Action & Destiny

The question is often asked whether we determine our fate, or whether pre-determined by destiny. The word 'crises' is often used when factors beyond our control come into play, and factors accelerate beyond expectation or control. On the contrary, we do seem to have an ability to maneuver, to act, to decide etc, which does influence and shape our future. There is often times a tug of war in ones mind over what is within ones hands, and what is beyond our control. How a leader views this dynamic will determine how responsible the leader is, and how well a leader learns.

Quicker through the Traffic

I was recently walking through Hung Hom station, which connects mainland China with Hong Kong. Next to Hung Hom station is the Hong Kong Coliseum, which is often the venue of many concerts and public exhibitions. Being the busiest land connection between China and Hong Kong, there is almost always a lot of traffic and large movement of crowds walking through this station and its nearby vicinity. Cutting through these crowds very regularly, it is interesting observing the dynamics. Sometimes there is a situation where there is a small gap to go through, of approximately an equal distance between you and an 'on-coming party.' You have one of a few options; Option 1 – you can courteously slow down, and wait for the person to go through first. Option 2- you can continue at your own pace, and arrive at a decision point where both parties have to decide who will go first, or Option 3- you can speed up and make it through the gap before them and avoid waiting for the other party and also having a decision point. When I first saw the sea of people at Hung Hom station, I thought, it will take me far longer than it does when it is empty; that is a certainty. However, by the time I got by to the other side, I had reached there quicker than when the path was all clear. How was this? At each instance when there was this situation of a narrowing of a gap, and there were many such instances, I took Option 2, of moving through the gap quicker than the oncoming party. Of course, if you keep doing that, and going faster than you otherwise would if it were empty, you will cut down the headline time. It is clear, when we are in situations that demand a response, which stretch us, and we have to choose; Do we slow down? Do we fail to react? Or do we speed up and live up to what the circumstance require of us? Swift progress, and personal growth lie in choosing the last of these options. We often do not have control of our circumstances, but we certainly have a choice over how we react to them. The extent to which we are conscious, will determine the extent to which we can make a beneficial choice.

Half Empty v Half Full?

There are two extremes; on the one hand, a very audacious person, perhaps overly self-confident would argue that there is no such thing as destiny; you are free to act as you want, achieve what you want, at your own will. On the other hand, there is the person with no motivation to act, a sense of lethargy, unwillingness to take responsibility, who would argue that ‘everything is out of your hands,’ we cannot control the outcome of our action; as it is pre-destined, and what will be, will be. The pragmatic person understands that there is clearly a balance between action and reaction; they have some ability to plan, to do the best they can, and the outcome is then something that is then, out of our control. Bhishmadeva, the great sage, said that “A leader is a man of action.” This leaves very little ambiguity on what is to be done by a leader. What does it mean to act as a leader. There are various types of action needed at different times. If we are really grounded, thinking at a higher level, being connected to the higher energies, and through these higher energies, to all those around us and everything around us, we will know what action is appropriate as a leader. Such ascertaining of what is right in terms of how to act, should also always be done through consultation and confirmation with the right people where appropriate. The Vedic teachings are extremely dynamic in many senses; and whilst there may be much guidance in terms of morals and principles, often they do not dictate the precise specifics of a situation; rather they understand that those are determined according to time, place and circumstance. They have even gone so far as to state that when a leader is so absorbed in acting under the higher energies, that whatever that leader does, that defines dharma - one interpretation of dharma, is appropriate or fitting behaviour.  For example, Hanumanji, the great servant of Lord Rama, his mentality and his actions, due to his consciousness, in his particular context 'defined' dharma.

 

Humility: an all-important value in action

Many contemporary leadership teaching will speak of the above principles of growth in adversity, however, not many will teach the value of humility through all of this. The Vedic teachings, along with many other ancient teachings, emphasise the absolute need for humility in achieving real success. In the epic Ramayana, Hanumanji had reached Sri Lanka in his quest to find Sita Devi, the consort of Lord Rama, who had been kidnapped to this City full of demons.  Hanumanji passed the house of Vibhishana, the younger brother of Ravana, the King who had kidnapped Sita Devi. Vibhishana was actually a very saintly person, a stark contrast to his brothers. Hanumanji, recognising this and wanting to speak with Vibhishana, concealed his original monkey form, and took the form of a saint. He began chanting the names of Lord Rama. Vibhishana asked this person, who are you? Are you a great demigod who has assumed the form of a saint? Are you my Lord, who has assumed this form? Please reveal to me who you are. Hanumanji replied, I am absolutely none of those things, I am simply a lowly person, born of a species, whose name if you mention, it is regarded as inauspicious. Hanumanji had genuine humility, he did not at all think about, let alone dwell on his achievements, qualifications, or anything else. Rather he very naturally thought of those things that would keep him very grounded.

Being ready, willing, and able to act is the duty of any leader. Whether things are down to own action vs destiny is irrelevant when executing in the mindset of a leader; the leader gives it their best effort and takes responsibility. Such an attitude should be balanced with continual checkpoints or reviews of the values we are cultivating, how much our leadership is a demonstration of integrity, how much it is encouraging others to live by values, and very importantly, how much it is helping our own internal state of balance in being humble, grounded, but powerful leaders.

Trust: The Foundation

Usually, these entries are written in Hong Kong, however, this particular peice was written in Vrindavana, India, a place of great historic and spiritual significance. Being there has helped to reflect more on the principles of purity of mind and heart. The purity of our mind and heart has a direct effect on how others feel when they interact with us. Given that much of our progress in the corporate world is dependent on the quality of our relationships, the topic of the purity of heart and mind is certainly worth reflection.

Real Sincerity is Unmotivated

In the workplace, we look for so many things in the people around us. From our seniors, we want to know they will be fair in our promotions and rewards, that they will give us work that enriches our personal portfolios, that they will treat us with respect and dignity, and help in our career development in the long term. In our peers, we would like them to share experiences and learnings with us, to be there for us when we need support, to help air a collective voice in sharing or escalating concerns to our seniors. From our juniors, we look for commitment, a good attitude, hard working ethic, and technical ability supplemented with a desire to learn. Let us take for granted that the people who enter the increasingly competitive corporate environment are competent; a high standard of educational requirements and high calibre background is a minimum. Moreover, as one progresses in this environment, if they do not have substance they will more often than not be shown up due to the reluctance of profit-making business to sustain such a liability. So aside of technical competence, all of the key attributes we look for in those around us, come down to one key question; how much can we trust the other person? Many in the corporate world are let down by trust issues. If we’re trustworthy, we will certainly stand out; it is a much sought after attribute. In order to be trustworthy, we must be sincere. Sincerity and trustworthiness are inseparable. A sincere person, however, is not sincere because it will differentiate them; this would be a contradiction; sincerity is unmotivated.

Loyalty to Values Strengthens Us

In Hong Kong, there are many billboards with advertisements of the jewelers Chow Tai Fook, with the slogan of “Sincerity and Eternity. A Partner in our business whose behaviour I view as quite exemplary, once said “Always do the right thing, even if others don’t behave that way; the value will show through in the long run.” If we are sincere, that value will last. Even though experiences where sincerity is not reciprocated with may cut us and chop us, and we may duly need to reduce our exposure to such a lack of reciprocation where possible, we should not give up these values; because it is the right thing to do and its effects are too important to give up. Eventually, the values will prevail, and they will be stronger than ever after each experience we go through. When we know we are doing the right thing, when we have consulted with those people with experience and wisdom, we should feel all the more confident in what we’re doing inspite of all the challenges.

Lord Shiva: Epitome of Sincerity

There is a plethora of lessons to be learned from the one story of Lord Shiva and his wife Sati Devi leaving her body in the presence of her Father. To recap, Sati Devi had attended a function at her Fathers residence inspite of him being enimical towards her husband. After she could not tolerate insult towards her beloved husband, she left her body. On hearing this news, Lord Shiva became furious, and created a demon, called Virabadra, who was the embodiment of the anger of the Supreme Lord. Virabadra went to the residence of Daksha, to the sacrificial arena, and beheaded him. He destroyed the entire sacrifice that was taking place. In fear, the demigods scattered, and requested the counsel of Lord Brahma, the personality governing the creation of the Universe. Lord Brahma, knew of the nature of Lord Shiva, and how he is a perfected being. So he suggested they approach Lord Shiva and beg his forgiveness for their partaking in the events that led to his dear wife leaving her body. So the demigods along with Lord Brahma journeyed to Kailash, the beautiful abode of Lord Shiva, seeing many beautiful lakes, trees, and wildlife on the way. They saw Lord Shiva sitting under a very tall tree in a peaceful meditational posture with his many associates, being free of all anger. He was forgiving and gracious. One of the names of Lord Shiva is Asutosha. Asu means "very soon," and tosa means "to become satisfied." The sincerity and purity of Lord Shiva is beyond compare, and such a reaction is only fitting. Anything he does is driven by his sincerity. His anger, which was driven by his love for his wife, and his refute of a punishable act combined, was not just some act of irrational madness in perusal of his own selfish purpose; it was also driven by his sincerity. As always, the magnitude and context is entirely different in the corporate setting, however, when sincerity and purity in purpose is there, our desire to correct the wrong situations, in the appropriate way, following the cultural and workplace etiquette, will be a natural symptom in our care for others.

In essence, trust between individuals is the underlying basis for any environment that is to operate with higher values. Trust and a benevolent attitude towards others are the opposites of exploitation. If as leaders we cultivate this atmosphere, we will be surprised how much more fulfilled people are around us from seniors through to juniors. Since sincerity is the driver for trust, the change begins with introspection of our own motivations. To be sincere can happen in a moment; we only have to do one thing; be conscious.

Leadership has Laws: Seeking the Essence

Ocean View Court

We had a meeting this weekend to discuss a project we’re working on with a number of other corporate organisations in Hong Kong. One team member was just a few minutes late, and in her usual polite way, she explained she had got the wrong address. It was just one number wrong in the address, and she had ended up about 25 minutes away. She explained how this mistake was quite easily made. She went on to conclude that, “It’s amazing how just one number can make so much difference.” After some reflection, I recalled the time I was once in New York, London and Tokyo within a week, working in a number of different buildings, with different dialing codes, and protocols for internal vs external numbers also. It was quite simple; if you missed a digit, you wouldn’t get through. Often times, we would be there for minutes trying to get the right numbers. One digit made all the difference. If you imagine for a second that you did not know your best friends mobile phone number, and you had to guess it, what are the chances of getting it right? It is practically impossible. The ‘syntax’ or format of a mobile phone number follows a certain order, and your guess must be in that order to stand a chance of being correct. One digit, makes all the difference. If we do not know the rules, the addresses, of the numbers, our chances of success fall, dramatically.

Leadership has Laws

If one decides to drive around any developed City without knowing or paying heed to the road laws and protocols, they are very likely to find themselves with at best a lot of post in a few weeks, or at worst to cause some very serious to others and themselves. Now, there is a chance that a person can stumble into following rules and understanding them by following what others are doing, but it is a low likelihood they will pick up straight away. This is why education is important. This is why they have driving tests both theoretical and practical in place to train one to deal with the roads. Systematic understanding that promotes a very conscious understanding of how things work and what is to be done in certain situations is a common way of preparing one to be successful. Whilst there is much education for many topics, where does one learn the universal rules of leadership? In the contemporary world, it is often only through experience and stumbling across them. This is exactly why you see countless books on leadership by great leaders; which often contains what they stumbled across in their paths to success. This is no doubt valuable, however there are universal laws of leadership, which have been passed down and tried and tested across many generations; and have passed the test of time. They specify what is needed for success, and also on the contrary, what kinds of attitude and actions attract failure. Whilst we won’t be covering them here, the first stage is to acknowledge that there are universal rules of successful leadership; it is just like finding a building, or dialing the right number; we will have far greater chance of success if we try to understand these rules from the great, and apply them to our situations.

Essence vs Detail

There are usually two types of person; one who is more focused on the detail, and one who is more concerned with the essence. A person of essence has the end in mind, whereas as person of detail has the means in mind. Keeping the end in mind makes one almost agnostic to how one gets there, whereas keeping the detail at the forefront can sometimes make one careless to the end goal; to the extent one who is interested in detail may even sacrifice the end goal for upholding the detail. David Beckham used to practice free kicks relentlessly in his youth. He explained how he would be practicing the same kick for hours on end every day. How much patience, perseverance and determination this would have taken. Ultimately, he became one of the best free-kick takers in the game. David Beckham also happened to develop a very robust physique. In order to be a 1^st class footballer, he had to stick to a strict diet, train in many ways, and regulate his lifestyle so that he could be the 1^st class footballer he wanted to be. The details of diet, training, lifestyle, supported the essence of being a 1^st class footballer. He certainly didn’t play football so that he would be able to eat less sweet foods, practice taking free-kicks for hours etc. The detail supported the essence, and this is what built excellence. We should be very conscious what is at the essence of what we’re trying to do how the detail is a means to it. This will give us great encouragement even in the face of difficulty. We must learn to separate the two when necessary; and to connect the two when necessary. For example, when experiencing difficult in the detail, we can use the end goal to place the detail into context and therefore not be overwhelmed and discouraged by details. On the contrary, we must remind ourselves that the detail is only a means to the end.

Agile Leadership: Dropping the Baggage

Seeing Things for What They Are

There was very heavy rain as I waited in the apartment minibus in central Hong Kong. The summer season in Hong Kong has matured and nearing an end, and so such tropical downpours are quite regular. Each time the minibus windscreen wipers would move, they would throw off so much water. People were waiting in the doors of the shops for the rain to stop. There was a boy, perhaps 10 years old or so standing in a t-shirt looking at the raindrops, which were quite big. With his eyes, he was trying to follow one raindrop at a time clearly being captivated by the size of the drops. Then he decided he would use his hand to hit the raindrop back up; almost imagining the raindrop to be a ball, which you could hit, and it would bounce in the opposite direction. He kept on trying this over and over for some minutes, getting increasingly frustrated each time. Eventually he sat down. In the workplace, we sometimes want things to be like a tennis ball, which we can hit and it will bounce away; but often times, things come in a different form to which we expect. Changes in our environment need to be understood with an independent and objective mindset, with a fresh and unbiased outlook in order to act to achieve a most beneficial outcome. We need to have a flexible mindset to see things as they are; not as we think they should be; nor what they have been before; but as they are. Once we understand things as they are, we can then act appropriately. If we have a lot on our minds, we may not even pause to make such analysis; reacting rashly. There is a rule here; every moment spent thinking about, and preparing for what will ensue will save many times more the equivalent time in the future.  

There Will be Critics

Usain Bolt at the beginning of the London Olympics did not get off to the kind of starts in training and the heats that were expected of him by many. Irrespective of expectations and commentary, the world record books now note him as the first athlete to win consecutive gold in 100m and 200m sprints in history. Ahead of the 100m race, Maurice Greene, former Olympic champion, said he did not expect Bolt to retain the 100m gold medal, and favoured Bolts Jamaican companion Yohan Blake to be the victor. Greene said, “Usain has trouble in close races. If you think about the close races he's had, he's lost." After the race, Bolt was asked what he thought of Greenes’ comments ahead of the race. Bolt replied, “It is a habit of people to doubt great men.” According to the Vedic scriptures, when Lord Krishna descended, there was a demon called Kamsa. Lord Krishna was prophesised to kill Kamsa by many great authorities, and Kamsa knew this well. Irrespective, he played down Lord Krishna’s ability. He played down all of His strengths, ignored them, trivialised them. And he played up what he mistook as Lord Krishna's weaknesses, and played up his own trackrecord. Although of a completely different magnitude and context to the Bolt scenario, a similar tendency; that to criticise. Critisicm is a simple and cheap way for someone who cannot be as successful, to respond to someone who is; and it may come in the many forms cited above and more. In the corporate world, how we handle success, and how we handle criticism are areas we should give conscious thought to.

Making Dynamism Easier

The corporate world is more globally connected now than ever, and we need to be agile and dynamic in order to succeed. Being agile and dynamic is a mindset; it is not linked to geography in the first instance. It begins with a mindset that is broad and flexible. If our minds are flexible and open to things, we can move faster. To move faster, we need to be light; and to be light, we need to drop our baggage. Thunder comes after lightning. Lightening is focussed, it hits specifically one place, and gets there quicker. Sound takes time as it is more dispersed, broader. If our goal is clearly engrained in our minds, and is focussed, we will find it easier to handle things and move like lightening even in an environment where the dynamics are rapidly changing and things are thrown at us from various places both expected and unexpected.