Enlightened Leadership

Leadership 3.0: Next Practices to inspire exceptional leadership and organizational effectiveness

2012-02-01T00:09:00.000-08:00

Many well-meaning and well intentioned professionals and people from all walks of life are grappling with some critical questions. I certainly have.

Where are all the good leaders? Where are we headed as a country and world? Is there something wrong with our economic model? Is our capitalist economic model perfect the way it is or does it need evolving and tweaking? Is our political system in Washington broken? How can we come out of the socioeconomic crisis and political partisanship and gridlock? What would enlightened leadership look like at this time? Is government the problem or the solution? How well are our business organizations being run? Can business organizations and business leadership be models for good governance or the way we run our business organizations also contribute to the crisis we are facing?

I am afraid I do not agree with the general diagnosis and conclusions which sound something like this:

• Things used to be a lot better. We are getting more violent and greedy, less tolerant, and our moral and ethical values have degraded.

• Businesses, corporations and their leaders are selfish and greedy. We cannot trust them.

• Politicians cannot be trusted either, so let’s vote out the incumbents and bring in fresh blood.

The situation in reality is a lot more complex and not as simplistic or black and white. Sure we are facing serious challenges which if not resolved could have catastrophic consequences. At the same time, this is a great opportunity, perhaps the best in human history, to solve the unresolved challenges that have been around for a very long time. I also strongly believe that this is the best time to run a business organization that is in tune with human nature. Following is my take:

• We have a tendency to selectively pick information and glorify the past. Most socioeconomic indicators such as employee productivity, health and wellness, social inclusiveness and harmony, economic wealth creation, etc. suggest that we are much better off now than ever before.

• Even in the political arena, the divisiveness and ideological differences that we are witnessing is not new. It is the culmination of a trend that has always been there. In fact our wise founding fathers understood this aspect of human nature very well and setup the two-party system with appropriate checks and balances.

• What is this aspect of human nature? It is the necessity to choose either or solutions, seeing any issue or challenge as black or white and right or wrong. The good news is that this happens only in early stages of mental and emotional development. As we mature and become wiser (this is not dependent on age alone, old age and experience is no guarantee for wisdom. In fact many youngsters today are a lot more inclusive and thrive a lot better in diversity), we see the complexity of the challenge more clearly and do not opt for simplistic either or solutions.

• For example, the financial crisis and social tensions are neither created nor can be fully solved by a democrat or a republican, a liberal or a conservative. We are at a stage in our history where this reality is dawning upon a larger percentage of our country’s population than ever before. Typically this happens because of the convergence of two forces: (1) existing systems begin to crack and show signs of failing (2) we the people (the collective consciousness) get more evolved and are unwilling to put up with incomplete either or solutions.

• So the problem is not merely a selfish politician or a greedy banker or businessman, it is the collective will of the people. In an advanced democratic society like ours, we cannot play victim and blame “them” for our problems. Our political and business leaders are a true reflection of who we are collectively as a society. We have politicians and business leaders (1) who have high integrity, strong morals and ethics, (2) others who are in the middle of the road and (3) a few others who are much weaker. Now, if we are honest to ourselves, we can see the same behavior pattern in the families, societies and organizations that we are a part of.

In summary: We are facing a serious crisis today because of the culmination of bad behavior over time. This bad behavior is becoming more obvious now because of the increased transparency and technological tools. We are waking up and are unwilling to put up with questionable morals and ethics in our business, social and political organizations and its leadership.

Proposed Solution

If this is my take on the diagnosis of the problem, what do I propose is the solution? Let me answer it in the context of a business organization. We are witnessing a similar trend in business: trust in corporations and executive leadership is at an all-time low and so is the level of employee engagement.

According to a 2006 Gallup Poll for honesty and ethics in 21 job categories; business executives ranked 16th after building contractors, lawyers, U.S. Senators; and just above telemarketers, car salespeople, advertising practitioners, congress members & stockbrokers. We can only imagine how business executives rate in the current economic environment of the “great recession.” A recent Gallup survey puts the percentage of truly “engaged” employees in the US at 33%. A majority of workers, 49%, fall into the “not engaged” category, while 18% are “actively disengaged.” Less than 25% work at full potential, 50% do what is necessary to keep their jobs.

We made great strides in employee and organizational productivity over the past several years. Much has been said, written and implemented in improving the quality of products, services, strategy and execution. Opening up the markets and creating healthy competition certainly helped to achieve significant productivity improvements. In short democracy, empowerment and capitalism were the methods employed by business leaders to achieve the success that we have seen so far.

While we witnessed some high profile legal, moral and ethical lapses on the part of a few global business leaders, I do not believe that this indicates a worsening of corporate governance and human values. I do not subscribe to the viewpoint that there has been a degradation of ethics and moral values in the society in general and in business in particular. Instead our awareness has increased and so has the desire for enlightened living and enlightened leadership.

Our tolerance for misdemeanors has gone down and our expectation from business leadership is much higher than it used to be. It is no longer sufficient for business leadership to demonstrate financial success alone. Solid business performance, financial success and enhancing shareholder value are minimum requirements. The new expectation is to achieve these benchmarks by demonstrating high moral and ethical values without compromising on honesty and integrity.

Leaders of business organizations have to become role models for running their operations the way we expect our country to be run. At a microcosmic level, a business organization has the same issues to deal with (the question underneath represents a macro issue for the nation):

1. How is income, revenue, profitability?
a. How is the economy?
2. How engaged and optimistic are the employees and stakeholders?
a. How hopeful are the people in the direction of the country?
3. How fair and inclusive is the ownership structure and compensation and reward system in the
company?
a. What do you think of the tax structure in the country?
4. Do you trust the company’s (country’s) leadership with professional competence and personal
integrity?

Most businesses and the leadership teams don’t face the tough questions and feedback from their employees and stakeholders on leadership, integrity, fairness, inclusiveness, etc. If they were to take a poll, it wouldn’t look pretty. Can we afford not to? Can we leave that to the market forces, which are primarily focused on economic indicators?

Does it make sense for smart, educated, hardworking professionals in business organizations to have as less power as they do in evaluating and selecting their leadership team, and in determining the strategic direction of the company? This may have been okay for the command and control model of the industrial age; does it have any relevance now? Can we truly unleash the full potential of an organization and inspire the employees and stakeholders to give their very best and be fully engaged without giving this degree of freedom and respect to their opinions?

When even the poor and uneducated citizens of a democratic country are given the right to select their representatives in the government, isn’t it odd to see how little the opinion of employees matters to the leadership of a business organization?
Well, cutting edge leaders and organizations are grappling with this issue. Following are two examples of companies that are accelerating this process of engaging employees and creating reverse accountability.

HCL (Hindustan Computers Limited) – This is a $4 Billion Indian IT Services company with over 80,000 employees worldwide.

• Every employee rates their boss and their boss’ boss and the results are published online. The CEO Vineet Nayar shares the results of his 3600 evaluation with everyone in the company.
• Company strategy is distributed online and over 8000 people collaborate to review and update.
• Employees fill out a ticket if their issues are not resolved by their manager or internal service groups such as HR, finance, etc. It will be escalated further if not dealt within 24 hours and only the originator can close the ticket.

Semco, SA – A Brazilian ship-parts company with 3,000 employees and over $200 million in annual revenue.

• Company books are open to all employees with a transparent profit sharing plan.
• Meetings are voluntary and vacation time compulsory. Employees can leave meetings anytime if they are not interested.
• Employees suggest their own pay levels, assess performance of their bosses and are involved in the hiring decision of their managers.

These in my view are great examples of what’s “best for” business organizations. We have to let capitalism evolve to its highest natural state. While great progress has undoubtedly been made from the repressive public enterprises of the socialistic model, the management structure in many business organizations is still artificially stifled. Enlightened leadership and “full or natural” capitalism are synergistic – capitalism evolves to realize its highest potential by nurturing the highest expression of human nature. An organization run in this manner becomes a true role model. In this fully evolved capitalistic model, government and business don’t blame each other. They have to play by the same rules of enlightened leadership and governance.

Is Self Mastery in Business an Oxymoron?

2010-07-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

When I talk to business leaders, corporate executives and entrepreneurs on the role of self mastery in business execution, I am aware that not all of them are convinced of its importance. Some have a quizzical look on their face suggesting the question, “Is self mastery in business an oxymoron?” Even though none of them has phrased it that way I wonder sometimes if my passion and conviction stops them from asking.

On the other hand, I am frequently asked a more practical question: “Can you give an example of how self mastery would help in business execution and business leadership?” The answer, of course, is yes, and in this post I will offer an example that reveals the relevance of this vital but often overlooked aspect of leadership. To make it even more relevant and current, I will address this example in the context of the Gulf Oil spill and a suggested “right action” from BP’s leadership team. What I shall try to show is that even if the crisis appears to be entirely in the realm of leadership and business, there is a deeply personal component that is central to the crisis and cannot be ignored if we are to achieve the most satisfactory outcome.

How to deal with a business crisis – the personal and leadership components: A six step process.

Step I: Fully accept the situation

Do not try to downplay the enormity of the crisis. Do not be in denial and do not be paralyzed by the thought of past disasters and fearing future worst case doomsday scenarios. Be completely present and take full responsibility and accountability for the situation. Be ready to quit on moral grounds - this is not abdication of duty but a powerful demonstration that you are not attached to the position but only to doing the right thing. This resolve starts with the CEO and the leadership team. It has to be then swiftly communicated to all the employees, stakeholders, the local community and in this case the whole world.

Avoid two common mistakes made in crisis situations: (a) we distance and separate ourselves from the problem and blame someone else or (b) we take on the sole burden and blame ourselves overly. In the former situation we are playing the victim and in the latter we are putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves. The truth is generally somewhere between these extremes.

How can the BP leadership possibly blame itself overly one might ask? Aren’t they solely responsible for this? Isn’t the real problem that they are not taking adequate responsibility? Well, the Gulf Spill is a symptom of a larger systemic problem or problems. Let me list a couple:

1. Cutting corners on safety to maximize profits: Corporate profit is something all stakeholders want; it is ingrained in our system. We are willing to overlook “minor” infractions till they blowup in to a crisis.
2. Responding to consumer demand: BP like any other oil company or any company in general is responding to demand. We are collectively unwilling to make the sacrifices and lifestyle changes that are necessary to reduce our over reliance on oil. It is not just the fuel in the automobiles we drive; oil has permeated all aspects of our life style – plastic, asphalt, cosmetics, perfumes, disposable diapers, detergents, soaps, flooring, sports equipment, contact lenses, etc.

The leadership has to forgive, forget, and deal with the situation as it actually is right now. Failure to do so will affect physical health and impairs mental sharpness and judgment, the very things that are necessary to be in peak condition to resolve the crisis.

Step II: Be grateful

Suspend judgment, fear, anger, disappointment and frustration for being in the difficult, seemingly no-win situation. It is natural to experience these feelings but the key is to snap out of it in the shortest possible time. The best way to deal with those feelings is to observe them. Do not judge or critique the feelings, do not be consumed by them, just witness them dispassionately and allow them to melt away.

See the bright side even in the darkest of times. Be grateful for being in a position to solve a critical problem which is symptomatic of serious issues concerning business organizations, governance and economic models that are threatening the harmony and prosperity of our planet. Solving this problem may provide a prototype to resolving similar challenges.

Step III: Be open

Be actively alert to pick up signals and suggestions from everywhere. Let the answers come. When we suspend fear and judgment and still our mind, the universe speaks and intuition kicks in. Declare intention to utilize your gifts and all available resources, and to realize the full potential of the organization. The answers and possible solutions can come from many sources – employees, stakeholders, scientists, environmentalists, researchers, thought leaders, volunteers, non-profit organizations, politicians, etc. Create a powerful crisis management team by picking the best and brightest. A competent leader and leadership team channels the frustrations, criticisms and helplessness of the stakeholders and community in to a highly effective team of problem solvers and solution providers. In this situation guidance comes from the convergence of internal and external intelligence, from the convergence of personal and universal intelligence.

Step IV: Focus on Right Action

Focus and direct all action towards fulfilling this guidance. Actions speak louder than words and leadership is better served in helping remove obstacles to creating an environment of excellence. Examples:

Performance inhibitors - Wanting to be right, holding on to preconceived notions and forcing consensus.

Performance enhancers – Transparency, humility, compassion and generosity (especially to victims of oil spill).

We have to constantly work on increasing our capacity for action by maintaining a sound body, mind and spirit. The leadership team has to set an example by making sure action “flows” without rushing or being overly anxious no matter how severe the crisis. Based on individual capacity we have to continue to maintain our exercise routine and personal discipline such as nutritious diet, positive mental attitude and fearless spirit.

Step V: Course correct

As you are implementing and executing, be open to feedback and course correct if necessary. Even though we may be sure of the direction, we have to be flexible for all the details to be worked out. This may seem like a paradox but is a key to superior execution. There is never a prescribed solution or a cookie cutter approach. No two crisis situations are alike. No amount of prior experience could have fully prepared anyone to deal with the 9/11 attack. It took enormous courage under pressure and real-time decision making to successfully deal with the situation.

Step VI: Trust in the solution

Trust in the solution and the ultimate result. Even with a clear vision and goal, we do not know what the exact result will be when our strategy bumps into conditions “on the ground.” Not trusting the outcome weakens the force of our actions. By allowing the quality of action to suffer, we increase the chance that our fears and doubts will manifest rather than our desired results. We have to believe that the solution will emerge and have to be completely self assured in this conviction.

Be confident of your vision and your ability to execute out of the crisis and exhibit humility at the same time. Humility comes from the recognition that the source of greatest confidence is surrendering to or being open to the universal intelligence. Although it may seem contradictory or at least paradoxical to speak of “mastery” and “surrender” in the same breath, I am not speaking of any kind of giving up or weakness, but rather of the ability to set aside personal weaknesses such as attachment and fear, and align one’s thought and action with the intelligence that organizes all of nature in support of life and progress. This is a state of mastery, a state of higher consciousness. This state cannot be intellectually faked nor can it be ripped off or copied. It has to come from within.

We are all in this together

It is not always obvious how we are contributing to or connected to the problem. Political gridlock or environmental degradation, to take two of innumerable possible examples, does not occur just because of “selfish politicians” or “greedy businessmen.” It is too simplistic and incorrect to think that way. We are all in this together. On closer examination we will notice how our personal choices are contributing to these problems, for instance by lack of participation in the political process or irresponsible lifestyle choices. After all the greedy businessman or selfish politician is the reflection of our own lives, our collective consciousness. In an advanced, democratic society like ours, the politician or the businessman who rises to the top is one among us. It is highly unlikely (other than in exceptional circumstances) that their value system is much different from the way we lead our lives. This may be hard to accept but it is the truth. What are we doing personally to reduce the burden of our dependence on oil! A balanced perspective is needed rather than an emotional reaction to find scapegoats. A leader’s job is to demonstrate this perspective. As leaders of our lives we have to ask ourselves, how are we doing on this count?

Self Mastery and Leadership

Most organizations and its leaders do not fully appreciate the human dimension of the execution crisis. Part of being human is having emotions, feelings, desires, fears, disappointments and attachments. We cannot ignore them or will them away. By attempting to do so, we are denying the obvious. For peak performance, the most important work a business or organizational leader has to engage in is in mastering these emotions. There is generally less emotional attachment and drama in business than in our personal lives, but these are by no means absent. Not addressing this human dimension fully and attempting to solve the execution problem with a predominantly intellectual, rational approach has led to the current state of crisis. We have no choice but to be fully human in our business environments if we are to attain full potential of organizational performance and execution.

The leadership task is to maintain composure, tell the truth, see the bigger picture and perspective, gain the confidence and trust of all stakeholders – this is Mastery and wisdom which is the most important leadership requirement. Many of us know this intellectually but have a hard time taking the right action, especially in a crisis, in an environment of fear and uncertainty. It takes Self Mastery to convert the ideas to Right Action, to convert the natural inherent fear to passion for creating excellence.

Now it is my turn to ask: Why is Self Mastery not relevant to business execution? How can we achieve superior execution without Self Mastery? Isn’t it time we say it the way we see it?

The Execution Challenge and a Proposed Solution

2010-06-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

I have been fortunate to work with some of the top global organizations and its leaders, outstanding CEOs of small to medium size organizations and brilliant entrepreneurs. These leaders and their organizations typically have solid critical thinking and analytical skills and a vast knowledge of their markets, customers, products, services and competitors. They utilize and have access to the best tools and frameworks to help communicate, improve productivity and capture the information and intelligence. The other defining characteristics of these high achievers and the organizations they have built and lead are a strong work ethic, high IQ and a passion to excel and succeed.

But in spite of their best efforts and varying degrees of financial success, some observations that were common to all of them fascinated me:

• The companies and their leadership teams could execute a lot better.
• The level of engagement and commitment to succeed together could be improved significantly.
• The individual talent and brilliance doesn’t quite get translated to a peak performing team and organization.
• Even the best function well below their full potential; there is a great reservoir of creativity, innovation and productivity that could be tapped and put to use.
• These high-performing leaders very often pay a heavy price in stress and a lack of balance in their lives.

No wonder the #1 Challenge for Corporate and Business Executives today is consistent and effective Execution. The ability to execute effectively and consistently is a key indicator – perhaps the key indicator – of sustainable success. This may be self-evident to those of us who are dealing with the challenges of productivity and success on a daily basis, but there is also a growing body of empirical evidence to support this assertion.

According to the international research group, the Conference Board, a vast majority of CEOs from 40 countries ranked “Excellence in Execution” as their greatest concern among 121 different challenges. A wide range of other research on US organizations and their work force by Balanced Scorecard Collaborative, Gallup, Bain & Co., Strategy+Business, Towers Perrin, ComPsych, etc. indicates that:

• 85% of Organizations fail to execute
• 80% of Projects fail
• 75% of Mergers & Acquisitions fail

Research also presents us with these disheartening numbers on workforce engagement:

• 33% of employees are truly engaged
• 49% are not engaged
• 18% are actively disengaged

In addition, research corroborates the almost universal sense we all have that stress is rampant in the workplace and in society as a whole. One major study found the following:

• 55% experience high levels of stress with symptoms of extreme fatigue and the feeling of being out of control
• 42% experience constant but manageable stress

Ironically it is the most (financially) successful organizations and its leaders who recognize this phenomenon and admit that they could potentially be a lot more effective and execute much better. Most if not all of them feel that their financial success is being achieved at a personal cost – a lack of balance among physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual well-being.

Why is this? What gives?

THE SOLUTION

Research and my own interactions with top leaders and organizations for more than twenty years suggests that at least part of the answer is an over reliance on intellect and the consequent neglect of emotional, social and visceral skills.

Organizational execution requires the ability to collaborate and to inspire people to perform. To truly collaborate requires us to connect at a deeper visceral level, to the heart and spirit. Team building, motivating, inspiring others has an intellectual component and may be partially based on learnable principles, but the human dimension plays a necessary part.

Some of the hardest things for human beings to do are also what it takes to build trust and inspire action and collaboration. What are they?

• Admit it when you are wrong – emotionally not just verbally
• Include the excluded – be inclusive and fair
• Accept criticism
• Be Transparent – Authentic
• Exhibit Unconditional Love
• Be truly Objective
• Perform Right Action - Detached from wanting to be right and detached from the outcome.

To demonstrate these human skills requires personal mastery. This goes beyond the domains of both IQ and EQ. These are qualities of being in higher states of consciousness; we could call the capability to perform and interact in these more evolved, more spiritually mature ways SQ (Spiritual Quotient). Being spiritual has no necessary connection with religion, nor does it imply being soft on non-performance, two common misconceptions. In fact, it is the exact opposite – SQ is about doing the right thing, taking the hard decisions in a truly objective manner. It is appealing to the innermost yearning for excellence, fairness, purpose and mastery that I believe is the common heritage of all human beings.

Being in higher states of consciousness is often considered the key to happiness and contentment in life. But what is rarely perceived is that it is also the single most important differentiation for Execution, Innovation and solving the most critical business challenges. Superior business and leadership skills are directly connected to Self Mastery.

SHIFT

The execution crisis is being exacerbated because of a significant shift taking place in the collective consciousness of humanity. The economic and financial models that we are utilizing do not fully take in to account the factors that motivate and inspire people in higher states of consciousness. In the past sixty years or so, our society has been gradually shifting from Level I to Level III:

• Level I – Security, Stability
• Level II – Prestige, Achievement
• Level III – Purpose, Mastery, Fulfillment

Living in a generally secure society with stable institutions (Level I) most of our business, financial and economic models are geared for a population whose values and motivations are characteristic of Level II. But as we evolve, it becomes very difficult to inspire people, whether employees or other stakeholders, with money, prestige and achievement alone when they are also seeking purpose and mastery (Level III). Therein lies both the problem and the opportunity. The fact that the existing models are not working very well certainly is a cause for concern, but the recognition that they are no longer satisfactory because we are evolving offers us hope.

How do we know this shift is taking place? There are two defining characteristics:

• Personal Growth: We are heavily engaged (more than at any other time in recorded history) in holistic development and holistic health – physical, emotional and spiritual. This is a $10B industry in the US and $100B worldwide.

• Concern for Universal Well-Being: We as concerned citizens are spending significant time, effort and money in alleviating universal challenges – Natural disasters, Energy and Environment, Health and Healthcare, HIV/AIDS, Employment Insecurity, Social Inequity, Extremism and Terrorism, etc. wherever the need is in the world.

I find that most organizations don’t perceive or understand the human dimension of the execution crisis. They recognize that there is a problem, but they interpret it as a strategy problem, a market positioning issue, a customer intimacy challenge, a project failure, or a sales management concern. But these are usually just symptoms.

In the attempt to resolve the difficulties that they do perceive, they frequently reach for a “fix” of some kind, often by bringing in external expertise, or by investing in a new tool or framework. They may offer various programs involving stress management, wellness, team building, and so on. These have their value, but there are two inherent difficulties with this approach:

• Most if not all of these programs don’t go deep enough to solve the “human dimension” issues and do not meet the needs of a sophisticated and evolving, knowledge workforce.
• These programs are rarely connected to the realities of business – strategy execution, market and sales positioning, customer intimacy, project management, etc.

Because these “fixes” are inherently insufficient to enliven the deeper human dimensions that alone can fully solve the problem, the end result is that the level of engagement becomes worse, and the attempted solution is seen to be yet another temporary band-aid.

Unleashing the Full Potential

Until recently, most leaders and organizations have relied heavily on IQ to solve business challenges. Then we learnt about EQ. While we now appreciate the role of emotional and social development, we still do not have a good understanding of how visceral and self mastery skills help us in enhancing leadership effectiveness and organizational execution. Now we need leaders and leadership teams who have high IQ, EQ and SQ. These folks are not only passionate, driven, analytical and accountable. They also possess additional qualities of mastery and collaboration. This group of people is increasing and will need to be tapped in organizations for improved effectiveness and execution. They are not only well trained and experienced in Business strategy, execution, operations and leadership but are adept at connecting at a deeper level and inspiring teams and organizations to superior performance. They integrate best practices in business with mastery.

In the next post I will give examples of specific business challenges that can be solved by utilizing this process. This integration is what it takes to build thriving business organizations, a prosperous economy, radiant health and a peaceful and harmonious planet.

New Economic Model - Next Economy

2010-03-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

The state of economy plays a major role in our individual and collective lives. Many of our decisions, actions, lifestyle choices and organizational policies are guided by the economic situation. Appropriate compensation and fair economic distribution is a critical ingredient for a vibrant and thriving business organization, society and nation. Motivating and inspiring employees and stakeholders of business organizations and citizens of a country to perform and produce to their fullest potential is tied to the “perceived fairness” of individual compensation and collective economic distribution. The perceived fairness in turn is linked to hierarchy of human needs and the state of human consciousness.

As human needs and human consciousness evolve, the economic models have to evolve and adjust accordingly. I believe there is a major positive shift taking place in the collective consciousness in the US and the democratic and developing world. This shift has a far reaching impact on businesses, organizations, economic models and life styles of people.

We will explore an economic model that incorporates the transformation in collective consciousness. For the sake of convenience let us divide the time frame in to three Eras and the geography of nations covers the industrialized and developing economies. Eras I, II and III represent a progression of timeline. This model is not meant to be black and white or comprehensive. There might in fact be an overlap between Eras but there is clearly a predominant system that belongs to a particular Era.

Era I: Basic Human Needs

• This Era is characterized by a focus on basic needs of existence – food, air, water, security, stability, law and order.
• General aspirations were relatively simple – livelihood and security were the primary drivers for people and economies.
• It does not mean that people were happier and more contented. The economic opportunity and possibility was just not there. It also does not mean that they were less greedy and less selfish. Within the economic landscape of the time (livelihood and security) they were equally greedy and selfish as we are now.
• People were more narrow-minded and less tolerant of diversity and minorities than we are now.
• An early stage of relatively slow growth characterized by increasing prosperity but wealth is concentrated with a few, not very democratic.
• Leadership style and Governance is top-down and hierarchical in public and private sector industries and organizations.
• Some nations are autocratic; some other nations struggling with democracy. Economy was generally characterized by protectionism.
• Some countries followed socialistic model which stifled creativity, innovation and did not adequately reward and incentivize hard work. The collective consciousness was not ready for higher ideals of caring, sharing, personal growth and fulfillment, etc. The focus was on more basic needs and the implementers themselves did not practice what they preached.

Era II: Consumerism and Materialism - Luxury and status needs

• We are now coming to the end of this era which has been characterized by unprecedented growth and prosperity. An era marked by pursuit of achievement, status, luxury and reputation. Aspirations are sky high – growth, status and achievement have been the primary drivers for people and economies.
• Wealth and money is pursued with unprecedented zeal and enthusiasm, with no apparent end to growth and opportunity. Wealth is distributed among a larger population.
• While the gap between the rich and not-so-rich has increased, we have also witnessed a rising middle class. Many people joined the middle class thereby achieving and affording material comforts that they could only dream of. This has also given hope and increased aspirations for a large population around the globe.
• People are lot more open, broadminded and accepting of managing diversity and minorities. Pursuit of wealth and material comforts is the mantra and the common bond.
• Leadership and governance is a lot more transparent and democratic. High profile scandals and business collapses do not mean degradation of values and ethics. We are now more aware, less tolerant and our systems demand more transparency and accountability.
• Democracy is on the rise. More countries become democratic and existing democracies become smoother and more efficient.
• Free market economy characterized by liberalization and globalization. This has been a period of great innovation and improvement in productivity.
• However the growth at any cost mantra has caused stress and loss of balance in life. Without adequate checks and balances to punish greed and prevent exorbitant compensation for a few, the system is cracking with the need to tweak our economic model.
• This period has also been characterized by record high debt levels and cycle of false economies based on financial reengineering, which got progressively worse after a series of bubbles and crashes.
• Consumerism was the primary growth engine. It is proving to be unsustainable as the rise in collective consciousness is shifting away from consumerism. We are discovering that acquiring more and bigger “things” is not giving us lasting happiness and fulfillment. We have been liberated by prosperity not fulfilled by it – but liberation is essential for fulfillment to begin.

Era III: From Liberation to Fulfillment

• We are on the verge of a kinder, gentler era with a shift from consumerism to contentment. We are shifting our focus from pursuing material luxuries to personal growth and fulfillment. There is a genuine and deep desire for service and universal wellbeing among a sizeable section of population.
• We no longer believe that (1) people are motivated by money alone and (2) acquiring and consuming more is the key to happiness
• This Era will be characterized by a deep desire and collective will to resolve serious global issues - Global Warming, Ecological Imbalance, Energy Crisis, Quality & Cost effective Healthcare, HIV/AIDS, Employment Insecurity, Social Inequity, Extremism and Terrorism.
• People from all walks of life are actively participating through financial contribution and voluntary efforts towards alleviating these serious issues for the sake of universal wellbeing. We are also working on our personal (emotional and spiritual) development to bring more peace and contentment in their own lives.
• This shift in consciousness is a spiritual awakening, a genuine desire to do good and contribute towards personal and universal wellbeing. While it is not always necessary (there are several exceptions to this rule) to experience spiritual awakening after Material and Emotional needs are met, it certainly helps that there has been a steady growth in economic prosperity, the current global financial crisis not withstanding.
• In fact the global financial crisis is forcing us to revisit our economic and business valuation models. There is more introspection than ever before on the role of material prosperity and luxuries for a fulfilling and contented life.
• The focus will be to create economies with services and goods that provide sustainable benefits to mankind. We will seriously examine what is valuable to the world and build economic systems that reward people and companies for creating that value.
• The new economy will be driven by solutions to resolve the above global issues and conflicts. Moving away from consumerism will not result in a drop in “economic flow” as some fear but will be a shift. Ex: Instead of buying an extra fancy vehicle that I cannot afford I may decide to hire a wellness coach and change my life style. I am still spending money but differently. It may be on (1) more expensive organic food (2) a new hybrid car to do my part for the environment (3) contribute to solving health care crisis (4) go on a wellness retreat and get recharged.
• While Era I was about tolerating diversity and Era II is managing diversity, this Era is characterized by being completely comfortable with it and thriving in diversity. This is also the key to resolving global conflicts based on religion, culture, ethnicity and national barriers. These differences and conflicts have been plaguing us for centuries with no apparent solution, till now.
• Recognizing universal connectedness and common human aspirations for professional excellence and personal fulfillment comes with spiritual growth and rise in consciousness. This is obvious in higher states of consciousness. We are better positioned than ever before in our history to overcome the superficial barriers and conflicts and ring in an Era of deeper understanding that is in tune with human nature.
• The new economy will have more checks and balances to prevent exorbitant compensation and excessive income disparity. Liberalization, globalization and free markets will continue to thrive. Need for tweaking but no overhaul or transformation of economic model or system is necessary.
• The global economic crisis will not last too long. It could be short if the general population can overcome the fear and confusion it is under. Government and business leadership has to instill confidence, security and provide clarity.
• When we get our collective act together, we can turn this around and start a new cycle of growth and prosperity but this time we will be pursuing more meaningful and purposeful growth and we will be a lot more inclusive.

Strategy Execution

2010-01-31T18:49:00.000-08:00

Strategy development and execution is my favorite discipline since it encompasses all the elements of what it takes to build an exceptional (or what I call an Enlightened) organization and leadership team. Like many of you, I have participated in, developed and implemented strategies for organizations of all sizes. No matter what the size of the organization and what the nature of business, the basic steps and activities are always the same. Much has been said and written on this topic. My intent is not to rehash but to add to the great work that has already been done.

Let us first start by summarizing the generally accepted best practices in Strategic Planning:

1. Great execution is more important than having an excellent strategy with poor execution. Execution has to be viewed as a high value, intellectual exercise by the leadership of the organization.
2. Strategic planning is a dynamic, not a static process. It has to account for the rapid change in market conditions.
3. Strategy has to be integrated into the operational process and capability of the organization.
4. Establish measurement metrics and frequently evaluate progress to ensure execution is on track.
5. Leadership involvement and communication are crucial to the success of strategy implementation.
6. Focus on organizational wide buy-in and collaboration to ensure success of strategy deployment.
7. The right strategy for the organization has to be focused not just on the market requirement and competitive weakness but heavily on the organization’s capability and capacity to execute.

Most organizations would do well to implement these seven best practices. The focus of our work though is for teams and organizations that want to take Strategic Planning or more appropriately Strategic Execution to the next level. Following are eight principles and practices followed by exceptional and enlightened teams and organizations:

1. They believe in and pursue great strategy and great execution. Unlike many teams who implicitly or explicitly take an either or approach (average strategy with strong execution or a strong strategy with average execution), the enlightened teams don’t settle for that. They recognize that great execution begins with a collaborative approach to developing a compelling strategy.
2. Focus on alignment of values: They achieve full engagement and full commitment from the team by clearly defining the fundamental operating values and working hard to ensure alignment. Examples of these values are openness, honesty, collaboration, risk taking, peer coaching and mutual accountability. Doing the right thing is more important than being right.
3. They do not rush in to or force a consensus on strategy. By thoroughly reviewing strategic options they achieve consensus on commitment to a strategy even if they have individual reservations. Differences of viewpoint are encouraged with a clear focus on decisive action.
4. They don’t game the system but set targets to stretch their capability and unleash their full potential. In a growing market, improving market share and sales revenue from the previous years is not so difficult. Neither is reducing product development time when the newer design tools and technology improve productivity.
5. Be Present: They do not let disappointments of the “past” or fear of “future” failure affect their perception of current reality. They work hard to overcome narrow agendas and limiting beliefs.
6. Tap in to collective intelligence: They ensure that input from all representative groups of the organization is considered, especially from teams responsible for implementation. This is even more important when external experts are brought in for strategy planning.
7. Great execution begins with people and planning: They plan meticulously and take the time to allocate and match resources for implementation. They are open to learning and course correction.
8. Going beyond involvement: Leadership demonstrates commitment and practical wisdom by identifying and removing obstacles that come in the way of full engagement and total commitment.

Many of these practices are based on a keen understanding of human nature, human potential and tapping into values, characteristics and behaviors that inspire extraordinary performance. These characteristics, such as deep listening, inclusiveness, fairness, objectivity, transparency, integrity, high value facilitation go even beyond emotional intelligence. They are qualities of higher states of consciousness.

In my experience with teams and organizations, I find that the good ones are quite strong in the following important areas:

1. Knowledge of the market, customers, competition and their own organizational capabilities.
2. Intelligence (IQ), analytical skills, work ethic and drive to succeed.
3. Technology and tools to communicate and share information expeditiously and efficiently.
4. Process and methodology to develop strategy, position the company and to execute successfully.

But the enlightened organizations develop the unique ability to coherently put this all together and deliver consistently. This is a leadership job and to do this well requires the leadership team to be in a higher state of consciousness – analytically, emotionally and viscerally.

Many organizations and their high IQ leaders do a good job of articulating the importance of buy-in and collaboration, but it is the ones with emotional depth and visceral skills that translate it to effective and consistent practice. They remove the obstacles that come in the way and establish the environment to inspire full engagement and commitment.

High Performance and Enlightened Leadership

2010-01-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

Last week I indicated that highest levels of effectiveness and fulfillment can be achieved by unleashing our full potential. Some of us are leaders in and leaders of organizations but all of us are leaders of our respective lives. So let us talk about this in the context of leadership effectiveness.

Some of the universally accepted characteristics of high performance leadership are intellect, passion, drive, courage and being tough, decisive and hardnosed. But is this sufficient? What else does one need to reach higher levels of effectiveness? My experience with exceptional and enlightened leaders uncovered an additional dimension. In addition to these traits they display, utilize and embrace qualities such as humility, compassion, unconditional love and complete inclusiveness. These are qualities associated with deeper emotional and spiritual development.

A high performance leader has strong analytical/intellectual and reasonable emotional skills whereas an enlightened leader unleashes his or her full potential to fully develop analytically, emotionally and spiritually. Spirituality in my experience is independent of religion, meaning one doesn’t have to be religious to be spiritual. In fact a narrow minded religious dogma comes in the way of spiritual development.

We talk a good human potential game but don’t do much to help unleash that in our organizations. There seems to be an implicit view that it is not possible for a leader to be passionate and compassionate, have courage and humility, be hard nosed and inclusive and be intellectual, emotional and spiritual at the same time. They are perhaps seen as mutually exclusive and conflicting qualities. We therefore do a poor job of identifying, rewarding, promoting and hiring people and leaders who exhibit these enlightened qualities in our businesses.

While it is true that the percentage of population that exhibits these enlightened qualities is less (25% according to some experts), there are clear signs that it is increasing. Progressive organizations that recognize this have programs, practices and incentives in place to develop their high performing leaders to enlightened leaders. For example a high performance leader relies more on intellectual knowledge, academic learning and experience; whereas an enlightened leader additionally works on self awareness and self mastery.

The benefits of enlightened leadership are too strong to be ignored. A high performance leader inspires with material and emotional incentives with a focus on achieving financial results. An enlightened leader inspires by appealing to the innermost, deep human yearning for material, emotional and spiritual well-being, and achieves higher levels of engagement in an organization. A high performance leader is focused on the bottom-line but could be swayed by human attachments and relationships. An enlightened leader treats all with respect but is “detached” when it comes to human attachment. A sense of duty and responsibility is the primary motive which actually leads to stronger top-line and bottom-line results.

Example: An enlightened leader is quick to take a decisive action on a non-performing executive even with a track record of strong performance and longstanding personal relationship. More importantly there is a dispassionate calm in the decision with no feeling of unease, stress or guilt.

Following are some other critical leadership traits in which an enlightened leader excels by utilizing the full repertoire of intellectual, emotional and spiritual skills:

Judgment: Experience is the basis for sound judgment in the case of a high performance leader. However experience alone is not sufficient to deal with the complex issues leaders have to face. An enlightened leader derives the capacity for judgment by “being present” 24x7.

Universality: A high performance leader identifies with and derives strength from a social, religious, ethnic or political affiliation and tends to alienate those that do not share the same affiliation. An enlightened leader looks beyond affiliations and works to do the right thing and unite.

Listening: A high performance leader listens politely and intellectually with an open mind and possible internal static. An enlightened leader listens deeply, viscerally with empathy and an open mind and an open heart.

An enlightened leader personally pursues holistic development and creates an environment that
• Is fun, inclusive and collaborative
• Has a compensation model that is fair and is based on contribution and value provided by the individual and the team
• Promotes programs for self mastery, provides time off and offers flexibility for community service and charitable work

Many high IQ and high performance leaders do a good job of articulating the importance of such an environment whereas the enlightened leaders translate it to effective and consistent implementation. They bake self mastery programs in the DNA of the organization. Adherence to enlightened values and qualities is recognized, rewarded and tied to compensation.

Next week we will explore the Practices and Principles of exceptional and enlightened teams in Strategy development and execution.

New Year Greetings - Unleash Your Full Potential

2010-01-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

I wish all of you a joyous, healthy and prosperous New Year 2010. I am delighted to inform you that I will be sharing the results of my twenty plus years of research on unleashing the human potential. Many of you know that this has been my mission, passion and obsession 24x7.

My Journey – Our Journey

I was seeking effectiveness in my personal and professional life and realized along the way that highest levels of effectiveness cannot be reached without fulfillment. What I was really after is unleashing my full potential. It is my belief that all of you are also in different stages of the same search. My search and research took me to eclectic global leaders, spiritual masters and seekers from all walks of life. I deeply studied human nature, practiced advanced techniques, discovered and developed a transformational model that highly effective and enlightened leaders follow.

I successfully practiced various aspects of this model with corporate leaders, business executives and high achievers. I now want to share these proven techniques in an integrated message to a wider audience in a series of topics on my blog: www.unitigroup.com We will discuss: High performance and Enlightened Leadership, Organizational execution and engagement, “True” performance evaluation, Economic and leadership evolution, critical steps to transformation from a high performance state to an enlightened state.

I am proud and grateful for the many beautiful personal and professional relationships that I have developed over the years. Communicating through this blog will allow me to share valuable insights and practical techniques in an endeavor that is of interest to all of us – leading a life of effectiveness and fulfillment. Please sign-up by clicking on “Follow” to the right side of this Blog. Feel free to share this information with your friends and colleagues.

I wish you the strength to set lofty goals that stretch your capacity and the discipline of action to fulfill them in 2010.

Stay Present – Unleash your full potential

2009-12-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

Boris Becker was 17 years old when he won the prestigious Wimbledon Tennis Championship in1985, a rare feat. He is the youngest player ever to do so. The experts who were watching him play were fascinated by one remarkable quality in the young man. He would completely forget about a bad shot he had made in the previous point and be fully focused on the current point. They went on to say that even the best players are seen admonishing themselves long after a poor shot or decision was made thus affecting their game at the present moment. Becker was able to be “present” in the game and unleashed his full potential in the tournament.

We have all had experiences in life that were disappointing, disturbing and in some cases extremely depressing. We all made bad choices and took wrong decisions. But the most effective leaders and high achievers and contented people among us found a way to let go of the past and not brood over perceived injustices or disappointments for too long. We forged a new beginning every time with renewed energy and focus. This is a critical requirement to unleash our full potential.

Another important related quality is to let go of the fear and worry about future. None of us know what the future holds but it somehow seems to be easier to worry about potential road blocks rather than visualize a glorious outcome. Charles Dickens famously said and I paraphrase, “my life has been full of tragedies most of which never materialized.” As we know, thinking or worrying about future doesn’t magically make it get better. In fact it prevents us from performing the very action that we need to perform to help influence the best possible outcome.

Whether you are a leader of a large organization or a high achiever who wants to excel in your chosen profession or an individual who simply wants to be contented and be the best you can be, this quality of “letting go” is crucial. Easier said than done, right? Well, we all had moments in our lives when we were fully present. Be it a birth of our child or being totally immersed in an activity that we are passionate about, we have experienced it. It is not just the domain of professional athletes who experience this “presence” when they are in a “zone.” And when we are present, time seemingly comes to a stand still. Our productivity and effectiveness reaches an all-time high. When we are in this space we are no longer encumbered by the past or the future, we are fully here and now.

Once we experience the joy of being in that state, we long to get back there. How can we extend this state of presence to more frequent and longer periods of time? Is it possible to be in this state 24x7? I have been fortunate to be in the presence (no pun intended) of people who are in this state all the time. So I know it is possible. This realization is an important step in the journey. Fact is we already have this innate capability. We have to overcome self doubt that we allowed to grow over the years. It requires conscious awareness on our part. As we go through our daily activities, silently observing our thoughts can serve as a powerful technique to improve our presence. With practice, our state of presence is no longer dependent on the nature of activity but every action is infused and enhanced with conscious awareness and presence. This process can be accelerated with the help of a skillful coach.

Many people say to me that they were able to use the disappointment and fear of failure to motivate them to do better. Yes we can and many actually do that, but we will be lot more effective by simply letting go and not hanging on to the unnecessary baggage. It is also the difference between being in a High Performance state and an Enlightened State. As a leader there is no better way to inspire your team than by setting an example of being present and becoming a role model for unleashing full potential.

Who Wants Yesterday's Frameworks?

2009-10-28T12:27:00.001-07:00

That's a great question Ellen - how does the financial crisis relate to yesterday's framework? In my humble opinion it relates a lot to the old framework that is being used. The old framework assumes that (1) people are motivated by money alone (2) we feel better by acquiring and consuming more (3) organizations have to grow at any cost - as long as we are clever enough to make it appear legal (4) organizational growth gives leadership the authority to not pay attention to large compensation disparity within the organization.

As we are now realizing this is against the grain of human nature. While money is extremely important, we are inspired by higher values of fairness, sharing and caring. These values and basic human practical principles have to be more fully incorporated in the new framework. We will then start a new cycle of growth and prosperity that is more purposeful and more inclusive.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Who Wants Yesterday's Frameworks?

2009-10-27T23:08:00.001-07:00

The most important aspects of any framework are the unique business circumstances of that organization and the leadership team that is in-charge of executing the business strategy at that time. As you rightly point out this varies for each organization. Even within the same organization the framework has to be adjusted depending on the leadership team.

I believe it is perfectly OK for Disney to study and model some aspects of GE's framework. But ultimately they have to develop their own framework based on their people and their business. They were obviously not ready for it.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Is it Time to Bring Back the Wise Mystics to Teach Our Leaders?

2009-09-28T04:52:00.001-07:00

Beautifully put William, the only point I would contest is the one about leaders reared in mystical framework not needing advisors. On the contrary great enlightened leaders have always had the benefit of wise teachers and sound counsel. It is almost paradoxical, the stronger and wiser a leaders is, the more he or she understands the importance of surrounding themselves with mentors and advisors that push them and challenge them to get even better and rise to their full potential.

I believe advisors and leaders have different roles to fulfill and they need each other.

Sudhir Chadalavada
About Wellness
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Is it Time to Bring Back the Wise Mystics to Teach Our Leaders?

2009-09-26T20:02:00.001-07:00

Great Leaders have always had mystics and wise philosophers guiding them to perform “Right Action” and help with “Right vs. Right” moral dilemmas. Where have they gone and how do we bring them back?

I am cautiously optimistic about us getting our act together and bringing wisdom, objectivity, connectedness and inclusiveness in to our practical lives, especially in business organizations. My optimism stems from the fact that I am noticing a shift taking place in the Collective Consciousness of our society.

We are seeking holistic solutions and contributing time, effort and finances to tackle Global Warming, Ecological Imbalance, Energy Crisis, Quality and Cost effective Healthcare, HIV/AIDS, extremism and terrorism, etc. While one can say there have always been people engaged in these actions, they are now no longer in the fringes; there is an accelerating shift of these activities to the mainstream. It is the mystics and wise philosophers among us who are guiding, facilitating and leading these efforts.

Business organizations have been slow to catch on but they have to since it is the same people in our society who are employees, customers, stakeholders and leaders in these organizations. We seem to be progressing and at times regressing in this pursuit. The key question is will we shift and progress fast enough to avoid the catastrophes. If we do, we can turn this around and start a new cycle of growth and prosperity.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Why President Obama Gets My Vote As A Spiritual Warrior

2009-09-26T11:38:00.001-07:00

Like you I am cautiously optimistic about us Americans getting our act together and achieving a workable healthcare system and a flourishing economy. My optimism stems from the fact that I am noticing a shift taking place in the Collective Consciousness of our society. There is increasing evidence of willingness to take on global challenges.

We are contributing time, effort and finances to tackle Global Warming, Ecological Imbalance, Energy Crisis, Quality and Cost effective Healthcare, HIV/AIDS, extremism and terrorism, etc. While one can say there have always been people engaged in these actions, they are no longer in the fringes; there is an accelerating shift of these activities to the mainstream. Consumerism as the primary growth engine is proving to be unsustainable as we are discovering that acquiring more and bigger “things” is not giving us lasting happiness and fulfillment.

This shift in collective consciousness along with the financial and healthcare crisis is forcing us to focus on holistic and meaningful living. We seem to be progressing and at times regressing in this pursuit. The key question is will we shift and progress fast enough to avoid the catastrophes. If we do, we can turn this around and start a new cycle of growth and prosperity. And as you rightly pointed out Barack Obama represents this growing segment of US and world population who are accelerating the shift for a more fulfilling and consciousness based way of life – the spiritual warriors.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Why Positive Thinking Just Doesn't Work

2009-09-08T11:22:00.001-07:00

Hello Russell, The title "positive thinking doesn't work" is misleading. What we actually mean is that positive thinking without the corresponding positive action doesn't work. Human nature is such that positive thinking and feelings typically translate to meaningful actions that in turn produce good results.

We have to be rightfully concerned with the entitlement culture or narcissist culture which is prevalent among a segment of our population where people hope for something great to happen by living in denial and not taking the appropriate action.

To me a healthy state means the following: realistically assess and accept the current situation, think positive and take appropriate action to change a negative situation and to maintain a positive situation.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Seven Steps to Achieving Happiness

2009-09-08T10:51:00.001-07:00

I agree that happiness is an innate state and is independent of external events. Researchers have found that no matter what happens to us in life, we tend to return to a fixed range of happiness or contentment unless we make a concerted effort to change it. There was a famous study conducted that tracked people who had won the lottery. Within a year, these lucky winners returned to approximately the same level of happiness they had experienced before their windfall. Surprisingly, the same was true for people who became paraplegic.

I think your view point on thoughts needs further clarification. Thoughts can also produce positive emotions, positive thoughts produce positive emotions and positive actions which is a good thing. For most of us thoughts are inevitable and necessary to carry on our daily functions. The quality of thoughts depends on the quality of our consciousness. We don't have direct control over our thoughts but we can influence them by enhancing our consciousness.

In addition to self inquiry and immersing in nature that you suggest, prayer, meditation, unconditional love and selfless service can greatly help in enhancing our consciousness which in turn improve the quality of our thoughts and the quality of our life.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Action and the Law of Attraction

2009-09-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

I was listening intently to a leadership expert who is rightfully concerned about the Disneyland culture – people hoping for something great to happen by living in denial and not taking the appropriate action. Some also call this the entitlement culture or the narcissist culture. While I know that this behavior is quite prevalent, there was something else which was missing for me. Many people go as far as saying that spirituality or the new age interpretation of it has to take some blame for it. I was myself seriously questioning the “law of attraction” principle which is talked about in Secret and by Self- Help Gurus. Following is my take:

• True spirituality is to feel the divinity and beauty within us but it does not absolve us from actively participating in the journey of life. This divine feeling has to be converted to divine action. Without the follow-on action, the feeling alone can lead to narcissism and entitlement. The exception to this rule is an enlightened monk living in isolation.
• I have not read or seen “Secret” but my suspicion is that this is what they mean too. If they have not explicitly stated so they probably implied that an intense desire typically leads to appropriate action for its fulfillment. In my experience, at higher states of consciousness our desires become refined and righteous. Such desires get the support of nature and it feels like the whole world is conspiring to fulfill that desire. We still act and do what it takes but it flows effortless creating the mistaken impression of non-action.

Does Worry Prevent Tragedy or Destroy Your Life?

2009-09-01T20:50:00.001-07:00

So true. It is impossible to worry, especially about a scary future event, if we are fully "present" in the now. Worrying does nothing to solve our real or perceived problems - fully accepting our situation and wholeheartedly acting to resolve the issue is all we can and should be doing.

The best performers and more contented people among us don't have it all. They just do a much better job of being grateful for what they have and accepting and acting on areas which need improving.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Health Care, Tribal Warfare, and The Nation's Health

2009-09-01T20:27:00.001-07:00

Thank you Paul for your insight on what ails our nation's health. I too believe that leadership and teamwork will make all the difference. We are violating some of the fundamental principles of sound leadership: 1. Vigorously debate the issues and be open to opposing viewpoints 2. Attack the viewpoint constructively, not the person who holds the viewpoint 3. Expressing a point of view is good as long as the purpose is not to be "right" but only to further a dialog and arrive at the "right" solution.

We are not short of knowledge, skill, good ideas and hard working intelligent people but we have not been able to translate it in to practical solutions. Some of our leaders and role models are violating the fundamental leadership principles but there seems to be no personal consequence - we are tolerating and encouraging mediocrity and incompetence. Are our leaders reflecting our collective partisan behavior?

We are facing a serious health-care crisis and we cannot afford to let leaders who violate the fundamental leadership principles participate in designing a solution.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Are We Arguing While Our World Falls Apart?

2009-08-17T18:11:00.001-07:00

Great points Paul. Wanting to be right as opposed to collaborating towards a meaningful solution is the fundamental reason for human conflicts and many wars. However our media is not responsible for creating this problem, it is only highlighting a human problem. We notice this kind of behavior in organizations, in social meetings and even in family discussions. A majority ( not all) of talk show hosts, politicians and people in the media are our representatives of this behavior. They probably would not get the ratings for their shows or will not get elected otherwise - we are watching and listening to them and we are voting for them. So who is really responsible?

In our great democracy we have a choice - we can turn on the program we want to watch and vote for the public representative we prefer. In that sense they represent our collective consciousness.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost