It Shouldn’t Be Lonely at the Top
By Chan Kah Yein, Ph.D
Who is a leader? Anyone who has a gift or a skill to do something worthy of respect and admiration, and hence, becomes a role model for others to follow, is a leader. A leader is not necessarily one who has been appointed or elected to a certain position. We know of many so-called “leaders” who cannot command the respect expected for the positions they held.
A wise leader is one who adopts an open heart that is filled with the sublime virtues of metta, karuna and mudita, to love and care for those whom she leads, and to rejoice with them in their successful achievements. With an open heart, she is sincere and honest in her actions and decisions, practises the Perfection of Sacca (truthfulness), and is thus able to win the trust of her team members. Her team members in turn know that their leader’s priority is always their well-being and happiness. They feel safe to confide in their leader, knowing that she always has their best interests at heart. In short, a wise leader is a good friend.
A wise leader also has an open mind, is democratic and receptive to constructive criticism. She is humble, never feels she is too “big” to ask questions and to learn more. She listens, reflects on the opinions of others, and is willing to submerge the ego to change for the better, or admit that she is wrong. She is not dogmatic and is open to change, yet she is not quick to surrender to the herd mentality either because a wise leader is well-grounded in her values and direction. The Buddha stood out in the community during his time because he discovered truths which were not explicitly known to others after struggling for years.
A wise leader works together with her team. It is said that the difference between a boss and a leader is that the boss says, “Go!” whereas the leader says, “Let’s go!” She is willing to “get her hands dirty” and happily works together with every echelon in her team. She does not sit in the ivory tower, but gets down to the grassroots to get first-hand experience of their duties and tasks. The Buddha was known to have personally ministered to the sick and suffering, and not delegate the duty to his monks. He was exemplary in this respect.
A wise leader is one who is “hearty in her approbation and lavish in her praise”, a favourite quote of the American philanthropist, Charles Schwab. According to Schwab, he has never known a person, no matter how exalted his station, who has not done better work or put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than a spirit of criticism. A wise leader knows this, and she gives immediate positive feedback and appreciation when it is due. Whether it is a pat on the shoulder, or a letter of appreciation, she motivates her team by lavishly giving praise when praise is due. Indeed, praise is greatly encouraged in Buddhist practice. That is why one hears the chant of “Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu” very often after wholesome deeds are performed.
Not only is a wise leader lavish in her praise, but she also does not judge and label the members of her team. Quoting Mr. Danai Chanchaochai, a highly successful chief executive officer who totally embraces Dhamma in his work, a leader should always award “full points” to every member of her team, because everyone deserves a chance to change for the better, and there may be hidden potential yet to be discovered. Labelling people is extremely demotivating and brings no benefit to the team spirit. We must remember that the Buddha gave Angulimala a chance to redeem himself despite the latter’s infamous killings, and Angulimala eventually attained arahantahood in that very lifetime, under the benevolent guidance of the Buddha.
A wise leader brings out the best in her team, carefully identifying each person’s strengths and harnessing them for the good of the team. She accepts that everyone is different and values each person for who he or she is. No contribution is too small in her eyes; every team member is important and valued. The Buddha too was very adept at identifying the strengths of his monks, nuns and devotees. Each person would receive different instructions from the Buddha. Some attained enlightenment by doing menial tasks, some by deep meditation, others by listening to His teachings.
A wise leader embraces the paramis of viriya, adhitthana and khanti (effort, determination and patience). She is very hardworking and goes the extra mile to ensure the success of her team’s efforts. As a leader, she takes full responsibility for her team’s performance, and instead of finding excuses or pointing fingers when things go wrong, she shoulders the responsibility and reflects constructively on how to improve performance the next time around. She is pro-active and forward-looking. She lives in the present moment, does not lament on the past or worry about the future. She takes care of the present, and gives her utmost to it.
We sometimes hear leaders saying, “Ahh…it’s lonely at the top”. If it is, perhaps they are doing something wrong. A wise leader who possesses noble and praiseworthy qualities is a kalyana mitta to her team members. She is well-liked; and everyone wants to be near her, to help her, and to emulate her good leadership qualities. The Buddha was a wise and exemplary leader. He had a very large following during his lifetime, and He still does today. The Buddha was certainly never lonely at the top!