The 22 Imperatives of Leadership: #8 – Leaders Are Philosophers

The unexamined life is not worth living.
~ Socrates

This weeks’ topic may be even more controversial than last weeks’ where we talked about Leaders Falling in Love.

But then again, we’re exploring 22 Imperatives of a new type of leadership then we’ve been conditioned to believe and experience.

Not only is the leader for the future a philosopher, he’s also well versed in psychology, biology, physiology, physics, mythology, and spirituality.

Why so cross-disciplined and trained?

Because anything less is an incomplete picture of the universe in which we live, as well as who we are and our place within it.

If you want to create or change anything,
you must start at the cause versus the effect.

Most in today’s world are dealing with the effects. Attempting to change your life or business—much less lead them powerfully—while dealing with effects is like attempting to change your body by playing with the shadow it casts on the sidewalk.

Your philosophy is the foundation of both your life and business.

Your life philosophy is grounded in your Purpose, Vision and Values; and these facets are much more spiritual in nature than goals, tools, processes and techniques.

Leadership, the Philosopher and the Mystic

All are necessary, but in-and-of-themselves insufficient.

Attempting to change your results through strategies, tools,
and techniques alone, is like attempting to change your body by playing
with the shadow it casts on the sidewalk. You must get to the cause.

When you have a complete a picture of the universe you have a comprehensive platform upon which to build a strategy.

By and large we’ve lost our value for philosophy in today’s world. Likewise, our mythology.

I submit this is one of the major causes of the problems we see, feel, and experience.

Since the time we first crawled from our caves, and turned our face to the sun,
we’ve been on an endless search for meaning and purpose in life.

A culture without a philosophical foundation, is a culture that is lost in the eternal quest for the lowest common denominator. Most often money.

But money will never bring meaning.

A study conducted at Princeton University and published in Time Magazine in 2010, proves that after a person reaches $75,000 per year no amount of additional money can improve their happiness.

In fact, it often decreases happiness.

Without a clear foundation and philosophy, life and business tend to deteriorate
to the lowest common denominator which is most often money.

Science tells us as leaders how things work; and spiritual traditions tell us why.

Multi-disciplinary exposure is a key to creativity.

For the structure of genius is to take the apparently unrelated and find relationship. If you look at anything hard enough and clearly enough, you’ll eventually see everything.

The structure of genius is to be able to relate the un-relatable.
If you clearly look at anything hard enough and clearly enough,
you’ll see everything.

When you become who you really are, you realize you’re everything.

To study, know, and experience all wisdom is to have a meaningful life.

All else is incomplete.

That’s authentic leadership.

Authentic leadership is exceptional.

Be a Leader. Live Your Purpose; and Take Your Power Back!

James