Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders (5 page)

“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 snowcapped 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 of Sivana.’

“We then descended along another narrow path that took us deep into the forest. I still remember being powerfully affected by the smell of the pine and sandalwood that passed through the air of that otherworldly place. On the forest floor were richly colored orchids and other exotic flowers, the likes of which I had never seen before. Suddenly, I began to hear other voices as we approached a clearing. As we grew nearer, I caught a glimpse of a sight I can assure you I will never forget as long as I live.”

“What did you see?” I asked.

“Before me stood an entire village made solely from what appeared to be roses. At the center of the village was a tiny temple, the kind I had seen on my visits to Thailand and Nepal. But this temple was made of red, white and pink flowers, held together with long strands of multicolored string and twigs. Surrounding the temple was a series of small huts, apparently the simple homes of the monks.

“Even more astonishing were the inhabitants themselves,” Julian added. “The men wore the same red-robed uniform that Yogi Raman was wearing and smiled gently as they passed by. Their expressions conveyed a deep sense of serenity and then-eyes a deep sense of wisdom. Rather than growing agitated at the sight of an unexpected visitor who had broken the sanctity of their mountain hideaway, they quietly bowed their heads and then continued to perform the tasks they had been working at. The women were equally impressive. Wearing beautiful pink silk saris that flowed to the ground and with their shiny black hair adorned by bright white lotuses, they moved gracefully through the village. I had never seen people like this before. Even though they were all mature adults, each one of them radiated joy, their eyes twinkling as an expression of their vitality and passion for life. Not one of them had wrinkles. Not one of them had gray hair. Not one of them looked old. I was speechless.”

Julian told me that Yogi Raman then showed him to his living quarters, a small hut that would serve as his home for the next few months.

“Let’s head down to the fairway,” said Julian, standing up. “I’ll continue with my story as we walk. And bring along those golf clubs,” he requested, motioning toward what appeared to be a well-worn set that someone had apparently forgotten on the verandah.

“Are you actually going to try and play a round in those robes?” “No, there’s something much more important I want to show you.”

As we walked toward the golf course, Julian continued to share his amazing tale with me. Sensing his burning desire to learn the sages’ leadership wisdom, Yogi Raman took Julian under his tutelage. He spent literally every waking hour with his eager student, happily sharing his accumulated knowledge and instructing Julian on how to apply it. On some days they would rise with the sun and spend hours discussing the timeless truths that Yogi Raman had offered, Julian’s quick legal mind delighting in this powerful information he knew would change his life along with the lives of so many others in his part of the world. On other days, they would walk silently in the pine forest, enjoying the gift of each other’s presence while savoring the opportunity to reflect on the philosophies they had been discussing.

In time, the sage became more like a father to Julian than a teacher. He showed Julian how to see his life in a whole new perspective and truly liberate the fullness of his personal potential. Knowing of Julian’s brush with death after years of neglecting his health, Yogi Raman initially focused on teaching Julian an extremely powerful self-management and life-improvement process that would transform the way he looked and felt.

The sage told Julian that “inner leadership precedes outer leadership” and before he could come to understand the time-honored dynamics of leading others, he had to understand how to lead himself. So Yogi Raman taught him little-known skills to manage stress, break his worry habit and simplify his life. He taught him how to enhance his energy levels, unblock his creativity and unleash his vitality. Within a number of weeks, Julian had
undergone both an outer and inner metamorphosis. He looked years younger, was full of strength and felt more positive about his future than he had in many years. He actually began to believe he could do anything, be anything and make a real difference in the world by spreading the priceless wisdom he had discovered. The ancient lessons of the Great Sages of Sivana had started to work their miracles.

With his student returned to a splendid state of physical and psychological health, Yogi Raman began to share the leadership system Julian had promised would revolutionize GlobalView and allow it to reach a world-class level of achievement and effectiveness.

“This wise leader of the Great Sages of Sivana believed that all failure, whether in the business world or in one’s personal life, could ultimately be traced back to a failure in leadership. Companies don’t perform at their peak when their leaders are unskilled and unwise. People don’t perform at their best when they have no leadership over their lives. He told me that though he lived in an isolated part of the world, he knew there was what he called ‘a leadership crisis’ in our part of the world. Yogi Raman said he held the solution.”

“I’ve spent a lifetime reflecting on the elements of enlightened leadership,” Julian remembered the sage telling him one afternoon as they relaxed in a mountain meadow after exploring and hiking in that surreal place. “I’ve devoted many years to silently contemplating what made the greatest leaders so great. As a monk, I have pledged allegiance to the truth. So my life has been dedicated to searching for truths of leadership. Over time, I have come to understand that the most influential and respected leaders aligned their leadership with certain ancient laws. I’ve structured these laws into an extremely effective system for dynamic leadership, a blueprint of sorts that will help any leader realize his
or her professional and personal potential. Now I shall share what I have learned with you.”

“And what did Yogi Raman tell you?” I asked intently, as we finally reached the barren golf course.

“He told me that the most enlightened, dynamic and effective leaders all possessed one quality that the lesser ones lacked.”

“And that quality is?”

“I think it would be better if I demonstrated it.” Julian then reached into the leather golf bag I was carrying and pulled out a club.

“You’re not going to tell me you also worked on your golf game while you studied under the sages!”

“Actually I did. I played golf every single day. It was very therapeutic and greatly contributed to my recovery.”

“Really,” I said in disbelief. “And I suppose these magical monks had also developed a world-class golf resort in the middle of their mountain hideaway so they could play a few rounds to break up the monotony of their days? Probably had little bamboo golf carts to whiz them from hole to hole, did they?”

“Very funny,” Julian replied, taking my sarcasm in stride. What else could he expect? His story was moving from the bizarre to the incredible. “No, I actually played golf in my mind, Peter.”

“I’ve never heard that one before.”

“A few years ago, I remember reading a magazine article about a Vietnam vet who managed to survive his days in solitary confinement by playing imaginary games of chess. Not only did this help him pass the time, it also dramatically improved his playing ability. By the time he got out and had the opportunity to play with a real opponent on a real board, his chess skills had become nothing short of brilliant.”

“Amazing.”

“I felt exactly the same way when I heard about that story, Peter. So when, in some of my quieter moments among the sages, I began to reflect on how much I had loved playing golf in my younger years, I decided I would model the war veteran’s strategy and practice playing golf in my mind. I had enjoyed the game so much as a kid, I thought it would greatly assist my recovery.”

“Did it make a difference in your golf game?”

“I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve been on a golf course in years. Actually, I think the last time I played was with you. But I’ve probably played over a thousand rounds in my mind, so I don’t really feel like I’ve been away from the game at all. Okay, watch closely now. I think what you’re about to see might surprise you.”

Julian then reached into his robe and pulled out the gold-plated golf ball that I’d returned to him.

“You’re not going to use that one are you? Do you have any idea how much that cost me Julian?” I asked, mildly irritated that my friend would use my special birthday present to him in his demonstration.

“Watch closely,” was the only reply I received as he focused intently on the hole at the other end of the fairway, his ultimate destination. Then with the ease and grace of a seasoned professional, he swung the club, striking the ball perfectly and sending it soaring high into the air. I’d never seen Julian hit the ball like that. However, in spite of his shot, it appeared as if the ball would fall short of its target. I looked at him and gave him my best “nice-try” expression.

Then something unbelievable happened. The ball seemed to speed up in the air, as if it had been blessed with the support of a convenient gust of wind. It now sped precisely toward its intended
destination. A couple of groundskeepers, who had witnessed this display, had quickly taken off their hats so as not to miss seeing where the ball would land. Even a few of the golfers relaxing on the clubhouse verandah were leaning over the railing to see what would happen.

The ball then dropped down from the sky onto the green next to the first hole and began to roll slowly but directly toward it. No golfer had shot a hole in one on this course for quite some time, but perhaps my friend, adorned in the robe of a traditional monk and wearing nothing on his feet but his faithful sandals, would be the first to end this drought. The ball kept on inching toward the hole. Then it seemed to stop.