Lisagor: Lead with
enlightenment
Copyright 2006 Michael Lisagor
At a banquet in Beijing in 1985, a seasoned government official
told me the story of a tiny village in Hunan Province. Two young
explorers had discovered a group of long-lost relatives 100 miles
away. The elders ordered the construction of a road that would
enable them to trade with the people in that town a project
that might take more than 50 years to complete. An impatient village
youth exclaimed, Why, that will take forever. One
of the wise leaders replied, Then wed better start
today.
One definition of enlightenment is hope. Another is the potential
for wisdom and compassion that exists in each human being. We
should try to become enlightened managers.
Many of the problems I encounter as a consultant stem from the
inability of managers to perceive the world from an enlightened
perspective. We cant always control what happens, but we
often can control how we react. Do we choose to respond to the
daily challenges of management with anger and fear? Or can we
learn to be compassionate and confident about the future?
An organizations growth depends on the vision of its leader
and his or her willingness to change. Can we afford to neglect
taking actions now that will ensure our organizations long-term
success? How long can our personality and good luck continue to
drive our organizations growth? When do sound and humane
business practices cease to be a luxury and become a necessity?
The French diplomat Jean Jules Jusserand wrote, Remember
this also, and be well-persuaded of its truth: the future is not
in the hands of Fate, but in ours.
Do you grimace when someone mentions the word plan? Do you have
one? If so, is it a living document that drives meaningful actions,
or is it gathering dust on your office shelf? Are your subordinates
comfortable telling you what they think, or are you as clueless
as the emperor with no clothes? Will you always be a general of
foot soldiers, or are you willing to become a general of generals?
And perhaps most importantly, are you so consumed with achieving
your objective that youve lost sight of your values? The
answers to those questions will determine your organizations
future.
Too many of our business practices lack an underlying philosophical
foundation. What is a managers real purpose in life? Is
it to amass as much wealth as possible? Is to become a company
vice president or president? When did who we are become more important
than how we behave?
Hopefully, those questions will prompt you to re-evaluate some
of your beliefs, listen to your employees and seek the guidance
of others.
Although what you know will probably continue to contribute to
your success, what you ignore will most likely cause your failure
and future unhappiness.