CHAPTER FOUR The Wisdom of Leadership Vision

       Of all of the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this – that you are the master of your thought, the molder of your character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment and destiny.

      James Allen

      My heart was racing as I turned onto the tree-lined country road that would eventually lead me to my golf club, a club widely recognized as one of the most prestigious in the entire country. Judges, senators, financiers and celebrities were well represented among the membership and a ten-year waiting list ensured this would remain the case for the foreseeable future. I felt lucky to be able to belong to such an establishment. I would have felt even luckier if I’d had the time to enjoy the facility on a more regular basis. With all the turmoil GlobalView was facing, a round of golf was nothing more than a fantasy.

      As I approached the clubhouse, a massive wooden structure with majestic pillars and a breathtaking view of the beautifully manicured golf course and the lush gardens that surrounded it, I spotted Julian. He was sitting up on the verandah, his table shaded by an umbrella to protect him from the late afternoon sun. He appeared to be reading a book as he sipped his drink. And, in violation of the club’s rigid dress code, he still had on his ruby red robe. I couldn’t help but smile. Julian always did things his own way. And you had to love him for it.

      “Julian,” I called out, as I got out of my car and walked up the stairs that led to the verandah.

      As he saw me approaching, he stood up and extended his hand. “Thanks for coming, Peter. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

      As we settled in, I ordered a martini. It had been another rough day at the office and I felt the drink would help me unwind. I had been under such pressure over the past few months that anything that would calm my nerves was welcome. “What are you reading?” I asked, looking down at the leather-bound book Julian held in his hand.

      “It’s a book on the life of Gandhi.”

      “I didn’t know you were into Gandhi. As a matter of fact, I can’t recall seeing you carry around a book in all the years I’ve known you.”

      “I have nothing in common with the time-starved, overstressed Julian Mantle that you once knew. I’ve changed in so many ways you cannot imagine. One of the many lessons I learned in the Himalayas is that with the twin elements of knowledge and courage, all things are possible. So I now make sure that I read from a good book every single day. Doing so connects me to the intelligence I need and keeps me focused on where I’m going. And inspired by the knowledge of where I’m going, I maintain the courage to keep moving forward.”

      “Interesting. But why Gandhi?”

      “Since my time with the sages, I’ve become a serious student of leadership. When most people hear the word ‘leadership,’ they think of it only in the business context. They imagine leaders of companies, inspiring their followers to be more productive and committing themselves to their grand visions of the future. But the sages taught me that leadership is really much broader than that. Leadership is really a philosophy for life. While CEOs and managers can be great leaders, so can caring teachers, committed scientists and compassionate mothers. Coaches lead sports teams and politicians lead communities. And it all begins from within, by having the self-discipline to lead and know yourself. To understand that the essence of your life lies in leadership. As Robert Louis Stevenson once said, ‘To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.’

      “Truly wise people aim, not only for leadership in their businesses but also within their lives. And so, since I’ve returned from the Himalayas, I’ve been studying the life of Gandhi, a man who I believe to have been one of the greatest all-round leaders ever to have graced the earth. He had the wisdom to lead his people in the direction of his future vision, but he also had the courage to lead himself and live with great character. He is a model of enlightened and effective leadership.”

      “That’s hard to disagree with.”

      “One day Gandhi was getting off a train when one of his shoes slipped off and onto the track. As the train had started to move, he could not retrieve it, so he did something that startled his companions.”

      “Which was?”

      “He removed his other shoe and threw it near where the first one sat. His companions immediately asked for an explanation. As he walked shoeless down the platform, he smiled gently and replied, ‘Now, the poor man who finds the shoe lying on the track will have a pair he can use.’”

      “Wow.”

      “Gandhi also had an abundance of humility, a great leadership quality if there ever was one.”

      “Really? I never would have thought humility was that important.”

      “Oh, but it is,” Julian replied as he gently called over a passing waiter and ordered a cup of herbal tea. Within minutes, the waiter had returned with a teapot and an elegant china teacup for Julian. Julian then started to pour the tea into the cup. He poured until the cup was full, but then, most oddly, he kept on pouring! Soon the tea spilled across the table onto the deck of the verandah. And yet he continued to pour.

      “Julian, what are you trying to prove?” I asked incredulously.

      “An essential leadership lesson,” he replied calmly. “Most leaders are a lot like this teacup.”

      “How so?”

      “Well, just like this cup, they are full to the brim. They have filled their minds so full of their opinions, ideas and biases that nothing new can get in. And in our rapidly changing world, where leaders must constantly be learning new concepts and equipping themselves with new skills, that’s a deadly character flaw.”

      “So what’s the solution?”

      “It’s simple. They must empty their cups. They must constantly be receptive to new knowledge. They must always view themselves as lifelong students, no matter how many initials and titles follow their names on their upscale business cards. They must adopt what the sages of the East refer to as the Beginner’s Mind, an essential attitude for every leader destined for success. They must grow humble. That’s why I say that humility is a fundamental leadership discipline. And this is why I have come to admire Gandhi.”

      Julian continued, oblivious to the stares he was attracting from the other members who had come up to the verandah to relax after a round of golf. “The sage I told you about yesterday, the one I met while I was climbing along the mountain, was the nominal leader of the Great Sages of Sivana. After I accepted his condition and promised I would spread their system for leadership through the West, he introduced himself as Yogi Raman and led me along a series of intricate mountain paths that eventually led to a lush green valley. On one side of the valley stood the towering snow-capped Himalayas, majestically reaching high against the clear blue sky. The other sides were guarded by a thick forest of pine trees that spilled their fragrance throughout the valley. Yogi Raman smiled at me and said, ‘Welcome to the Nirvana