Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Part 11

I was stunned by the phrase that Julian had just uttered. He was absolutely right. My chaotic, out-of-control lifestyle was leading me to disaster. Sure, a solid work ethic was an essential element of success. Even Julian would agree with that truth. But the strain I had been under as GlobalView's market share and morale slipped had started to affect my health. I realized I was working compulsively and was more concerned about the time I spent in the office than the quality of the results I was producing. I always felt tired, I was even more irritable than usual and I was rarely able to get a good night's sleep. By living my life like it was some kind of an Olympic sprint, never taking the time to read a good book over lunch or watch the sun set on a weekend, I was missing out on the best life had to offer. I vowed I would change. My employees deserved a calmer leader. My wife deserved a better husband. My kids deserved a better father. And I deserved a lot more peace.

"What's the Second Discipline for Self-Leadership?" I asked, interrupting my own thoughts.

"It's the Discipline of Abundant Knowledge. Yogi Raman believed that applied knowledge is perhaps the greatest source of power and every leader was duty-bound to reserve at least thirty minutes a day to read. Books will keep you connected to the fundamental leadership principles that all too often get forgotten in the crush of daily activities. Thirty minutes of concentrated reading every single day of the week will make a profound difference in your life. Every answer to every problem you have ever faced lies in print. Whether you want to be a better leader, thinker, father or golfer, a book surely exists that will rocket you to your goal. All the mistakes that you will ever make in your life have already been made by those who walked the earth before you. Do you really think that the challenges you face are unique to you?" "No."

"Then learn from the experience and wisdom of those who have gone before you. Just think about it: books allow you to look deeply into the minds of the greatest men and women who have ever lived. By investing the few hours that it takes to read the autobiography of Gandhi or the biography of Churchill, you will learn the leadership lessons that it took them decades to discover. You will come to understand the principles they followed as well as the solutions they discovered to many of the most common leadership problems. By reading from books on executive effectiveness and personal mastery, you will find time-honored ways to get more done in less time. And by reading the great works of philosophy and consistently exposing your mind to the great thinkers, you will come to understand the ageless laws of nature and humanity. As Yogi Raman once told me, 'Stop wishing for fewer problems and start searching for greater wisdom.' "

"Wow. What a statement!"

"What I'm really telling you to do by suggesting that you read for thirty minutes a day is to apply the Principle of a.s.sociation." "Which says?"

"It says that the type of leader and the kind of person you will be five years from now will result from two primary influences: the books you read and the people you a.s.sociate with. Start spending some of your day with the greatest people who ever lived by spending some time with the books they have written. How would you like to have Napoleon Hill or Dale Carnegie as your personal success coaches, just waiting for you to give them the word? How would you like to have Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison or Alexander Graham Bell mentoring you on the fundamentals of creative thinking and innovation? How would you like to have Abe Lincoln sitting on your bedside table, always available to school you on leadership strategy or Mother Teresa waiting in your den just waiting to teach you the value of patience and compa.s.sion in all that you do? That's the power of print. All of the wisdom of these enlightened humans lies within the pages of their books. Regularly a.s.sociating with them allows you to rise to their level of thought."

"Much like an intermediate tennis player always plays a better game when she plays an expert."

"Excellent a.n.a.logy. Remember, it's not just what you get out of books that makes the difference - it's what books bring out of you. I also suggest you make use of some of the more modern forms of knowledge and intelligence that are waiting for you to call them into action."

"Like what?"

"Like audioca.s.sette programs. Did you know that if you commute thirty minutes each way every day, after one year this time will have amounted to six weeks of eight-hour days?"

"I had no idea I spent that much time in the car. That's a month and a half that I'm spending on the road every year. Unbelievable."

"With a number like that, you really should be listening to educational and motivational tapes in your car on the way to work and then again on your way home. Your employees will notice a big difference every morning and your family a big difference every night. Why not take control of the information that you feed your mind while you commute and ensure that it is the kind that will add value to your life? Set the goal of listening to at least one new audio-book or ca.s.sette program per week. You can also practice the Discipline of Abundant Knowledge by going to personal development seminars. And encourage your people to do the same. Let the power of self-leadership spread through your entire organization and transform the culture into one of top performance." "What about the Internet?"

"I hear that's another superb method to tap into every possible type of information you could ever hope for to improve both your business and your life. Like I said earlier, commit to becoming a lifelong student. Learning no longer ends the minute you pa.s.s your last exam. It must continue until you take your last breath."

"So what's the next discipline I can follow to cultivate self-leadership? I'm really getting excited about all you are telling me and can't wait to put it into practice. I used to read so much more than I do now. I know spending time with great books will bring a greater sense of perspective, not to mention sanity, back into my life. I must admit, I'd hate to leave this world without having read the great works of wisdom and literature."

"Nice point," offered Julian. "The Third Discipline for Self-Leadership is the Discipline of Physicality, as Yogi Raman called it. It simply involves making sure that you respect the timeless truth that says, as you care for your body, so you care for your mind. Visionary leaders are high-performance leaders. And high-performance leaders need vigor, energy and drive, the kind that comes through being in prime physical condition. You must have the wisdom to exercise regularly and eat to win. There are 168 hours in a week. Surely you can find a few to swim, stretch or run."

"You know, I've been meaning to get back into shape for quite some time. In college I was quite a track star."

"I had no idea."

"I used to love working out in the good old days. I know that if I just took twenty or thirty minutes to go for a swim at lunch, it would make a big difference in the way I feel, act and think. I just finished reading Nelson Mandela's autobiography."

"A visionary leader if there ever was one."

"I agree. Do you know what he did for exercise?"

"I know he used to rise at dawn and walk."

"That was in his later years. But in his early days, to stay in peak physical condition, he used to box. He absolutely loved the sport and said that the activity renewed him completely. 'It was a way of losing myself in something that was not the struggle,' he wrote. After an evening's workout, I would wake up the next morning feeling strong and refreshed, ready to take up the fight again.'"

"Like I said, visionary leaders know that when you care for your body, you also care for your mind. And get this, according to a study at my alma mater involving 17,000 Harvard alumni, it was found that every hour you exercise adds another three hours to your life. Now, that's an excellent return on investment. So what are you waiting for? Now is the time to get into peak condition. It will add so much to the quality of both your professional and personal life. It will make you feel wonderful and give you the energy to do all the meaningful things you want to do. It will even enhance the clarity of your thoughts. And like the sages said, The person who doesn't make time for exercise must eventually make time for illness."

"Any suggestions as to the best type of exercise?"

"It's really up to you. Try to find a sport or activity that is fun. Myself, I love the simple discipline of walking. It's convenient, healthy and enjoyable. Many of the world's most productive and creative people have been recreational walkers. When Charles d.i.c.kens suffered from writer's block, he would walk the streets of London late at night hoping to rekindle his creative fire. Day after day he would stroll and study the sights. During his outings, he observed many young children working for little or no pay, a circ.u.mstance that deeply troubled him. His desire to shed light on this problem sparked his creativity, leading him to write his most famous work, A Christmas Carol "Fascinating."

"Swiss designer George de Mestral came up with the idea for Velcro after taking long walks in the mountains. He noticed that his dog's fur was covered by burdock burrs after these jaunts. When he looked at these closely under a microscope, he noticed they were made up of hundreds of tiny hooks that had stuck to the fur. He realized that these would be far more effective than zippers and ultimately produced the first Velcro fastener. What I'm getting at is that walking is a superb way to renew and revitalize your mind as well as your body. All the great thinkers knew this. Confucius, Aristotle and Socrates, for example, all implored their disciples to walk regularly to maintain perfect health. As Yogi Raman used to say with a smile, 'I have two doctors I always keep with me. My right leg and my left one.'"

"You also suggested that I eat to win. What do you mean by that?"

"The sages understood that the quality of the food you ingest affects the quality of your thoughts. And in this information age, we all know that rich ideas are the foundation of success. We have entered a knowledge economy where intellectual capital carries the highest value in the marketplace. And if you agree that the food you eat affects the way you think, eating well is not just sound health practice. It makes good business sense."

"Who would have thought that the junk food I wolf down every lunch hour was affecting our bottom line?"

"Of course, it does. You have a steak and fries for lunch and you feel exhausted, right?"

"True."

"So your choice of food has diminished both your creativity and your productivity. Consider the effect that kind of lunch has on your bottom line when it is consumed not just by you but by many others in the organization. That's why I say eat to win. Adopt a peak performance diet. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Drink more water. Reduce the quant.i.ties of food that you ingest since most of us eat far more than we need to. Get serious about your health. It will even help you with that sleep problem you've been complaining about. Which brings me to the Fourth Discipline for Self-Leadership, the Discipline of Early Awakening."

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this one."

"Getting up early is a common practice that runs through the lives of history's greatest people. Visionary leaders in the fields of business, arts, the military and the sciences have understood that if you don't control the day, it will control you. You must have the courage to win the battle of the bed and rise before most others do. Enjoy the exceptional tranquility that the day's earliest hours brings and bask in the splendor of the morning, before the crush of daily events clamors for your mind's attention. The sages believed that as you start your day so you live your day. They believed that the first thirty minutes after awakening set the tone for the entire day so they had to be special ones.

"By getting up early, you become the master of your time rather than it mastering you. Thomas Edison, whose industrious work habits allowed him to record over 1,093 inventions in his lifetime, said that 'sleep is like a drug. Take too much at a time and it makes you dopey. You lose time, vitality and opportunities.' Ben Franklin believed that there would be more than enough time to sleep when we were in our graves."

"Sounds a little extreme, Julian. I mean, don't we all need sleep?"

"Yes, we do. The problem is that most people sleep far more than they need to. They have developed a habit of oversleeping and then claim that their bodies can't do without it. Do you want to hear the real reason that most people don't get up early?"

"Sure."

"Most people don't get up early because they wouldn't know what to do with their time if they did. They lack a pa.s.sionate purpose that fuels and energizes their lives. And so they sleep. That's why I told you earlier that purpose is one of the greatest motivators known to humankind and that, as a visionary leader, you must link your people's work to a compelling cause that satisfies their human hunger to contribute and make a difference to others' lives. People who lack energy often lack a dynamic future vision that impels them forward and excites their spirits. Gandhi slept only four hours a night. His personal mission to free his people from the shackles of servitude was enough fuel to drive him forward. Mandela was an early riser as were many of the wealthiest industrialists who founded this great nation. Always remember that there is a close connection between your energy levels and your purpose."

"Fascinating. So when I become truly committed to my compelling cause, I will have more energy and not feel so tired all the time?"

"Right. And you will actually feel like rising early because you are excited about where you are going and the good work that you are doing. Which brings me to the Fifth and Final Discipline for Self-Leadership - the Discipline of the Deathbed Mentality."

"Sounds morbid."

"Funny you should think that, because this practice is all about life. According to ancient legend, there was once a maharaja in India who began his day by following a peculiar personal rite. Every morning, just after he arose, he would celebrate his own funeral, complete with flowers and music, all the while chanting, 'I have lived fully. I have lived fully.'"

"Bizarre."

"That's what I thought when I first heard about it. But then I realized that the maharaja was on to something. You see, he had found his own way to do what every single one of us needs to do every morning after we wake up."

"Which is?" I asked, still having no idea what the maharaja's strange ritual was designed to accomplish.

"Connect with our mortality. Most of us live every day as if we had all the time in the world. We will explore that new opportunity next week. We will learn that new skill next month. We will start to improve our health or spend more time with our kids next year. But right now, we tell ourselves that there are so many things on our plates that demand our immediate attention that we couldn't possibly have time for anything else."

"I'm still not sure I understand exactly what the maharaja was doing," I admitted.

"By celebrating his funeral, he was reminding himself that life is short. He was connecting with the fact that each day could be his last. And by doing so, he brought a sense of urgency, drive and pa.s.sion to his days that the vast majority of leaders and managers lack. By connecting to his own mortality, he ensured that he lived life fully and didn't put off doing the important things. Every single day became a work of art, his tiny tribute to the gift of living. I'm sure you'll agree, Peter, that most of us live as if we had all the time in the world. We worry about trifling matters and focus on petty things. We brood about past failures and fret over future events. We rush through life as if it were a dress rehearsal. And then, on our deathbeds, our hearts fill with regret when we reflect on all the initiatives we did not pursue, on all the relationships we did not build, on all the adventures we did not explore and on all the sunrises that we slept through. I've always found it ironic that people say they would give anything for a little more time in then-days and yet they waste the precious time they already have."

"How true. I know exactly what you mean, Julian. I look at my kids and can't believe how quickly time is pa.s.sing. Christopher will soon be eleven and Elliot fourteen. Yet it seems that it was just yesterday that I was singing them to sleep in their nursery. I've really missed out on a lot of precious moments with those wonderful kids. And there are so many other things I've wanted to do but never got around to doing. Time seems to slip away so quickly. Life is really leaving me behind."

"It's like I said earlier, Peter, either you act on life or life will act on you. But in either case, life waits for n.o.body. Stop spending so much time thinking about the success of others and start focusing on your own vision for the future. Have the courage to understand that every minute spent thinking about someone else's victories is a minute taken away from the fulfillment of your own. Stop putting off your hopes and dreams to another day. Stop putting off becoming the kind of leader you know in your heart you can be. Now is the time to make things happen. Now is the time to take some risks in your leadership. Now is the time to test those new strategies you have been thinking of testing. Now is the time to show your people how much you value them. Now is the time to really love your family and commit to your community. Do all those things you have always wanted to do, whether that means learning how to play the saxophone or mastering that golf game of yours. Climb the mountain of life and see what life looks like from the summit. You will see things others cannot see. Be like that maharaja. Live every day as if it were your last. Otherwise you will die with the best you had to give still within you."

Julian then reached into his robe and pulled out an unexpected gift. It was a parchment scroll that appeared old and wrinkled through the ravages of time. It had been rolled up like a college degree and carefully tied with a homemade bow.

"Here, my friend. I've been meaning to give you this for some time now. Our friendship has always meant a lot to me, even if I didn't always have the courtesy to show it. I truly want you to lead the kind of joyful and meaningful life I feel is everybody's birthright. This small token will help you on your leadership journey and remind you of a great truth. It contains one of the best definitions of the purpose of life that I have ever read. My hope is that it will be as helpful to your personal growth as it has been to mine."

I immediately untied the bow and studied the words that had been lovingly etched on the scroll. They were elegant in their simplicity and timeless in their leadership wisdom. They were the words of the great philosopher Emerson and they spoke volumes about what true success was all about. They read: To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics; to appreciate beauty; to give of one's self to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier became you have lived - that is to have succeeded.

As we boarded the cable car to return to the base of the mountain, I reflected on the lessons that Julian had shared with me for self-leadership. I knew that the Disciplines of Personal Renewal, Abundant Knowledge, Physicality, Early Awakening, and Deathbed Thinking would make a big difference in the way I lived. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind about that. Rather than just getting through life, now I had a sense of how to start getting from life.

On that magical day, moving slowly down that grand mountain while taking in the splendors of nature with a friend who had found enlightenment, I finally realized that success really was an "inside job" and that visionary leadership ultimately began with inner leadership. I finally realized this was a great time to be alive and that I now had to live with a greater sense of commitment. And I became aware that I would never truly be able to liberate the talents of others until I first realized the potential within myself.

Chapter 10 Knowledge Summary * Julian's Wisdom in a Nutsh.e.l.l The Ritual The Essence The Ritual of Self-Leadership The Wisdom * All leadership begins within * We see the world not as it is but as we are * Anything less than a conscious commitment to peak personal performance is an unconscious commitment to weak personal performance * Never settle for mediocrity when you can attain mastery The Practices * The Discipline of Personal Renewal * The Discipline of Abundant Knowledge * The Discipline of Physicality * The Discipline of Early Awakening * The Discipline of The Deathbed Mentality Quotable Quote Do not be so busy striving that you miss out on living.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari RITUAL 7.

See What All See, Think What None Think

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

The Ritual of Creativity and Innovation

Read every day something no one else is reading. Think every day something no one else is thinking. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity.

Christopher Morley "Our meeting will be a very short one," Julian had remarked before we parted ways at the mountain's base.

"Why?" I had asked, clearly disappointed.

"Because I'm in the midst of preparing to move. My work with you is almost complete. You have eagerly embraced the leadership philosophy that I have shared and have been a first-rate student. I have no doubt that GlobalView will quickly soar to world-cla.s.s status and prosper as never before under your visionary leadership. More importantly, you have now discovered how to lead yourself as well as make GlobalView a place where your people's natural gifts can be freed and their highest hopes fulfilled. Keep serving your people well by liberating their talents and reminding them of the compelling cause they are working toward. They will serve you well in return." "Where are you going?"

"There is another person who is in desperate need of the wisdom I have discovered and therefore it is my duty to go."

"Are you going to leave that little hut you made in the forest? It looked like you had everything you needed there."

"Let's just say I've got to leave for a while. But, who knows, you just might see me standing in your rose garden in a few months from now," Julian had said with a wink.

Now, driving to meet with Julian, the thought that I would not see him in the future made me feel very sad. He had always been a friend, but I now saw him in a very special light. No one had had such an influence on me, not even my dad. There were so many other leaders in trouble that Julian could have visited, but he came to me first. If there was one quality he had always possessed in abundance it was loyalty. I was his friend, so he decided to help me.

His coaching sessions were like nothing I had ever experienced before in my life. Within them, Julian had pushed me to explore new pathways of thought and evaluate why I did what I did. He forced me to dig deep and reflect on who I was, not only as a leader, but as a person. He had shared pearls of leadership wisdom with me during those times that I had never heard from any other source, wisdom that had left me feeling motivated, inspired and fulfilled. I prayed that our paths would soon cross again after he left for his new destination. I needed a friend and mentor like this in my life, as we all do. And I wanted to have the opportunity to do something for him in return.

As I veered off a main road and into a leafy area that was home to middle-cla.s.s families with station wagons and minivans in their driveways, I spotted my destination. Centennial Elementary School is known far and wide as one of the finest educational inst.i.tutions in the country, a facility that produces an extraordinary number of gifted kids. Educators come from far and wide to study the innovative teaching methods employed by the dedicated teachers who are lucky enough to be selected as staff members. And though the students are all below the age of ten, they are constantly encouraged to expand their abilities and dream of great futures. This is the kind of school every parent hopes his or her children will have the privilege to attend.

Julian had already arrived and was in the center of the playground, chatting with Mrs. Maples, the famed princ.i.p.al who frequently appeared in the national media to air her views on the current state of education, including her opinion that schools had to place a greater emphasis on the development of character. Though he was wearing his robe and sandals, she didn't seem to mind. As a matter of fact, she appeared to know him and smiled as he spoke.

"Hi, Peter!" Julian shouted enthusiastically as I set foot into the playground, which had just started to fill with noisy little children enjoying their mid-morning recess. "I'd like you to meet a very dear friend of mine, Mildred Maples."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mildred," I said, extending my hand. "I've seen you many times on television."

"Nice to meet you too, Peter. I've heard a lot about you as well. Read about you and your company in the papers. You've been very successful."

"That was a while ago, I'm sorry to admit. We encountered some growing pains along the way that led us into serious difficulties. Having said that, Julian here has really helped me turn things around. It's like I'm running a brand-new company. I hope you don't mind me saying so, but I think you'll be hearing a lot about us again."

"I'll look forward to it," Mrs. Maples replied courteously.

"Mind if I ask you two how you know each other?"

They both started to giggle. "Mildred's husband owns the local Ferrari dealership. I bought my car from him," Julian replied. "I got to know him and in the process, had the pleasure of meeting Mildred. We were just reminiscing about my car when you drove up."

"I'd give anything to see you whizzing up Main Street in it with your monk's robes on, Julian," said Mildred, "I really would. Anyway, it's so good to see you again. I still cannot get over the way you look, but, if there is one thing I have come to believe in after having been around schoolchildren for almost thirty years, it is the power we all have to work miracles in our lives. I'll leave you two gentlemen to yourselves. Drop by the dealership later, Julian. I'm sure Jack would be thrilled to see you," she said as she walked up the clean white stairs that led into the head office.

"I just might do that," Julian replied with a smile. "Now where were we, Peter? Oh yes. Ritual 7 in Yogi Raman's timeless leadership system. The seventh practice that visionary leaders have integrated into their routines to ensure that they perform as they should."

"You forgot to give me the next piece of the puzzle when you left me at Mount Percival. You've really kept me in suspense. All week, I've been coming up with different ideas about what Ritual 7 would be."

"Actually I didn't forget, Peter. I was hoping you would do precisely what you did since the seventh ritual is all about the power of ideas. Like I told you earlier, in the information era we currently find ourselves in, ideas rather than materials have become the commodity of success. For the first time in the history of our civilization, the real value of any company enters the building every morning and leaves the building every night. The highest a.s.sets of any organization lie within the skulls of its people."

"That's a graphic way of putting it. I don't think I'll forget that one for a while," I said with a smile.

"Good. I hope you don't because one of your most important tasks as a visionary leader is to unlock the natural state of creativity that sleeps within the minds of every one of your people. You must help your employees to think smarter and inspire them to explore new pathways of thought. Only then will you begin to experience the kind of innovation that you need to see before GlobalView grows into a world-cla.s.s corporation."

"But is it really true that we are all creative? I mean, are you saying that every single one of my employees is capable of creative thinking? What about the accountants in our Finance Department or the lawyers on our legal staff? Surely they aren't creative types."

"You bet they are. It's just that they have probably never been encouraged to create and so their creativity has remained dormant. I myself used to think that only poets, writers, artists and actors were the creative sort. Yogi Raman and the rest of the sages set me straight. They were the most creative people I've ever seen. The things they could come up with were amazing. Though they lived in an isolated part of the world, far removed from modern influences, they had fashioned brilliant tools and machinery to help them in their activities. While they lived very simple lives, they had crafted highly effective equipment to record their wisdom, to maintain high levels of hygiene and to study the movements of the stars."

"Here we go with the stars again. When do you plan to tell me why you are so intrigued by the stars, in particular that bright one that pops up from time to time? My curiosity is starting to get the better of me, Julian," I pleaded.

"Next time for sure. For now, simply understand that every human being is endowed with creative tendencies. Begin to see your workplace as one giant idea factory, as a place where creativity and innovation are recognized and rewarded. Let your people know that they will now be allowed to take some risks. Teach them that failure is nothing more than learning how to win and that though some of the risks that they take may lead to setbacks, many will also lead to innovation. Spread this sentiment throughout the organization. Encourage creativity and make it clear that you are now open to listening to, understanding and implementing the best ideas of your people."

"Interesting. So risk taking is essential to innovation."

"Definitely. You can't get to third base with one foot on second. To remain compet.i.tive amid the idea era that modern business finds itself in, you and your managers must get your people to stretch themselves. You must give them the confidence they need to move out of their regions of security into uncharted places. You have to inspire them to be like b.u.t.terflies, not barnacles."

"What do you mean?"

"b.u.t.terflies spend their days exploring new vistas and rising to new heights. Barnacles, on the other hand, attach themselves to one spot and remain there for the rest of their lives. By encouraging your people to take risks and by not punishing them if they encounter the failures that are inevitable, you will free them to explore their imaginations. Remember what Southwest did to that manager who came up with an innovative new program that unexpectedly failed?"