The Challenge of Leadership

"Leadership is the conviction to chart new territory, the vision to create a path to success and the compassion to help others along the way." - Yours Truly

Turbulent times call for a higher level of leadership than calmer times. The winds of change often upset the delicate balance of "comfort zones" and tend to separate the leaders from the followers. Leading in turbulent times is the challenge of the day - how you model your behavior to paint the vision and inspire your team against all odds determines your mettle as a leader. The tragic events of the world have also been catalysts to bringing forth great leaders among us, the most recent events of 9/11, and the way Mayor Rudy Guiliani handled that crisis separated him from the mayors of thousands of other cities.

http://www.schulersolutions.com/change_leadership_lessons_of_r.html

By contrast you have the words and action of Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/24/60minutes/main1933092.shtml

How do you think history will remember Guiliani or Nagin? One rises to the challenge of leadership, the other is looking for excuses why things are the way they are!

"The price of greatness is responsibility" - Winston Churchill

Perseverence

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all." - Dale Carnegie

"What we do not see, what most of us never suspect of existing, is the silent but irresistible power which comes to the rescue of those who fight on in the face of discouragement." - Napolean Hill

Perseverence is the difference between faith and lack thereof! It is the art of persistence in the face of resistance, when you believe in your vision and goal. I find this video particularly apt in illustrating the value of patience, faith and perseverence in the face of "no progress", till the time is right for things to happen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ3C9SP8xRE

"A leader, once convinced that a particular course of action is the right one, must....be undaunted when the going gets tough." - Ronald Reagan

Success

"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes."
- Benjamin Disraeli

Success is achieved when opportunity meets commitment. Life is full of unexpected turns and any one of them has the potential to transform our lives if we so choose. That is why timing plays an important role in whether an opportunity results in potential realized, or merely creates another source of frustration in our lives. When we approach life with an open mind and a CAN-DO spirit, we find opportunities for growth and success at every turn. The power of positive conviction is what drives individuals to sieze the opportunity, execute with commitment, and demonstrate success.

Being present in the moment, and quickly sizing up the possibilities in a given situation, can make the difference between success and stalemate. The self confidence needed to sieze the opportunity is fed even more by the realization of the success. It inherently involves having faith, taking risk, and executing with positive conviction, in spite of the potential pitfalls and the inevitable nay-sayers. There is no sweeter reward than achieving your potential and creating a harmonious balance between personal growth and making a positive impact on the world!

"The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your convictions. "
- William F. Scholavino

What's the Difference?

"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right" - Confucius

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee" - Marian Wright Edelman

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop" - Mother Teresa

Lately I have been pondering what "Making a Difference" is all about! I can thank one of my mentors for the challenge, I suppose. Does a small kindness make a difference in this world, how about a smile, a door held open for someone with their arms full? Listening to and empathizing with someone is an act of love, and it makes a tremendous difference to the person who feels heard, loved, and cared for! The smallest acts of kindness make this world a better place to live.

If we start each day with the resolve to do at least one random act of kindness we will make a great contribution to world peace, by practicing it in our everyday life, rather than waiting on some great leader to do it FOR THE WORLD! Perhaps that is the problem I have with politics, we hang too much responsibility on the political leaders of the world and do not assume enough on our own. When I look at all the problems of the world, I know I cannot solve them alone, but I can do my part by being responsible for my own conduct and also take some initiative to help others see what they can do about it. Global problems can be solved by local responsibility and ownership, the difference is in owning the problem and working to find a solution, together with others who believe in their own ability to make a difference in this world!

Building Relationships

Human beings are essentially social beings and they are unique in how they relate to each other. The essence of being human is the ability to form relationships with others in our life. Much has been written on how people relate to each other and what are the essential ingredients of a relationship.

Well, it is quite simple:

In order to have a relationship of any kind, you need to have mutual RESPECT.

If there is mutual respect, you can build on it to develop TRUST.

If there is trust, you can build on it to develop an UNDERSTANDING; and,

when you have a mutual understanding, you can build on it to develop LOVE/SYNERGY.

But you can't get to love or synergy unless you have respect, trust and understanding (in that order)!

This is a universal concept that applies to all relationships, both personal and professional; with LOVE being the desired outcome in personal relationships, and SYNERGY in professional relationships. When our relationships are based on a foundation of respect, trust, understanding and love, they can withstand the test of time and turmoil. It is like the root system of a tree that keeps it firmly anchored in the ground in the wake of high winds and stormy gusts. If the roots are not strong, the tree would topple over~!

The Circle of Life~

"We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time". ~ T.S. Eliot

Life is a journey to be savored, not a destination to arrive at; the learnings and lessons are in the process, not in the final "treasure to be found at a certain place". The journey of self discovery is the most poignant experience of our lives, if undertaken with sincerity, honesty and openness. We start our lives as babies, helpless and dependent on our parents for the smallest of our needs. As young adults most people struggle with their own identity and seek to establish their own place in life, often vowing to be different from their parents. Although apparently rooted in defiance, it is a healthy sign of independence that spurs us to take responsibility for charting our own course through life. However, our perspective changes as we mature, and we realize that complete independence only gets us so far, and we learn to be interdependent with others through life. This is when we come full circle and realize that running from our past and heritage does not bring us fulfilment, as we are denying parts of our selves that are inalienable. With maturity and humility comes the desire to discover oneself as an integrated whole, rather than focus on separate pieces of ourselves. We learn to accept and embrace our past, present and future, and recognize that we are at a certain point in life because that is how we have shaped our life to be, both by virtue of our history, and our conscious acts of will.

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." ~ Nelson Mandela

Creating a Life Worth Living

How do you keep your balance in this day and age of tight budgets, uncertain economy, and ever increasing demands of career and life? By taking responsibility for your life, taking stock of what occupies your time and energy and consciously re-allocating them to the things that matter most, you can create a life truly worth living! It is true that we make time for what is important to us; we have the ability to choose our priorities. Living a balanced and fulfilling life is the result of aligning our priorities with our deepest values and choosing our actions accordingly, rather than merely reacting to what happens to us on a daily basis. It is about drafting a plan of action for life, and then living out that plan according to the guiding principles and objectives that form its foundation.

A lot has been said and written about the importance of managing your time, setting goals and priorities. These are good techniques on how to go about making the best use of your resources, but miss one important ingredient: the WHY of doing them! Life is not a random happening; we are on this earth for a finite amount of time for a reason. A life well lived is one that leaves the world a little better than before. When we are motivated by our deepest values and core beliefs, we are able to take a long-range view of life as a marathon rather than a series of sprints in random directions. By actively defining our values and focusing on the ultimate goal, namely leaving the world a better place, we are able to make small changes that lead to great contributions. Mother Teresa said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love”.

When you go about the business of living with a desire to create a life that makes a positive difference in the lives of others around you, no step of that journey is wasted! The life plan is our vision of what we want our life to be, what lessons we want to impart to people we have the fortune to teach, how we want to be remembered by the world when we are gone. Living day to day is like driving a car, and your life plan is the road map to get from the point of origin to your destination. When you are going in cruise control on a straight road, you still have to keep your hands on the steering wheel to make sure you stay on the road. If we cannot let go of the steering wheel of a car, how can we let go of the direction of our life? There will inevitably be speed bumps, bends, twists and roadblocks along the way. We will be sure to end up by the wayside if we are not carefully maneuvering our way to stay on course. In life, as in driving, it is important to remember that in order to achieve our overall objective; we have to pay attention to the short-term and immediate needs as a means to an end and not an end in themselves. If you hit a speed bump, or someone cuts you off on the road of life, you should not abandon the course, rather remember the reason you are on the road in the first place and focus your attention on achieving it.

In his book, “Man's Search for Meaning”, Victor Frankl states "Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible." (p.172). Too often we get bogged down with pondering on the purpose of life without realizing that the answer is not an obscure theory, it is a tangible reality that we help shape every day of our lives. Different religions offer their own versions of the purpose of human existence, the glory of God, the service of people, suffering and humility being the most prominent ones. It is important to recognize that your life cannot be a function of something outside of your mind and soul; it has to be at the very core of your heart. By actively shaping your vision of life you create a personal, real and tangible plan upon which you build your life.

In order to create a balanced and fulfilling life, we need to strike a balance among the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our lives. Taking care of your health and physical well-being is paramount in leading a positive life. When you take the time to nourish your body and improve your health, you are building your capacity for a fulfilling life. If you want to weather the storms of life safely, you have to make yourself strong enough to withstand the storms! However, too much focus on the physical can lead to unhealthy obsessions about it without realizing that it is not an end in itself, rather a means to an end. The body is the vehicle for the spirit, the person within. The quality of a life is measured in the value of its relationships. Nurturing the relationships in your life is the best investment in your emotional health and well-being. Human beings have an innate need to be heard, and when you make the time to hear someone out, to understand them and empathize with them, you build bonds that last a lifetime and enrich both lives. Acknowledging all of our feelings, accepting our need for social bonding and developing caring and mutually nurturing relationships with our loved ones and the world at large helps us develop a healthy and positive self-image feeding our emotional needs.

The way to continuous personal growth is through learning, stretching and developing our mental capacities. We develop and expand our horizons by reading, sharing, listening and learning. Opening ourselves up to the possibility of growth is an important first step in our mental development; we have the opportunity to learn from experiences large and small if we are willing to look at things in a different perspective. All the personal development can be an exercise in futility if we cannot see a greater purpose to our actions, a cause larger than our self. The essence of spirituality is the pursuit of good beyond our immediate person. When you reach out to help a fellow human being in distress, when you go out of your way to be kind, sympathetic, helpful, and supportive to another human being without thinking “what’s in it for me”, you rise above personal gain for a greater cause. Reaching out beyond yourself to play a positive role in the community creates a spiritual connection and develops bonds with others in the pursuit of a greater goal. This spirit of shared purpose is what nourishes our soul in its spiritual development.

When we develop a conscious awareness of our priorities and develop a “plan of action” for life in line with our values, we are well on our way to creating a life worth living. It is my firm belief that no experience in life is wasted if we absorb the lesson it teaches and use it to mold the rest of our life. Life is a series of experiences that are linked together by the conscious desire to create a larger, more meaningful impact. Like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, each piece may not represent anything of significance, but all pieces are vital in creating the greater picture which is unique in its beauty and significance.

Building Bridges

Walking through the sands of life
One day, I looked back
And was heartened to see
That my footprints
Were not lost in the sand
Who knows when someone
Following in my footsteps
May find their destination
And I may be redeemed.

Life is like walking through a thick jungle, and often you are looking for light to get to your destination. Sometimes you come to a clearing and get excited that you are getting close to your destination, only to find out, it is a clearing around a body of water. If the body of water is a small puddle, you can jump over it, if it is a pond, you can go around it and continue on your journey through life. If it is a larger body of water, you cannot go around it so easily. When encountered with a raging river you are faced with several choices in your quest to continue your journey:

1. Turn around and go back where you came from,
2. Pace up and down the bank and stay stuck there,
3. Build a house and make a life at the river bank,
4. Swim across against the current,
5. Build a boat or raft to cross the river, or
6. Build a bridge to get across the river!

All of these choices require progressively greater effort, but also yield progressively greater rewards. I choose to build a bridge, so the lessons I have learned through life are not lost. And today I am happy to see that we have been able to help others on a similar journey get to their destinations faster because they don't have to start from scratch and re-invent the wheel! They can benefit from the work of others who have gone before them and left markers and bridges to make their journey easier.