A Better World through Compassionate Leadership

There is an ancient tradition that describes three styles of compassionate leadership: The Trailblazer, who leads from the front, taking risks and setting an example; there is also The Ferryman, who accompanies those in his care and shapes the ups and downs of the crossing; and finally, there is The Shepherd, who sees every one of his flock into safety –or success, before himself.

These are three different styles and approaches, but they have an all-encompassing concern for the wellbeing of those they lead in common.

Leaders, whatever field they work in, have a strong impact on people’s lives and on the world in general.

No matter how much time we have to live, we should work to leave the world a better place.
But, what does that better world look like?

I believe a better world is one where people are happier. We all want to be happy; our desire for happiness is something we all share.

Today though, the world seems to be facing an emotional crisis, when the stress, anxiety, and depression rates are higher than ever.
The gap between rich and poor, and between CEOs and employees is at a historic high; and the ever-present focus on turning a profit often overrules our commitment to people, the environment, and our society.
We work closely together every day, but in spite of it, many feel lonely and stressed… there is a lack of responsibility toward each other, and we tend to forget that we, as humans, are physically, mentally, and emotionally the same.

We need to ask ourselves what’s going wrong.

Perhaps our strong focus on material development and wealth accumulation had led us to deny our basic human need for connection and contribution.

Reconnect with the oneness of humanity and altruism is fundamental for societies and organizations, as well as their individuals in order to thrive in the long run.

And we all have a responsibility to make this happen.

So, what can leaders do?

Practice mindfulness, selflessness, and compassion

Cultivate your own peace of mind. Destructive emotions like anger and attachment cloud our ability to use our intellect clearly, so we need to tackle them.

Fear and anxiety give way to anger and violence. The opposite of fear is trust; which, mixed with warmheartedness, can boost our self-confidence, and compassion –a concern for other’s well-being– also reduces fear.

All this, not money and power, is what really attracts success.
When our mind is focused on compassion, it is calm, and when we do, we’re able to use our sense of reason practically, realistically, and with determination.

Peace of mind also means being undisturbed, free from concern. It’s all about our mental attitude and having a calm mind, and it is within us, it requires that we develop a warm heart and use our emotional intelligence.

Remember, the source of happiness lies within.

Stay strong.

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca

We Are the Choices We Make

Every day, at all times, we’re making decisions; and these decisions affect all aspects of our lives.

Now, have you ever thought about what makes us take those specific decisions? How it is that two people can be faced with the same options and circumstances, and make different decisions?

We all approach our life choices differently because our decision-making system is based on the mental processes which define what motivates us and how we see the world.

When it comes to making progress in life, understanding this decision-making system is an invaluable tool. Once we understand the factors that play a part in our decision-making process, we can make our choices take us closer to our goals.

It’s not about what’s right or wrong, but what is it that we tend to do, and how we respond consistently.
Once we figure this out, we would know how to steer our way towards our desired destiny.

What of the following characteristics resonates more with you?

1.    Do you tend to move towards to, or Away from?

When a prospect comes your way, do you tend to consider all the benefits that would come with it, or do you tend to worry about what you may lose if you take that choice?

If you are generally motivated by desire, you are more of a “towards-to” person. You need to be motivated by goals and rewards, and make your choices based on the pursuit of pleasure.

If, on the other hand, you are mostly motivated by fear or pain, then you are an “away-from” type of person. You need to get motivated by pain and fear as the consequences of not doing something. It makes more sense to you to identify the risks and downsides involved in a situation.

2.  Internal or External?

Who do you turn to when you’re faced with a big decision?

Do you seek an internal point of reference, think about the issue and make a decision by yourself trusting on gut feelings or intuition? If so, then you’re an internal person who would rely on what’s important to you.

Conversely, if you seek out an external point of reference, then you reach out to people in your life looking for their feedback or advice. As an external person, you rely on other people’s testimonials and statistics and seek out validation from them in order to make the most well-informed choice possible.

3.  Possibility or Necessity?

What drives you in your life? Are you curious about the potential it has for growth? Does it excite you?

If you tend to see the many possibilities and you’re motivated by the growth you can pursue, then you’re a possibilities person.

If you are a necessity person, you like your life the way it is now, and you feel secure because you know how to handle things that are within your “box”.  You like to be told what new thing or improvement you need to do.

4.   Generality or Specificity?

For some people, knowing the big picture is enough to get motivated. They focus on the master plan and the overall goal and think of how each of their actions will affect the goal in the long run.

Others are more comfortable only when they have all the details. They would be doubtful with only a general sense of the situation. They don’t regularly think about the future and are able to hone in on the short term.

Once you understand the way you make decisions and identify these patterns in yourself, you can more effectively communicate your needs and understand your decision-making process.                        

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca

Clarity Really IS Power

If you want to leverage the real power of clarity, you need to be specific about what you want and build your outcome around a significant way of measurement.

Let’s assume you want to make more money this year, and you ended up earning 10 extra dollars… technically, you’ve achieved your goal, I mean, you earned “more” money this year; but I doubt that was your idea when you set that goal, right? The difference was probably more in the area of the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands.

You always want to set a clear goal for yourself, always.

If you are specific with your outcome and have a clear picture of what it is and why do you want it, your actions will be like a big, sharp telephoto lens that will achieve them.

Now, following the precepts we established in the previous articles, you know you need to be working toward your core values, and follow your personal rules in the process… so, how can you be sure?

Make a core values audit:

Keep a close track of your activities for two weeks, take note of which values your actions are connecting with, and evaluate yourself as you move closer to your goals.

Once you have several weeks of progress written down, take a thorough look at how you’ve spent your time; highlight any activity that you know is unconnected to your values and goals –like checking social media every other hour- and take it out from your schedule. Replace them with something else that can contribute to your ultimate plan.

After a while putting this procedure into practice, you’ll notice you don’t miss all those time-consuming tasks anymore.

Next week we’ll be talking about how to minimize distractions by, among other things, learning to say NO.

Until then, stay strong!

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca