- Here are the the excerpts from the book that I just finished called 9 Things A Leader Must Do. It’s a very short and too the point book authored by a gentleman named Dr. Henry Cloud. While I’m not officially putting it on my “recommended reading list”, if you’re in a position of leadership, It’s a good read. Honestly, I don’t normally recommend books that have religious connotations; but this one well-uses a lot of bible verses in a very smart way. So, without further adieu, here (in brief) are the 9 things a leader must do:
- Explore deeply in your heart and invest in your inner desires and drives.
- Do not allow negative things to take up space in your life.
- Evaluate your decisions in the present based on how they will affect the future.
- Continually ask yourself “what can I do to make this situation better?”
- Achieve big goals by taking small steps over time.
- Develop the ability to hate the right things well.
- Give back better than you are given.
- Do not strive to be or appear to be more than you really are.
- Do not make decisions based on fear of other people’s reactions.
Want more elaboration? Read the book.
Author Adeline Yen Mah has a teriffic book called A Thousand Pieces of Gold. I have read it once already, and I’m actually in the process of reading it again. The book is, specifically, about the origin of many Chinese proverbs as told through the ancient history of the nation, as well as the author’s personal experiences. There’s a lot to be said about learning from the wisdom of elders; and I am particularly fond of Asian culture and philosophy. The book is an extremely fascinating read. One of the chapters in the book is called “When the Map is Unrolled, the Dagger is Revealed”. Translated in Chinese, it’s tu qiong bi xuan. Translated, it means that often times, there is a pivotal yet tragic moment in the history of a nation that changes it’s course. A poignant example of this is 9/11. It also means that not everyone has good or honorable intentions. That’s just a sample of some of the wisdom found in Ms. Mah’s work. There are many more lessons to be found.
My suggestion to you…..find a book about Chinese proverbs. Take the time to find out what they mean. You will be wiser for it. There is a lesson from Mah on page 218 of this same book where she references the parallells between business and war. She references the proverb from the Shiji that says “yun chou wei wo”. Translated, it means devise strategies within the command tent. There is a tremendous amount of wisdom in this statement, as applies to war, to business and to life. Yet another reason to read this book. I simply cannot elaborate on all of the wisdom Ms. Mah gives us on blog format. There isn’t enough room for me to describe how good it is here.
From the book 365 Zen, edited by Jean Smith
You don’t often see me quote books, but I was perusing this old favorite and ran across this passage as relates to the study of Zen Buddhism. I thought it was a wonderful parallel to martial arts:
The relationship between teacher & student is one of the most special aspects of Zen Buddhism. In olden days, people used to go from mountain to mountain looking for a Zen teacher. Today, you go to different Zen centers to find someone with whom you can work. But how do you know if you’ve found the right person? There are some helpful questions to ask yourself:
- Can I take risks with this teacher?
- Can I be a fool in front of this teacher?
- Can I say “I don’t know” to this teacher?
If you can say “yes” to all these questions – can trust this teacher in all these ways – then you’ve probably found a good teacher….. – quoted from Sensei Pat Enkyo O’Hara, Village Zendo, New York City
