Leadership is almost certainly the most written about and discussed topic in organizational literature- even more so in today’s turbulent times.
Organizations and societies these days have become excessively focused on short term and narrow thinking. There seems to be a strong desire to acquire financial wealth quickly without paying attention to the means adopted for doing so. It is this evident lack of value based leadership and indulgence in unethical practices, which has led us not only to an economic crisis, but also to a crisis of confidence.
Why do people become self-centred? What makes us turn a blind eye to the plight of millions of poor people around us? Why do we use methods and processes that damage the eco-system? What makes us continue to lead our lives without reflecting upon these issues? Why do we attract more people of the same kind who reinforce this thinking rather than ‘diversity’ that challenges our assumptions?
These are extremely important questions. It has taken us many years to reach the current state, and this poses a serious danger to our society. Let us look deep within and introspect about what has made us cause this to ourselves.
The erosion of human value begins with the selfish pursuit of own ambitions without paying attention to the means that are fair and just. When many others see me become ‘wealthy’ by adopting these means, they too emulate the dangerous ways. Organizations that have become large corporations by following these methods have made millions of shareholders wealthy, but only in the short run. The system has become so corrupt that the evil network of politicians, self serving bureaucrats and businessmen are working seamlessly to benefit their own selves while giving ‘lip service’ to serving society. The only way to overcome this problem is to pay attention to a new model of leadership. We need to develop ‘Inspired Leadership’ by overhauling our existing ways of working.
Inspired Leadership has five dimensions. Ethics is at its centre. When we know the difference between our fundamental ‘rights’ of thinking and the ‘right’ action to take, we become more ethical. Self awareness and mindfulness are necessary for us to become more conscious of the choices we make. If only we were to pay attention by invoking our own consciousness, we would become aware of the consequences of our ways of living. This would make us more compassionate towards those who are suffering and are less fortunate- the people whom we have been ignoring and even exploiting. It would make us think deeply about how to use the earth’s resources in a sustainable way and learn about why global warming and the green economy are critical issues of today for everyone of us. Further, this would make us attract people in our organization who are genuinely diverse and bring multiple intelligences of creativity, emotional and social ability and spirituality. Such people would challenge our assumptions and help us become even more evolved and aware. These are therefore the five pillars of Inspired Leadership: Ethics, Mindfulness, Compassion, Sustainability and Diversity.
