I’d like to be able to explain fully and clearly how to be
an ‘enlightened leader’ (!!), but since I am only just discovering this
possibility myself, I am only going to share what I’m learning these days as I
explore leadership and spirituality. Please feel free to add to my
understanding by commenting.
Enlightenment means a view of the universe that is beyond
ego. It is the highest known perspective.
What does it mean to
be beyond ego?
First of all, ego is the sense that we are separate. It
emerges in childhood when we discover that we are separate from our
environments, our families and that we have individual identities. For the
first time we realize that we have an exclusive view of our own thoughts and
that we have the ability to think and choose for ourselves. Before we discover
our egos, we are not really aware that we are separate at all. Babies have no
concept of themselves and no conscious control.
The development of the ego is behind humankind’s great rush
of progress and development as we each strive to protect ourselves and compete
against others in our relentless pursuit of happiness. In this sense it is a
good thing. But the ego’s view of reality is not complete.
Being ‘beyond ego’ means having a higher perspective that transcends
the petty demands of the ego for attention, importance and security. The ego is
fearful and greedy. The ego pretends to be rational in its striving for
self-protection, but in fact it is emotional and manipulative. Enlightenment is
a more complete view of reality.
To gain an experience and understanding of the true nature
of reality, we can explore the deepest levels of our consciousness through
meditation. It is possible to discover that consciousness is composed of two
great forces:
- Peace
and acceptance, where everything is okay. - The
creative impulse, where everything must change.
Clearly these are opposites, and yet they both exist
simultaneously and with equal power. We can also see them as two aspects of the
same field.
So to be enlightened means to be aware of and act in
accordance with the existence of the highest and deepest levels of
consciousness.
How would having this
highest possible perspective help you as a leader?
The biggest enemy of leadership success is fear. Fear blocks
us from rationally considering our actions and thereby leads us into
self-destructive and ill-considered behaviours. Fear also stops us from taking
any action at all, as we fearfully cling to the status quo rather than
venturing into the infinite possibilities for improvement. Fear is resolved by
knowing that at the heart of any problem, everything is okay and there is no
need for fear. There is only peace.
Once we are free from the fears and desires of the ego, we
are able to tap into the creative impulse that nurtures change and development,
and is the force behind the creation of “predictable miracles”, as I wrote
about before.
Applying the
learning:
The most important step in becoming an enlightened leader is
to raise your awareness of the higher levels of consciousness beyond ego so
that you can avoid the pitfalls of ego’s irrational urges and thereby access
the higher intelligence of the creative impulse.
This may sound esoteric but it is actually very practical.
The more you realize that ‘everything is okay’, there is always peace, the more
your actions towards your goals will be in alignment with the highest causes
and the most efficient connections. Remember, money is not earned through work,
but through the creation of value.
Here is a practical example. Although I have many
outstanding goals to achieve and responsibilities to fulfill, and limited time
to complete these things, I decided to take a 5-day holiday. I am aware that
much of my drive to complete goals comes from my ego’s desire to look good in
front of others, and to feel important. Those are ego-driven desires that are
unrelated to my deeper desires for helping others develop, leading and
creating. Since I am aware in this case that it is the ego that desires to keep
working, I can safely ignore it.
And so, I have just returned from my holiday fully
refreshed, energized, positive and ready to attract the kind of connections and
opportunities I really want, rather than only those that create plenty of work
without the value I seek. I cannot prove that I would have created more success
by working for those five days, but I am absolutely sure that this particular
vacation has added to my bottom line.
Conclusion:
In life, everything is okay and at the same time everything
must change. The more a leader understands and experiences these two forces in
every day life, the more easily he or she will find fulfillment and success.
