful cities and monuments may lose their luster and decline towards decadence but truths stand the test of time, and are undimmed by their use. Socrates himself equated the gaining of knowledge to gaining virtue, which virtue enables man to live in happiness.
The second element (inspired by Aristotle) directly follows the first element. It is that ethical leadership requires us to realize our full potential as individuals. Aristotle exclaims that not realizing this potential is what causes human unhappiness and frustration. In the New Testament Paul explains something that most Christians fail to comprehend. Romans chapter 8:16-17 reads (King James Translation); “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ…” I will be the first to say that I am not a God and I have many weaknesses in my current state. Yet as a Christian I wholeheartedly believe in what Paul says; that I am a child of God, and because I am a child of the Divine, I have the seed of divinity within me. What this means, is that I am not a meaningless gathering of atoms hurtling around space on this satellite called earth. There is meaning and purpose to my life, and I am endowed with this amazing capacity and potential to do great things while overcoming the weaknesses that are part of me. Furthermore, as a child of the Creator of all things, I too have in some small way the ability to create. Now, I do not believe that I am unique in having these qualities, but rather that all human beings are endowed with these same gifts when they are born. However, while circumstance (think children born with down syndrome, or those who suffer from mental paralysis) may prevent the few from using that ability like the rest of us, what we (the rest of us) do with these gifts is totally within our power, and ours to choose.
The third element (inspired by Epictetus, the famous stoic philosopher) is also related to the other two. It is that self-mastery leads to peace and contentment, while having no control over one self leads to a form of slavery. In a particular capacity that I held a couple years back I was able to help people who were addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and various other things. Every single person I worked with were slaves to whatever they were addicted to, and were miserable because they were unable to find a way to be free from it. In short, they had lost all ability to control their own behavior, and were completely controlled by external substances. In providing this example I have described more serious addictions, yet many of us are addicted to many things such as anger, food, work, money, video games, or movies that we may not even realize at this time. Understanding ourselves and gaining control over our actions helps us break free from the shackles that weigh us down and enjoy a greater sense of freedom. Having freedom (and thus having peace and contentment) not only requires us to stop doing destructive things, it also requires us to cultivate and do good things. There are many times that I am envious of someone who can play a musical instrument, or do something that I am unable to perform at this time. At the same time I look back at all the opportunities that I had to learn an instrument (I took piano lessons when I was young), or learn a skill (kayaking, diving) that I wished I possessed at this time. Either because I was lazy, or just did not make it a priority I am now left to envy others who can do these things. What I am getting at is that I am not free to go diving, or play the piano (without being attacked by all in earshot) because I did not put forth the effort to master these skills. On the other hand, if I had just spent the time mastering these skills I would now be free to do these things.
Hence, ethical leadership requires us to be dedicated to the principles mentioned above. Our dedication to these principles leading to a recognizable change in our characters will help us be the best individuals that we can be. These character changes will then help us live with much more contentment, peace, and purpose while effecting change around us. I sincerely hope the entries made in this blog will inspire you to become an ethical leader.
Have you ever looked through binoculars? If you, like me, have played around with one maybe you've tried to just look through just one of the lenses (while closing the other eye). Looking at leadership as just an external quality is pretty much like looking through just one of the lenses in a set of binoculars. The picture is kind of blurry, it is kind of uncomfortable, and you obviously cannot see the whole picture. Yet, when it comes to leadership, we are so used to looking through just the one lens that we have become so used to just seeing the partial picture. In a sense this is the paradigm that has shaped our ideas of leadership over the last few decades. Opening the other eye, allows us to see the whole picture, see it more clearly, and most importantly allows us to make better decisions while becoming better at the same time. Opening the other eye makes us look inward, and allows us to focus on our own character. Hence in the leadership binoculars while one lens focuses outward to the environment surrounding you the other is firmly focused inward to the soul to help you understand your position in relation to that environment.
Each lens is pivotal to the development of the ethical leader. The outward focused lens, like an umbilical cord, provides us information and knowledge that helps us learn truth and develop as human beings. This lens also provides us the context by which we live our lives. Many times, we are unable to choose the environment in which we live. For example, we do not choose whether we are born to live in the US or Sri Lanka. We do not choose whether we will be born to a wealthy family or to a family that lives in the slums of India. We do not choose whether we will live in a time of war, or live through great calamities (think great depression, or the more recent Asian tsunami). While the context in which we live our lives is given us, how we live our lives within that context is primarily in our control. As Victor Frankl explains in his landmark book; Man's Search for Meaning, "everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." You see, while we are unable to choose the picture that greets our eyes through the outward focused lens, we are able to choose how we will act in response to that image. This is where the inward focused lens comes into play.
The inward focused lens helps us look into ourselves and see ourselves for who we are. This may be tough for so many who have blinders of pride on. Pride prevents us from seeing our weaknesses, and shortcomings, thus preventing us to consciously overcome those weaknesses. The sad thing is that pride is a transparent set of clothes we wear to hide our own insecurities. Furthermore, pride generally exacerbates the weaknesses we have rather than even hiding or masking our weaknesses effectively. Thus when looking through the inward focused lens we need to be able to put away pride, and look at ourselves objectively. Here I wish to ask a question. When we look through the inward focused lens what is it that we see? What are my strengths and weaknesses? What character qualities do I display through my daily actions? Am I courageous enough to stand for what is right and act within the context I am living or do I find cowardice where I am content to do nothing or join the ranks of those in the wrong? More importantly, do I know what is right and wrong; do I know what I believe in, and what principles I am choosing to live my life by? Here, it is important to note that while we may be unhappy at the image that greets us through the inward focused lens, we are definitely capable of changing that image. Here, I wish to defer to Aristotle and his seminal work; Ta Ethica, where Aristotle discusses what makes a virtuous character. An important point that Aristotle wishes to explain is that character requires effort to maintain, and unlike habit (which interestingly is ethos with a short e in the Greek) requires one to make a conscious choice. We must be willing to expend the effort required to become the best person we can be and understand that the most important work that we will be engaging in is shaping and molding of our own characters. Leadership truly begins with and within me!
It is here that I wish to jump into defining what ethical leadership means. The word ēthos in the Greek translates to character, and therefore ethical leadership translates quite simply to character based leadership. Ethical leadership embodies several elements. Understanding these elements and allowing these elements to guide our actions leads us in the direction of becoming ethical leaders. Here is an introduction to a few of these elements that I have become acquainted with.
The first of these elements (inspired by Socrates) is the constant search for truth. Knowledge and wisdom (what I like to describe as truth) expands our capacity as human beings and thus permits us to act beyond our pre-truth ability and more importantly act in better ways than we were capable of previously. I truly believe in the inspired words of Winston Churchill; “The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.” Imagine the eternal truthfulness of these words. People may live and die, so do empires rise and fall. Beautiful cities and monuments may lose their luster and decline towards decadence but truths stand the test of time, and are undimmed by their use. Socrates himself equated the gaining of knowledge to gaining virtue, which virtue enables man to live in happiness.
The second element (inspired by Aristotle) directly follows the first element. It is that ethical leadership requires us to realize our full potential as individuals. Aristotle exclaims that not realizing this potential is what causes human unhappiness and frustration. In the New Testament Paul explains something that most Christians fail to comprehend. Romans chapter 8:16-17 reads (King James Translation); “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ…” I will be the first to say that I am not a God and I have many weaknesses in my current state. Yet as a Christian I wholeheartedly believe in what Paul says; that I am a child of God, and because I am a child of the Divine, I have the seed of divinity within me. What this means, is that I am not a meaningless gathering of atoms hurtling around space on this satellite called earth. There is meaning and purpose to my life, and I am endowed with this amazing capacity and potential to do great things while overcoming the weaknesses that are part of me. Furthermore, as a child of the Creator of all things, I too have in some small way the ability to create. Now, I do not believe that I am unique in having these qualities, but rather that all human beings are endowed with these same gifts when they are born. However, while circumstance (think children born with down syndrome, or those who suffer from mental paralysis) may prevent the few from using that ability like the rest of us, what we (the rest of us) do with these gifts is totally within our power, and ours to choose.
The third element (inspired by Epictetus, the famous stoic philosopher) is also related to the other two. It is that self-mastery leads to peace and contentment, while having no control over one self leads to a form of slavery. In a particular capacity that I held a couple years back I was able to help people who were addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and various other things. Every single person I worked with were slaves to whatever they were addicted to, and were miserable because they were unable to find a way to be free from it. In short, they had lost all ability to control their own behavior, and were completely controlled by external substances. In providing this example I have described more serious addictions, yet many of us are addicted to many things such as anger, food, work, money, video games, or movies that we may not even realize at this time. Understanding ourselves and gaining control over our actions helps us break free from the shackles that weigh us down and enjoy a greater sense of freedom. Having freedom (and thus having peace and contentment) not only requires us to stop doing destructive things, it also requires us to cultivate and do good things. There are many times that I am envious of someone who can play a musical instrument, or do something that I am unable to perform at this time. At the same time I look back at all the opportunities that I had to learn an instrument (I took piano lessons when I was young), or learn a skill (kayaking, diving) that I wished I possessed at this time. Either because I was lazy, or just did not make it a priority I am now left to envy others who can do these things. What I am getting at is that I am not free to go diving, or play the piano (without being attacked by all in earshot) because I did not put forth the effort to master these skills. On the other hand, if I had just spent the time mastering these skills I would now be free to do these things.
Hence, ethical leadership requires us to be dedicated to the principles mentioned above. Our dedication to these principles leading to a recognizable change in our characters will help us be the best individuals that we can be. These character changes will then help us live with much more contentment, peace, and purpose while effecting change around us. I sincerely hope the entries made in this blog will inspire you to become an ethical leader.
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