The world has seen many great leaders. It has also witnessed how great leaders fumble on important decisions. How does a leader make Solomonic decisions?
Many issues and crises will test powerful leaders’ judgment. Their decision will definitely not satisfy all sectors or everyone; no singular decision will ever be satisfactory to everyone. The object of a leader must then be to attain the greater good for an organization or society. Whether corporate leaders decide on the fate of a company, or world leaders make historic decisions on global warming, they must do so with the desire to promote the greater good.
The president of Skoll Global Threats Fund, Larry Brilliant, said that civilizations must not be judged by how they regard the powerful sectors in a society, rather by how they take care of the most powerless sectors regardless of race, class, gender, religion, and wealth. The Fund is an organization that works to prevent pandemics, global warming, and other worldwide crises.
>>> Study on Assertiveness Sheds Light on Effective Leadership
>>> Bruce Lee: The Life and Legend of a Leader
>>> Napoleon Bonaparte: The Legend of a Powerful Leader
The Dalai Lama spoke clearly about this at a conference on global systems. He said that when deciding on an action or courses of action to take, ethical questions must be asked first. Who will benefit from the decision? Will it be a select group, or will it be for everyone? Will it benefit the present time only, or will it encompass the future?
The hallmark of great modern-day leaders is their ability to act from a profound desire to exceed the goals of their organization and go beyond what is merely acceptable. These are people like Paul Polman, Mohammad Yunus who founded the Grameen Bank, and Bill Gates who didn’t stop at expanding his empire but went to touch other peoples lives through his philanthropic foundations. Among his numerous philanthropic works, Gates funded a huge body of research to find a cure for AIDS.
These leaders pursue a higher meaning to their work. They find fulfillment only when they see that their mission attains greater impact. These are leaders who have a heart for the greater number of people, see their work curbing poverty, helping people get back to their feet after disasters, improving lives, curing diseases, and treating the sick and the weak.
For inspired leaders such as those mentioned, their jobs have ceased to become jobs; they have become their life’s work. When your job becomes so closely intertwined with your core values and aspirations, it becomes a dream lived.