Conclusion
In chapter 2, we explored how leaders can discover their North Star—the noble purpose that provides an ethical compass to guide our actions. Finding your North Star, however, is only the first step in the path toward wise leadership. The next step is to systematically align your actions with that North Star. Otherwise, you may act authentically—being true to yourself by acting too much out of self-interest and in the process demotivating others around you—or try to act appropriately in a context-sensitive manner—pleasing others or filling a perceived role that is either fake or borrowed and in the process sacrificing your own authenticity.
Smart leaders struggle to act both authentically and appropriately at the same time. Leaders who tend to operate in the blue zone generally act with prudence by following a textbook approach to ensure that their actions are appropriately aligned with established norms and prescribed best practices. They may repress their authentic feelings in order to get the job done according to what others (e.g., their superiors) believe is the right thing to do. Hence, they may struggle to make rapid course correction or take bold actions that will compel them to step out of existing boundaries—even if their intuition tells them that’s the most appropriate thing to do. Leaders operating in the red zone are bold and quick in their actions: they can spot the changing external context and rapidly adapt their actions. But given their potential intensity and tendency to be self-centered, they can become reckless and undertake inappropriate actions that could hurt their credibility in the long term.
Wise leaders strive to simultaneously act with authenticity while also taking appropriate actions that serve a larger purpose and to act with both prudence and courage while paying attention to the changing context. They tend not to get so caught up in their work that they cannot maintain equanimity and act with poise even in highly stressful circumstances. They heed their intuition and demonstrate great integrity by aligning their actions with their true words, feelings, and authentic selves.
Integrity is the cornerstone of wise leadership. You can cultivate it by working to bridge three gaps: credibility, commitment, and courage.
Wise leaders are consistently thoughtful in how they act. In the next chapter, we will see how they are also thoughtful in choosing the correct roles to assume. The idea of roles may seem to go against what we’ve been saying in this chapter about authenticity and integrity, but it is not. Instead, it is a facet of authenticity that acknowledges that “leader” (for example) is a role that is not the same as a person’s identity. Indian philosophy identifies a state of detached engagement wherein one is fully engaged in an action while recognizing that one is merely playing a role; this awareness allows one to stay detached from the action in terms of emotion even while choosing to fully engage in terms of the action. Being conscious in picking your role and performing that role with detached engagement is the topic of the next chapter.
Notes
1. V. R. Ferose, interview with Prasad Kaipa and Navi Radjou, January 27, 2012.
2. “SAP Labs India Named Among the Top IT Employers in India.” September 28, 2011. http://www.sap.com/india/press.epx?pressid=17567
3. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
4. Ibid.
5. Isaacson, W. Steve Jobs. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011.
6. Satyam bruyat priyam bruyat na bruyat satyam apriyam/Priyam cha nanrutam bruyat esha dharmah sanatanah. This Sanskrit verse (Manusmriti, chap. 4, verse 138) is translated as, “There is a two way restriction to share the truth. Never tell an unpleasant truth (without first creating a context for people who receive it) and also never tell a lie for pleasing others. Otherwise, always speak the truth and always speak pleasing words. That is a hard acid test to follow to tell only pleasing truth, in that truth always need not be a pleasant one. This is the path of timeless ethics.”
7. George, B. Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003.
8. Trivers, R. “The Elements of a Scientific Theory of Self-Deception.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 907 (2000): 114–131; Arbinger Institute, Leadership and Self Deception, 2nd ed. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2010.
9. Kim, P. Consumers Love to Hate Advertising. Cambridge, MA: Forrester Research. November 26, 2006.
10. Roberts, K. “Why Lovemarks Are More Valid Than Ever, or Welcome to the Age of Now.” Ad Age, February 14, 2011. http://adage.com/article/agency-news/kevin-roberts-lovemarks-valid/148831/
11. Charlene Li, interview with Prasad Kaipa and Navi Radjou, January 26, 2012.
12. “Pop Quiz: Can Indra Nooyi Revive PepsiCo?” Knowledge@Wharton, March 28, 2012. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2966
13. Mainwaring, S. We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
14. Parker, J. F. Do the Right Thing: How Dedicated Employees Create Loyal Customers and Large Profits. Philadelphia: Wharton School Publishing, 2008; Stansberry, G. “Ten Examples of Tremendous Business Leadership.” Open Forum, February 24, 2010. http://www.openforum.com/articles/10-examples-of-tremendous-business-leadership-1
15. Ramón Mendiola Sánchez, interview with Navi Radjou, December 19, 2011.
16. “Triple Bottom Line.” Economist, November 17, 2009. http://www.economist.com/node/14301663
17. The concept of water neutrality is discussed in Gerbens-Leenes, W., et al. “Water Neutrality,” November 20, 2007. http://www.indiaresource.org/campaigns/coke/2008/Waterneutrality.pdf
18. Mendiola interview.
19. Kaipa, P., and M. Kriger. “Empowerment, Vision and Positive Leadership: An Interview with Alan Mulally, Former CEO—Boeing Commercial, Current CEO—Ford Motors,” Journal of Management Inquiry 19 (2010): 110–115. For an interview with Mulally, go to http://kaipagroup.com/interviews/alan_mulally_full.html
20. Mulally, A. Presentation to Stanford Business School, February 7, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwz1KlKXP4&feature=player_embedded#!
21. Paul, A. M. “The Science of Intuition: An Eye-Opening Guide to Your Sixth Sense.” http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Scientific-Facts-About-Intuition-Developing-Intuition#ixzz26x9RHjgW; Srinivasan, C. P. “What is the Difference Between ‘Instinct’ and ‘Intuition’”? Hindu, March 12, 2002. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/edu/2002/03/12/stories/2002031200160203.htm
22. Gelles, D. “The Mind Business.” Financial Times, August 24, 2012. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d9cb7940-ebea-11e1–985a-00144feab49a.html#axzz2BbQIbGyh
23. Kaipa, P. “Integrity and Personal Leadership.” Kaipa Group Newsletter (January 2010). http://kaipagroup.com/newsletter/happynewyear2010.html
24. Ibid.; Kaipa, P. “Recovering Your Credibility.” Harvard Business Review (blog), July 2, 2012. http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/recover_your_credibility.html
25. Doug Conant, interview with Prasad Kaipa and Navi Radjou, February 23, 2012.
26. John Mackey, interview with Prasad Kaipa and Navi Radjou, February 10, 2012.