Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders (24 page)

“It’s not?”

“No. What really does the damage is the failure of most leaders and managers to gain some
relief
from the inevitable stresses they face. As I told you earlier, some anxiety is always associated with change and change is the dominant force in business today. To thrive in this new economy, you have to work harder and aim higher. But virtues can become vices when practiced to excess,
and overwork needs to be balanced with downtime. The best way to do this is to get regular relief through self-renewal activities. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, All action begins in rest. That is the ultimate truth.’ This will make you stress-hardy and allow you to maintain high levels of stamina and creativity for longer periods of time. I suggest you make a weekly sabbatical a top priority.”

“What’s a weekly sabbatical?”

“In the old days, people were required to observe a day of rest at the end of each working week. This day, known as the Sabbath, was used to relax, connect with family, enjoy personal hobbies or pursue spiritual activities. As a result, workers would begin the new week full of energy, zeal and conviction, ready to face the challenges their jobs would inevitably provide. Sadly, this tradition has been passed over, for most people and hard-driving executives believe that nonstop work routines are the only way to get to the top. It is only when they are afflicted with ulcers, migraines and early heart attacks that they wake up and begin to change the way they work and live. Unfortunately, by then it is sometimes too late. Believe me, my friend, I’m speaking from personal experience.

“So what I’m suggesting,” continued Julian, “is that you designate a period every single week for some serious personal renewal. Time spent recharging your batteries is never a waste but a necessary aspect of any peak performance routine. Recreation is about re-creation. Time spent on genuine recreation makes you stronger, smarter and a better leader. Abe Lincoln captured the essence of what I am saying when he remarked, ‘If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe.’”

“So what you are saying is that working the way I do, without
ever taking a vacation or even a regular day off to unwind, is the same as driving my BMW full-out, day after day without ever taking the time for a pit stop.”

“Right.
Failing to devote time to the discipline of self-renewal is like saying you are so busy driving that you don’t have time to stop for gas.
Not the smartest way to think, is it?”

“I agree. But how can I make time for myself?”

“I’ve already given you the secret.”

“Really?”

“Use the Time Model for Visionary Leadership and the technique of strategic time blocking that I shared with you when we were at the military base. During your Sunday night planning practice, which I know you have begun to ritualize, block out a period over the coming week for recreation, relaxation and the renewal that you need to perform at your best. Make sure that at least one of your weekly wins revolves around quiet time. And plan to invest at least one hour on your weekly sabbatical. It will return huge dividends to you over the long run, especially when it comes to effective thinking and problem solving in your work as a leader.”

“Seriously?”

“Sure, Descartes made many of his most important intellectual discoveries while relaxing in bed, and Newton formulated the laws of gravity while meditating under an apple tree. Archimedes stumbled upon the laws of hydrostatics while soaking in a hot bath and Mozart composed one of his most famous pieces over a game of billiards. Even the sewing machine came about through an act of renewal.”

“Really?”

“Elias Howe, a Massachusetts instrument maker, was deep in sleep when he had a bizarre dream. In it, he was being chased by
a man carrying a long spear with a small hole at the end of it. This served as the inspiration for his invention that later became known to the world as the sewing machine. Are you beginning to see how much the world would have missed had these visionaries not understood the power of self-renewal?”

“I am, Julian. I am,” I replied as I pondered this lesson. “Can you give me a sense of what kinds of things I should be doing during my weekly sabbatical?”

“The best suggestion I have is to go for a walk in natural surroundings and discover the power of solitude. According to Native American tradition, a human being is like a house with three rooms — your mind, your body and your spirit. To live fully, you must fill these rooms daily with sunlight and fresh air. In our time-starved, fast-paced world, we have forgotten the importance of time spent alone, in silent contemplation. And yet, such reflection is also the surest route to wisdom, both in your leadership and within your life. Reflection and introspection allow you to analyze why you do what you do and how to make continual improvements. The practice of quiet contemplation will enrich your judgment and allow you to begin to understand not just
what
is happening around you at the office but
why
it is happening. It will allow you to grow more aware of the consequences of each of your choices and, therefore, improve your decision-making abilities. Essentially, making the time for regular reflection will allow you to learn from living. All of humanity’s great advances, whether technological or artistic, came, not from frenzied activity but from the deep reflection and introspection that quiet time brings. And connecting to nature will soothe your frazzled nerves and bring a greater sense of balance into your life.”

“Any other ideas for my weekly sabbatical?”

“How about planning to spend an hour in a used bookstore, just flipping through great books and enjoying some time alone. Why not go for a massage or watch the sun rise early on Sunday morning. Why not take one of those wonderful kids you have out on a long hike or simply spend a Saturday afternoon by the sea, watching the waves break against a rocky shore. Don’t be so busy chasing the big things in life that you neglect life’s simple pleasures.
Don’t be so busy striving to make a living that you forget how to live a life.”

I was stunned by the phrase that Julian had just uttered. He was absolutely right. My chaotic, out-of-control lifestyle was leading me to disaster. Sure, a solid work ethic was an essential element of success. Even Julian would agree with that truth. But the strain I had been under as GlobalView’s market share and morale slipped had started to affect my health. I realized I was working compulsively and was more concerned about the time I spent in the office than the quality of the results I was producing. I always felt tired, I was even more irritable than usual and I was rarely able to get a good night’s sleep. By living my life like it was some kind of an Olympic sprint, never taking the time to read a good book over lunch or watch the sun set on a weekend, I was missing out on the best life had to offer. I vowed I would change. My employees deserved a calmer leader. My wife deserved a better husband. My kids deserved a better father. And I deserved a lot more peace.

“What’s the Second Discipline for Self-Leadership?” I asked, interrupting my own thoughts.

“It’s the Discipline of Abundant Knowledge. Yogi Raman believed that applied knowledge is perhaps the greatest source of power and every leader was duty-bound to reserve at least thirty
minutes a day to read. Books will keep you connected to the fundamental leadership principles that all too often get forgotten in the crush of daily activities. Thirty minutes of concentrated reading every single day of the week will make a profound difference in your life. Every answer to every problem you have ever faced lies in print. Whether you want to be a better leader, thinker, father or golfer, a book surely exists that will rocket you to your goal. All the mistakes that you will ever make in your life have already been made by those who walked the earth before you. Do you really think that the challenges you face are unique to you?” “No.”

“Then learn from the experience and wisdom of those who have gone before you. Just think about it: books allow you to look deeply into the minds of the greatest men and women who have ever lived. By investing the few hours that it takes to read the autobiography of Gandhi or the biography of Churchill, you will learn the leadership lessons that it took them decades to discover. You will come to understand the principles they followed as well as the solutions they discovered to many of the most common leadership problems. By reading from books on executive effectiveness and personal mastery, you will find time-honored ways to get more done in less time. And by reading the great works of philosophy and consistently exposing your mind to the great thinkers, you will come to understand the ageless laws of nature and humanity. As Yogi Raman once told me,
‘Stop wishing for fewer problems and start searching for greater wisdom.’ “

“Wow. What a statement!”

“What I’m really telling you to do by suggesting that you read for thirty minutes a day is to apply the Principle of Association.” “Which says?”

“It says that the type of leader and the kind of person you will be five years from now will result from two primary influences: the books you read and the people you associate with. Start spending some of your day with the greatest people who ever lived by spending some time with the books they have written. How would you like to have Napoleon Hill or Dale Carnegie as your personal success coaches, just waiting for you to give them the word? How would you like to have Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison or Alexander Graham Bell mentoring you on the fundamentals of creative thinking and innovation? How would you like to have Abe Lincoln sitting on your bedside table, always available to school you on leadership strategy or Mother Teresa waiting in your den just waiting to teach you the value of patience and compassion in all that you do? That’s the power of print. All of the wisdom of these enlightened humans lies within the pages of their books. Regularly associating with them allows you to rise to their level of thought.”

“Much like an intermediate tennis player always plays a better game when she plays an expert.”

“Excellent analogy. Remember, it’s not just what you get out of books that makes the difference — it’s what books bring out of you. I also suggest you make use of some of the more modern forms of knowledge and intelligence that are waiting for you to call them into action.”

“Like what?”

“Like audiocassette programs. Did you know that if you commute thirty minutes each way every day, after one year this time will have amounted to six weeks of eight-hour days?”

“I had no idea I spent that much time in the car. That’s a month and a half that I’m spending on the road every year. Unbelievable.”

“With a number like that, you really should be listening to
educational and motivational tapes in your car on the way to work and then again on your way home. Your employees will notice a big difference every morning and your family a big difference every night. Why not take control of the information that you feed your mind while you commute and ensure that it is the kind that will add value to your life? Set the goal of listening to at least one new audio-book or cassette program per week. You can also practice the Discipline of Abundant Knowledge by going to personal development seminars. And encourage your people to do the same. Let the power of self-leadership spread through your entire organization and transform the culture into one of top performance.” “What about the Internet?”

“I hear that’s another superb method to tap into every possible type of information you could ever hope for to improve both your business and your life. Like I said earlier, commit to becoming a lifelong student.
Learning no longer ends the minute you pass your last exam. It must continue until you take your last breath.”

“So what’s the next discipline I can follow to cultivate self-leadership? I’m really getting excited about all you are telling me and can’t wait to put it into practice. I used to read so much more than I do now. I know spending time with great books will bring a greater sense of perspective, not to mention sanity, back into my life. I must admit, I’d hate to leave this world without having read the great works of wisdom and literature.”

“Nice point,” offered Julian. “The Third Discipline for Self-Leadership is the Discipline of Physicality, as Yogi Raman called it. It simply involves making sure that you respect the timeless truth that says,
as you care for your body, so you care for your mind.
Visionary leaders are high-performance leaders. And high-performance leaders need vigor, energy and drive, the kind that
comes through being in prime physical condition. You must have the wisdom to exercise regularly and eat to win. There are 168 hours in a week. Surely you can find a few to swim, stretch or run.”

“You know, I’ve been meaning to get back into shape for quite some time. In college I was quite a track star.”

“I had no idea.”

“I used to love working out in the good old days. I know that if I just took twenty or thirty minutes to go for a swim at lunch, it would make a big difference in the way I feel, act and think. I just finished reading Nelson Mandela’s autobiography.”

“A visionary leader if there ever was one.”

“I agree. Do you know what he did for exercise?”

“I know he used to rise at dawn and walk.”

“That was in his later years. But in his early days, to stay in peak physical condition, he used to box. He absolutely loved the sport and said that the activity renewed him completely. ‘It was a way of losing myself in something that was not the struggle,’ he wrote. After an evening’s workout, I would wake up the next morning feeling strong and refreshed, ready to take up the fight again.’”

“Like I said, visionary leaders know that when you care for your body, you also care for your mind. And get this, according to a study at my alma mater involving 17,000 Harvard alumni, it was found that every hour you exercise adds another three hours to your life. Now, that’s an excellent return on investment. So what are you waiting for? Now is the time to get into peak condition. It will add so much to the quality of both your professional and personal life. It will make you feel wonderful and give you the energy to do all the meaningful things you want to do. It will even enhance the clarity of your thoughts. And like the sages said,
The person who doesn’t make time for exercise must eventually make time for illness.”