Читать книгу Leadership Wisdom from the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Rituals of the Best Leaders - Робин Шарма - Страница 11

Of all of the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this – that you are the master of your thought, the molder of your character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment and destiny.

James Allen

My heart was racing as I turned onto the tree-lined country road that would eventually lead me to my golf club, a club widely recognized as one of the most prestigious in the entire country. Judges, senators, financiers and celebrities were well represented among the membership and a ten-year waiting list ensured this would remain the case for the foreseeable future. I felt lucky to be able to belong to such an establishment. I would have felt even luckier if I’d had the time to enjoy the facility on a more regular basis. With all the turmoil GlobalView was facing, a round of golf was nothing more than a fantasy.

As I approached the clubhouse, a massive wooden structure with majestic pillars and a breathtaking view of the beautifully manicured golf course and the lush gardens that surrounded it, I spotted Julian. He was sitting up on the verandah, his table shaded by an umbrella to protect him from the late afternoon sun. He appeared to be reading a book as he sipped his drink. And, in violation of the club’s rigid dress code, he still had on his ruby red robe. I couldn’t help but smile. Julian always did things his own way. And you had to love him for it.

“Julian,” I called out, as I got out of my car and walked up the stairs that led to the verandah.

As he saw me approaching, he stood up and extended his hand. “Thanks for coming, Peter. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

As we settled in, I ordered a martini. It had been another rough day at the office and I felt the drink would help me unwind. I had been under such pressure over the past few months that anything that would calm my nerves was welcome. “What are you reading?” I asked, looking down at the leather-bound book Julian held in his hand.

“It’s a book on the life of Gandhi.”

“I didn’t know you were into Gandhi. As a matter of fact, I can’t recall seeing you carry around a book in all the years I’ve known you.”

“I have nothing in common with the time-starved, overstressed Julian Mantle that you once knew. I’ve changed in so many ways you cannot imagine. One of the many lessons I learned in the Himalayas is that with the twin elements of knowledge and courage, all things are possible. So I now make sure that I read from a good book every single day. Doing so connects me to the intelligence I need and keeps me focused on where I’m going. And inspired by the knowledge of where I’m going, I maintain the courage to keep moving forward.”

“Interesting. But why Gandhi?”

“Since my time with the sages, I’ve become a serious student of leadership. When most people hear the word ‘leadership,’ they think of it only in the business context. They imagine leaders of companies, inspiring their followers to be more productive and committing themselves to their grand visions of the future. But the sages taught me that leadership is really much broader than that. Leadership is really a philosophy for life. While CEOs and managers can be great leaders, so can caring teachers, committed scientists and compassionate mothers. Coaches lead sports teams and politicians lead communities. And it all begins from within, by having the self-discipline to lead and know yourself. To understand that the essence of your life lies in leadership. As Robert Louis Stevenson once said, ‘To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.’

“Truly wise people aim, not only for leadership in their businesses but also within their lives. And so, since I’ve returned from the Himalayas, I’ve been studying the life of Gandhi, a man who I believe to have been one of the greatest all-round leaders ever to have graced the earth. He had the wisdom to lead his people in the direction of his future vision, but he also had the courage to lead himself and live with great character. He is a model of enlightened and effective leadership.”

“That’s hard to disagree with.”

“One day Gandhi was getting off a train when one of his shoes slipped off and onto the track. As the train had started to move, he could not retrieve it, so he did something that startled his companions.”

“Which was?”

“He removed his other shoe and threw it near where the first one sat. His companions immediately asked for an explanation. As he walked shoeless down the platform, he smiled gently and replied, ‘Now, the poor man who finds the shoe lying on the track will have a pair he can use.’”

“Wow.”

“Gandhi also had an abundance of humility, a great leadership quality if there ever was one.”

“Really? I never would have thought humility was that important.”

“Oh, but it is,” Julian replied as he gently called over a passing waiter and ordered a cup of herbal tea. Within minutes, the waiter had returned with a teapot and an elegant china teacup for Julian. Julian then started to pour the tea into the cup. He poured until the cup was full, but then, most oddly, he kept on pouring! Soon the tea spilled across the table onto the deck of the verandah. And yet he continued to pour.

“Julian, what are you trying to prove?” I asked incredulously.

“An essential leadership lesson,” he replied calmly. “Most leaders are a lot like this teacup.”

“How so?”

“Well, just like this cup, they are full to the brim. They have filled their minds so full of their opinions, ideas and biases that nothing new can get in. And in our rapidly changing world, where leaders must constantly be learning new concepts and equipping themselves with new skills, that’s a deadly character flaw.”

“So what’s the solution?”

“It’s simple. They must empty their cups. They must constantly be receptive to new knowledge. They must always view themselves as lifelong students, no matter how many initials and titles follow their names on their upscale business cards. They must adopt what the sages of the East refer to as the Beginner’s Mind, an essential attitude for every leader destined for success. They must grow humble. That’s why I say that humility is a fundamental leadership discipline. And this is why I have come to admire Gandhi.”

Julian continued, oblivious to the stares he was attracting from the other members who had come up to the verandah to relax after a round of golf. “The sage I told you about yesterday, the one I met while I was climbing along the mountain, was the nominal leader of the Great Sages of Sivana. After I accepted his condition and promised I would spread their system for leadership through the West, he introduced himself as Yogi Raman and led me along a series of intricate mountain paths that eventually led to a lush green valley. On one side of the valley stood the towering snow-capped Himalayas, majestically reaching high against the clear blue sky. The other sides were guarded by a thick forest of pine trees that spilled their fragrance throughout the valley. Yogi Raman smiled at me and said, ‘Welcome to the Nirvana of Sivana.’

“We then descended along another narrow path that took us deep into the forest. I still remember being powerfully affected by the smell of the pine and sandalwood that passed through the air of that otherworldly place. On the forest floor were richly colored orchids and other exotic flowers, the likes of which I had never seen before. Suddenly, I began to hear other voices as we approached a clearing. As we grew nearer, I caught a glimpse of a sight I can assure you I will never forget as long as I live.”

“What did you see?” I asked.

“Before me stood an entire village made solely from what appeared to be roses. At the center of the village was a tiny temple, the kind I had seen on my visits to Thailand and Nepal. But this temple was made of red, white and pink flowers, held together with long strands of multicolored string and twigs. Surrounding the temple was a series of small huts, apparently the simple homes of the monks.

“Even more astonishing were the inhabitants themselves,” Julian added. “The men wore the same red-robed uniform that Yogi Raman was wearing and smiled gently as they passed by. Their expressions conveyed a deep sense of serenity and their eyes a deep sense of wisdom. Rather than growing agitated at the sight of an unexpected visitor who had broken the sanctity of their mountain hideaway, they quietly bowed their heads and then continued to perform the tasks they had been working at. The women were equally impressive. Wearing beautiful pink silk saris that flowed to the ground and with their shiny black hair adorned by bright white lotuses, they moved gracefully through the village. I had never seen people like this before. Even though they were all mature adults, each one of them radiated joy, their eyes twinkling as an expression of their vitality and passion for life. Not one of them had wrinkles. Not one of them had gray hair. Not one of them looked old. I was speechless.”

Julian told me that Yogi Raman then showed him to his living quarters, a small hut that would serve as his home for the next few months.

“Let’s head down to the fairway,” said Julian, standing up. “I’ll continue with my story as we walk. And bring along those golf clubs,” he requested, motioning toward what appeared to be a well-worn set that someone had apparently forgotten on the verandah.

“Are you actually going to try and play a round in those robes?”

“No, there’s something much more important I want to show you.”

As we walked toward the golf course, Julian continued to share his amazing tale with me. Sensing his burning desire to learn the sages’ leadership wisdom, Yogi Raman took Julian under his tutelage. He spent literally every waking hour with his eager student, happily sharing his accumulated knowledge and instructing Julian on how to apply it. On some days they would rise with the sun and spend hours discussing the timeless truths that Yogi Raman had offered, Julian’s quick legal mind delighting in this powerful information he knew would change his life along with the lives of so many others in his part of the world. On other days, they would walk silently in the pine forest, enjoying the gift of each other’s presence while savoring the opportunity to reflect on the philosophies they had been discussing.

In time, the sage became more like a father to Julian than a teacher. He showed Julian how to see his life in a whole new perspective and truly liberate the fullness of his personal potential. Knowing of Julian’s brush with death after years of neglecting his health, Yogi Raman initially focused on teaching Julian an extremely powerful selfmanagement and life-improvement process that would transform the way he looked and felt.

The sage told Julian that “inner leadership precedes outer leadership” and before he could come to understand the time-honored dynamics of leading others, he had to understand how to lead himself. So Yogi Raman taught him little-known skills to manage stress, break his worry habit and simplify his life. He taught him how to enhance his energy levels, unblock his creativity and unleash his vitality. Within a number of weeks, Julian had undergone both an outer and inner metamorphosis. He looked years younger, was full of strength and felt more positive about his future than he had in many years. He actually began to believe he could do anything, be anything and make a real difference in the world by spreading the priceless wisdom he had discovered. The ancient lessons of the Great Sages of Sivana had started to work their miracles.

With his student returned to a splendid state of physical and psychological health, Yogi Raman began to share the leadership system Julian had promised would revolutionize GlobalView and allow it to reach a world-class level of achievement and effectiveness.

“This wise leader of the Great Sages of Sivana believed that all failure, whether in the business world or in one’s personal life, could ultimately be traced back to a failure in leadership. Companies don’t perform at their peak when their leaders are unskilled and unwise. People don’t perform at their best when they have no leadership over their lives. He told me that though he lived in an isolated part of the world, he knew there was what he called ‘a leadership crisis’ in our part of the world. Yogi Raman said he held the solution.”

“I’ve spent a lifetime reflecting on the elements of enlightened leadership,” Julian remembered the sage telling him one afternoon as they relaxed in a mountain meadow after exploring and hiking in that surreal place. “I’ve devoted many years to silently contemplating what made the greatest leaders so great. As a monk, I have pledged allegiance to the truth. So my life has been dedicated to searching for truths of leadership. Over time, I have come to understand that the most influential and respected leaders aligned their leadership with certain ancient laws. I’ve structured these laws into an extremely effective system for dynamic leadership, a blueprint of sorts that will help any leader realize his or her professional and personal potential. Now I shall share what I have learned with you.”

“And what did Yogi Raman tell you?” I asked intently, as we finally reached the barren golf course.

“He told me that the most enlightened, dynamic and effective leaders all possessed one quality that the lesser ones lacked.”

“And that quality is?”

“I think it would be better if I demonstrated it.” Julian then reached into the leather golf bag I was carrying and pulled out a club.

“You’re not going to tell me you also worked on your golf game while you studied under the sages!”

“Actually I did. I played golf every single day. It was very therapeutic and greatly contributed to my recovery.”

“Really,” I said in disbelief. “And I suppose these magical monks had also developed a world-class golf resort in the middle of their mountain hideaway so they could play a few rounds to break up the monotony of their days? Probably had little bamboo golf carts to whiz them from hole to hole, did they?”

“Very funny,” Julian replied, taking my sarcasm in stride. What else could he expect? His story was moving from the bizarre to the incredible. “No, I actually played golf in my mind, Peter.”

“I’ve never heard that one before.”

“A few years ago, I remember reading a magazine article about a Vietnam vet who managed to survive his days in solitary confinement by playing imaginary games of chess. Not only did this help him pass the time, it also dramatically improved his playing ability. By the time he got out and had the opportunity to play with a real opponent on a real board, his chess skills had become nothing short of brilliant.”

“Amazing.”

“I felt exactly the same way when I heard about that story, Peter. So when, in some of my quieter moments among the sages, I began to reflect on how much I had loved playing golf in my younger years, I decided I would model the war veteran’s strategy and practice playing golf in my mind. I had enjoyed the game so much as a kid, I thought it would greatly assist my recovery.”

“Did it make a difference in your golf game?”

“I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve been on a golf course in years. Actually, I think the last time I played was with you. But I’ve probably played over a thousand rounds in my mind, so I don’t really feel like I’ve been away from the game at all. Okay, watch closely now. I think what you’re about to see might surprise you.”

Julian then reached into his robe and pulled out the gold-plated golf ball that I’d returned to him.

“You’re not going to use that one are you? Do you have any idea how much that cost me Julian?” I asked, mildly irritated that my friend would use my special birthday present to him in his demonstration.

“Watch closely,” was the only reply I received as he focused intently on the hole at the other end of the fairway, his ultimate destination. Then with the ease and grace of a seasoned professional, he swung the club, striking the ball perfectly and sending it soaring high into the air. I’d never seen Julian hit the ball like that. However, in spite of his shot, it appeared as if the ball would fall short of its target. I looked at him and gave him my best “nice-try” expression.

Then something unbelievable happened. The ball seemed to speed up in the air, as if it had been blessed with the support of a convenient gust of wind. It now sped precisely toward its intended destination. A couple of groundskeepers, who had witnessed this display, had quickly taken off their hats so as not to miss seeing where the ball would land. Even a few of the golfers relaxing on the clubhouse verandah were leaning over the railing to see what would happen.

The ball then dropped down from the sky onto the green next to the first hole and began to roll slowly but directly toward it. No golfer had shot a hole in one on this course for quite some time, but perhaps my friend, adorned in the robe of a traditional monk and wearing nothing on his feet but his faithful sandals, would be the first to end this drought. The ball kept on inching toward the hole. Then it seemed to stop.

“Oh Julian,” I said, in sincere disappointment. “So close and yet so far.”

“Just wait, Peter. One of the leadership lessons I’ve learned is that immediately before a great victory, one will often experience some form of difficulty. The key is to maintain your focus and keep on believing.”

Then, just when it appeared to all that the ball had come to rest, it rolled the remaining two inches and dropped into the hole.

“Hurrah!” one of the groundskeepers shouted at the top of his lungs after witnessing this extraordinary event. Julian threw his fists into the air and began to do a little dance, obviously delighted by his achievement.

I simply laughed and shook my head. “Wow, Julian. You never cease to amaze me! Congratulations!”

After regaining my composure, I asked Julian how he did it. “Did you actually intend to shoot a hole in one?”

“I did. But to be honest, I wasn’t certain it would happen. I’d rehearsed that very shot on this very course hundreds of times in my mind when I was up in the Himalayas. It began to be a game I would play, just to keep my imagination sharp. I had great fun doing it. I must admit that even I’m a little surprised that my mental training produced such a fabulous result. But the fact it worked proves the important point I brought you down here to make,” offered Julian with a hint of mystery.

“Does it have something to do with the piece of the puzzle you gave me yesterday?”

“Yes, it does. Let me ask you this question, Peter. What do you think allowed me to shoot a hole in one the first time I stepped on a golf course after so many years?”

“Well, I think you answered the question yourself, Julian. It was because of your mental rehearsals during the time you were up in the Himalayas. You practiced doing what you just did so many times that you must have created something similar to a blueprint in your mind. Then you came down here today and, against the odds, translated that mental blueprint into reality.”

“Very good, Peter. You always had a quick mind and clearly understand the process I followed. I’m impressed.”

“You know I love the game of golf and will do anything to shave a couple of strokes off my game. So, over the past few months, I’ve been reading a lot of books on the lives and lessons of the world’s greatest golfers. If there was one thing they all agreed on, it was that ‘golf is a mental game.’ Jack Nicklaus, for example, mentioned that after walking the course he was about to play, he would envision the shots he hoped to make hundreds of times in his mind’s eye. This became his secret advantage. So when you told me you did the same thing, it really didn’t come as such a surprise.”

“And the greatest leaders in the world of business do the same thing,” Julian stated.

“They all visualize their golf shots?” I replied with a grin.

“No, Peter. They clearly envision their future paths in the present moment. They manufacture a crystal-clear blueprint or picture of what their companies will look like in the coming years. They know intimately the exact nature of the success they and their people are striving for. And every step they take is designed to move them closer to their vividly imagined future. In a word, my friend, they have a vision that inspires them to reach for the stars. That is the ultimate secret of their greatness as leaders.”

“It seems so simple. Just clearly envision my company’s future and I’ll become a great leader?” I queried.

“I didn’t mean to suggest it was that simple. There are many more leadership practices and philosophies followed by enlightened, high-performing leaders that allow them to lead as they do. Yogi Raman taught them all to me and I assure you I will soon share them with you. But, for now, just remember that great organizations begin with great leaders. And every great leader has bold dreams. Effective leaders are visionaries who craft clear pictures of their companies’ futures and then link them to the present activities of the people they are leading. In this way, all actions have a purpose: to bring the organizations closer to the result imagined by their leaders. It’s just like Woodrow Wilson said, ‘You are not here to merely make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget that errand.’ ”

“So well said.”

“And remember, once you surrender to your vision, success begins to chase you. Ultimately, you really can’t pursue success, success ensues. It flows as the unintended by-product of effective efforts concentrated in the direction of a worthy purpose.”

“Yogi Raman, a monk living high in the Himalayas, taught you that?” I queried.

“Yogi Raman spent many years studying the fundamentals of leadership by studying the lives of history’s greatest leaders. He shared with me a timeless system that anyone in a leadership position can use to inspire and energize his or her team into action and raise the organization to heights previously unimagined. Yogi Raman might not have known all the complexities of the modern world of business here in the West, but he didn’t need to. The wisdom he shared with me is based on ancient leadership truths that have been passed down through the centuries. These truths could also be characterized as immutable laws since, like the laws of nature, they have stood the test of time and will continue to do so. And while the world of business is drowning in a sea of change, these truths for leading people are not.”

“So every great leader is a visionary. He or she has made a clear connection to the future by vividly imagining an end result. It’s kind of like what Henry Kissinger was quoted as saying in the paper a few years back, ‘The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have never been.’ Is that an accurate way to summarize what you are telling me?”

“Yes it is, Peter. You seem to have grasped the concept well, perfectly actually. But I’ll offer you another example anyway. Do you remember that famous eye surgeon we used to play golf with from time to time?”

“Sure. I really liked the guy. He had a wonderful sense of humor.”

“That’s him. He also used to organize that annual gala dinner and dance for all the ophthalmologists in the city. Remember what he named it?”

“How could I forget?” I replied with a grin. “The Eye Ball.”

“Well, one afternoon, we were out on the course and I remember him telling me about one of his very young patients who suffered from a medical condition known as amblyopia. Apparently, another doctor had mistakenly put a patch over the child’s good eye rather than the one that needed protection. After the patch was taken off, it was discovered, to the surprise and sadness of all concerned, that the little boy had completely lost the sight in that good eye. Apparently, the eye covering had stunted the development of his vision and caused blindness. That’s the phenomenon that the term amblyopia describes.”

“Remarkable.”

“I’ve never forgotten that story, Peter. I also think it applies to the leadership lesson I’m offering to you. In today’s business world, too many leaders become creatures of habit. They do the same things in the same way with the same people every day. They rarely have new thoughts, generate fresh ideas or take calculated risks. Instead, they confine their leadership to a secure area of comfort and refuse to leave it. Such leaders eventually suffer from their own form of amblyopia.”

“How so?”

“By spending their days doing the same old things, it’s like they’ve placed patches over their good eyes. They become unable to see the tremendous opportunities presented by these rapidly changing times. And, eventually, by not using their natural vision, they lose it and grow blind. Never let this happen to you, my friend. Take your blinders off and start looking for new opportunities. The best way to succeed in the future is to create it. As Helen Keller once said, ‘I’d rather be blind than have sight without vision.’”

Julian continued. “Now that you understand that the most enlightened and effective leaders are ‘visionary leaders,’ my duty is to give you the tools and skills to help you become one. And this is where Yogi Raman’s leadership system comes in.”

“First may I ask you a quick question?”

“Sure,” Julian replied as we strolled back to the clubhouse.

“I really want to learn what you have to teach me. You know that GlobalView is in big trouble. My best programmers are jumping ship, morale has been destroyed, no one trusts management and teamwork is a thing of the past. In an industry that demands relentless innovation, we seem to have lost our creative fire. And all the change that we are being forced to deal with is crippling my people. Technology is changing, the industry is changing and our customers’ expectations are changing. On top of all that, I just can’t seem to figure out the direction in which the company needs to move.”

I continued to share my frustrations with Julian. “What I’m really trying to tell you is that I know I need to improve my leadership abilities. At Digitech, I was promoted to higher and higher management positions. And though I went to a few leadership development courses here and there, in all those years, no one ever really took me aside and taught me how to lead people. No one ever showed me what to do to deeply motivate my team or communicate more effectively. No one explained how I could boost productivity while enhancing employee commitment. I’ve never even learned something as fundamental as the art of managing my time and getting things done.

“And now that I run my own company it’s even worse. I always seem to have far too much to do and too little time. Everyone expects me to have all the answers to all their questions. I’m constantly under stress and take out my frustration on my people, which only makes things worse. As for a sense of balance between my professional and personal life, it’s just a dream. I say to myself ‘next year will be the year I get back into shape or start spending more time with my family.’ But things never seem to slow down. So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to really take advantage of our time together and dig deep into the elements of great leadership. I want to ask you some of the basic questions I’ve always wanted to ask but never did, for fear of looking foolish.”

“Please do,” Julian replied gently.

“Okay. First of all, what does the word ‘leadership’ really mean? What does it really stand for? Though I’m running a huge company with more than 2,500 employees, I’ve never really been able to pinpoint the meaning of the word.”

“It’s like I said before, leadership is all about focused action in the direction of a worthy purpose. Leadership is about realizing that the impossible is generally the untried. Many people think that a leader is the man or the woman with the title of CEO or president. Actually, leadership is not about position, it is about action. Your managers can be great leaders. Your programmers can be great leaders. The shop foreman down on the factory floor can be a great leader. You see, Peter, to lead is to inspire, energize and influence. Leadership is not about managing things but about developing people. Visionary leaders are those who understand that the true assets of any organization go up the elevator in the morning and down it every night. Quite simply, leadership is about helping people to liberate the fullness of their talents while they pursue a vision you have helped them understand is a worthy and meaningful one. You can do this. Your managers can do this. Even your frontline workers can show leadership in the work that they do. And the truly effective leaders have to live in two places at once.”

“I’m not sure I understand you.”

“The best leaders recognize that leadership is a craft, not a gift. They constantly work to refine their art. And one of the things they work hardest to develop is an ability to be present-based but futurefocused. Great leaders have mastered the twin skills of managing the present while, at the same time, inventing the future. That’s why I say they have to live in two places at the same time. They need to live in the present and guide the improvement of current operations by enhancing quality, streamlining systems and raising customer-care standards. But at the same time, they must create, shape and nurture a clear blueprint for the future. Yogi Raman put it elegantly when he said, ‘The visionary leader is one who has learned how to focus on the summit while clearing the path.’ A company without a fanatical commitment to refining operations will soon be surpassed by its competition. But a company without a strikingly clear ideal to work toward will soon be out of business.”

“And is this where the piece of the jigsaw puzzle you left with me yesterday comes in?”

“Yes. Do you recall what the words on it said?” Julian asked.

Luckily, I had brought the piece with me and quickly lifted it from the front pocket of the yellow golf shirt I had on.

“I couldn’t figure out what the design on it was but I was able to read the words.”

“Fine. And what did they say?”

“Ritual 1: Link Paycheck to Purpose,” I answered dutifully. “I’m not quite sure what that means, Julian.”

“You will be before long.”