The leaders have the
ability to look at an issue from many perspectives and, based on that expanded
view, make the right decisions. They
have a calm, collected, and concentrated mind, undisturbed by negative thoughts
and emotions, trained and focused. And
true leadership recognizes the inevitability of change, the need for a sense of
universal responsibility, and the importance of combining an economic system
with moral values. That is the leader's way.
Making the right
decisions depends on taking the Right View, which leads to the Right
Action. Taking the Right View involves
what the Dalai Lama refers to as "a calm, collected, and concentrated
mind", one that is peaceful, undisturbed by negative thoughts and
emotions, trained and focused.
You cannot improve
your mind if you do not think the right way.
Thinking the right way means making sure that every action is based on
the right intention and the right motivation.
If your mind is
influenced by anger, jealousy, fear, or lack of self-confidence, you become
disturbed and inefficient; you cannot see reality.
The concept of
impermanence teaches us that every goal is a moving target.
A humble leader
listens to others. He or she values
input from employees, even if it is bad news, and humility is marked by an
ability to admit mistakes.
Unwholesome
tendencies -- such as distraction, carelessness, thoughtlessness, and
forgetfulness -- result in suffering and harm.
Worry is a waster of
energy, however. It does not solve
anything. To get rid of worry is not
easy. But meditating on the uselessness
of it and dropping the emotion as soon as it manifests itself (without
violently suppressing it) eventually will lead to equanimity.
Reaching perfection
is beyond the capabilities of almost everyone; therefore, the main point is to
aim for steady progress.
The Buddhist method
for making calm and collected decisions involves asking ourselves four
questions: 1. What is the reality and is
it a problem? 2. What is the cause of the problem? 3. What do I want to
achieve? 4. How can I arrive at the goal?
"Insight that
leads to spiritual freedom" refers to an understanding that wealth can
increase and decrease for reasons a person cannot control. There is nothing wrong with being happy when
wealth increases, but it is wrong to become unhappy when it decreases.
"When people
are overwhelmed and in pain through suffering, they are incapable of
understanding religious teaching".
Buddha
Profits are a
condition for survival, but their purpose is to make a contribution to the
well-being of society at large.
Wealth need not come
at the expense of others.
Leadership that
acknowledges universal responsibility is the real key to overcoming the world's
problems.
