Conclusion
Wise leaders are like skilled actors who have clarity about what role they want to play and how they should perform that role. They let their authentic selves shine through in every role they perform and bring humility, enthusiasm, and competence to that role. All of this is done with detached engagement—that is, they don’t let themselves become attached emotionally to their role or to the outcome even as they engage with it fully and enthusiastically.
By gaining role clarity, you will recognize that you are far bigger than any specific role you play. When you know that you are neither the “doer” behind the role nor the ultimate “enjoyer” of its benefits, you have less difficulty in becoming a steward of your organization and acting as a servant leader. When you have a clear noble purpose—a North Star that acts as your guide—it becomes easier to transcend personal gain and ego and become a wise and effective leader (reread chapter 2 on how to discover and follow your North Star).
Leading from the front or leading from the back or letting others lead is not a one-time affair. It is a continuous process of developing oneself while developing others, a process that requires mindfulness to be effective and bear fruit.
When role clarity is developed properly and aligned with a broader perspective and authentic and appropriate action orientation—two capabilities addressed in the previous two chapters—it can provide a solid foundation for wise leadership. With this foundation in place, you can use the next chapters to learn to develop additional and complementary capabilities that will fortify your wise leadership.
For you to get the most out of this chapter, reflect on the following questions:
- Where do I get most caught up in my job? What bugs me the most about the role that I currently play?
- Which roles and responsibilities of my current job are my favorites? Which ones are my least favorites?
- How do I engage with my role at work? Do I tend to assume it as a red zone leader or a blue zone leader? How could I take my filters off and see the role from others’ point of view?
- How good a follower am I? Do I always strive to be in the driver’s seat? What do I need to learn about leading from behind and becoming a servant leader?
- What practices (e.g., meditation) will help me cultivate mindfulness so I can perform my role with detached engagement?
- Which competencies do I need to prioritize in my effort to become a wise leader: mindfulness, servant leadership, humility, empathy, compassion, or openness?
A shift in perspective will help set your direction, action orientation will give you forward motion, and role clarity will inform you when to accelerate, slow down, or take a break. You might come to a crossroads where you have to make decisions on which direction to take or even whether to continue. In those moments, having discernment—the ability to make right decisions using sound judgment and reflection—will allow you to make better decisions regarding the next steps on your journey. That is the topic of the next chapter.
Notes
1. Greenleaf, R. K., and C. S. Larry. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. 25th anniversary ed. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press; Block, P. Stewardship: Choosing Service over Self Interest. San Francisco: Berrett-Kohler, 1993.
2. “Servant Leadership.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servant_leadership
3. Vaughan, L., and A. Choudhury. “Barclays CEO Quits After Record Libor-Rigging Fine.” BusinessWeek, July 3, 2012. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012–07–03/barclays-ceo-quits-after-record-libor-rigging-fine
4. “Leaders Clash over Barclays Rate-Rigging Inquiry.” BBC News, July 4, 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18702653
5. “Barclays Boss Diamond Quits After Apology.” Express Tribune, July 3, 2012. http://tribune.com.pk/story/402967/barclays-boss-diamond-quits-after-apology/
6. “Letter from Bob Diamond.” Barclays, June 28, 2012. http://group.barclays.com/news/news-article/1329925904937/navigation-1330349038798
7. “Barclays Ex-Boss Diamond Slams ‘Reprehensible’ Action.” BBC News, July 4, 2012; “UK’s Barclays Looks to Move on from LIBOR Scandal,” Chicago Tribune, October 30, 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18708226, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012–10–30/business/sns-rt-us-barclays-earningsbre89u000–20121030_1_libor-manipulation-uk-s-barclays-matt-scuffham
8. Heffernan, M. “Why Barclays Ex-CEO Bob Diamond Is Clueless.” Moneywatch, July 12, 2012. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301–505125_162–57470868/why-barclays-ex-ceo-bob-diamond-is-clueless/
9. Treanor, J. “Bob Diamond’s Resignation: The Late Exchanges That Led to His Demise.” Guardian, July 3, 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jul/03/bob-diamond-resignation-barclay; Perkins, T., and P. Waldie. “Jerry del Missier: A Sudden Halt to a Stellar Career.” Globe and Mail, July 3, 2012. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/jerry-del-missier-a-sudden-halt-to-a-stellar-career/article4385606/
10. Treanor, J. “Former Barclays Executive Insists Bob Diamond Instructed Him to Cut Libor.” Guardian, July 16, 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jul/16/barclays-del-missier-bob-diamond-libor?newsfeed=true
11. Perkins, T., and Waldie, P. “Jerry del Missier: A Sudden Halt to a Stellar Career.” Globe and Mail, July 3, 2012. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/jerry-del-missier-a-sudden-halt-to-a-stellar-career/article4385606/
12. N. R. Narayana Murthy, interview with Prasad Kaipa and Navi Radjou, February 8, 2012.
13. Patel, V. “Capitalism Mind, Socialist Heart.” Hindu, July 30, 2006. http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/07/30/stories/2006073000110200.htm; Gates, B., and N.R.N. Murthy. “NDTV: Changing India.” December 7, 2005. http://www.infosys.com/newsroom/infosys-in-the-news/Documents/NRN-Billgates-NDTV-transcript.pdf
14. “ ‘Compassionate Capitalism’ Urged for India.” BBC News, June 1, 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3757843.stm.
15. N. R. Narayana Murthy, interview with Prasad Kaipa and Navi Radjou, February 8, 2012.
16. Kris Gopalakrishnan, interview with Prasad Kaipa, November 15, 2010.
17. “Libor Scandal: Bob Diamond to Receive £2m Payout.” BBC News, July 10, 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18779089
18. “Many Wall Street Executives Say Wrongdoing Is Necessary: Survey.” Reuters, July 10, 2012. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/10/us-wallstreet-survey-idUSBRE86906G20120710
19. Christensen, C. “How Will You Measure Your Life?” Harvard Business Review (July 2010). http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/1
20. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, interview with Prasad Kaipa, March 4, 2012.
21. Conversation with Peter Block, Dinesh Chandra, and Prasad Kaipa, August 12, 2009.
22. Kearns, D. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
23. “Robert De Niro.” Answers. http://www.answers.com/topic/robert-deniro
24. Mark Milani, interview with Prasad Kaipa, February 2, 2012.
25. Kabat-Zinn, J. Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, 10th anniversary ed. New York: Hyperion, 2005.
26. Csikszentmihalyi, M. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper, 2008.
27. Pam Weiss, interview with Prasad Kaipa and Navi Radjou, January 25, 2012.
28. Weiss, P. “Growing People: The Heart of the Organizational Transformation.” ManagementExchange.com, October 17, 2012. http://www.managementexchange.com/story/growing-people
29. Martin, C. “Four Ways to Increase Your Workplace Well-Being.” O, The Oprah Magazine (January 2012). http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Be-Calmer-at-Work-Well-Being-in-the-Workplace
30. LaBarre, P. “Developing Mindful Leaders.” Harvard Business Review (blog), December 30, 2011.
31. “Emerging Business Opportunities at IBM.” Case No. 9–304–075. Boston: Harvard Business School, 2005.
32. Deutschman, A. “Building a Better Skunk Works.” Fast Company (March 2005). http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/92/march-2005
33. Huston, L., and Sakkab, N. “Connect and Develop: Inside Procter & Gamble’s New Model for Innovation.” Harvard Business Review 84, no. 3 (2006): 12.
34. Radjou, N. Innovation Networks: A New Market Structure Will Revitalize Invention-to-Innovation Cycles. Cambridge, MA: Forrester Research, June 17, 2004.
35. Liz Wiseman, interview with Prasad Kaipa and Navi Radjou, January 26, 2012.
36. Kris Gopalakrishnan, interview with Prasad Kaipa, November 15, 2010.
37. Kalam, A.P.G. “Creative Leadership in the Global Knowledge Economy.” Presentation at the Centre for India and Global Business, University of Cambridge, June 9, 2009. http://www.india.jbs.cam.ac.uk/news/events/2009/090603_abdul_kalam.html