«Juhi tee», mis on hariv, tihti üllatav pilguheit maailma ühe kõige inspireerivama juhi ellu ja mõtetesse, sisaldab põnevaid tähelepanekuid ja lugusid Tema Pühaduselt dalai-laamalt, puudutades teemasid alates kohtumistest Mao Tse-tungiga kuni Tiibeti eksiilvalitsuseni ning kirjeldades tema positiivseid vaateid jõukuse ja vaba turumajanduse osas. Raamat esitleb võimsa mainfesti juhtimise muutmise kohta, millel võiks olla mõju igal tasandil, üksikisikust kuni kogu maailmani. Raamat kasutab praktilisi harjutusi ja näiteid elust selleks, et juhtida lugeja üha edasi viivale rajale, õpetades kõigepealt õigete otsuste langetamise kunsti, käsitledes seejärel meie organisatsioonide juhtimist ja rakendades siis õpitud uusi põhimõtteid ülimalt tähtsate küsimuste vallas nagu vaesus, jätkusuutlikkus, kultuuriline mitmekesisus ja keskkonnaalane vastutustunne. Tõeline juht mõistab muutuse vältimatust, universaalse vastutustunde vajadust ning majandussüsteemi täiendamist moraalsete väärtustega. See ongi juhi tee.
Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Döndrub), the 14th Dalai Lama, is a practicing member of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism and is influential as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the world's most famous Buddhist monk, and the leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India.
Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family. He was proclaimed the tulku (an Enlightened lama who has consciously decided to take rebirth) of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two.
On 17 November 1950, at the age of 15, he was enthroned as Tibet's ruler. Thus he became Tibet's most important political ruler just one month after the People's Republic of China's invasion of Tibet on 7 October 1950. In 1954, he went to Beijing to attempt peace talks with Mao Zedong and other leaders of the PRC. These talks ultimately failed.
After a failed uprising and the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959, the Dalai Lama left for India, where he was active in establishing the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan Government in Exile) and in seeking to preserve Tibetan culture and education among the thousands of refugees who accompanied him.
Tenzin Gyatso is a charismatic figure and noted public speaker. This Dalai Lama is the first to travel to the West. There, he has helped to spread Buddhism and to promote the concepts of universal responsibility, secular ethics, and religious harmony.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, honorary Canadian citizenship in 2006, and the United States Congressional Gold Medal on 17 October 2007.
"The Leader's Way: The Art of Making the Right Decisions in Our Careers, Our Companies, and the World at Large" is a book co-authored by the Dalai Lama and Laurens van den Muyzenberg. It is a compelling read that offers insight into the leadership philosophy of the Dalai Lama, one of the most respected spiritual leaders in the world.
The book is divided into three sections, each of which addresses a different aspect of leadership. The first section covers the importance of ethical leadership and the need for leaders to be compassionate and empathetic. The second section discusses the importance of self-awareness and the need for leaders to understand their own strengths and weaknesses. The final section deals with the importance of organizational culture and the need for leaders to create a positive work environment.
One of the book's most compelling aspects is the way it integrates the Dalai Lama's spiritual teachings with practical leadership advice. The authors illustrate how a leader's values and beliefs can influence their decision-making and how leaders can develop the emotional intelligence and mindfulness necessary to make better decisions.
The book is written in a clear and concise style, making it accessible to a broad range of readers. The authors use anecdotes and examples from both Eastern and Western cultures to illustrate their points, and the result is a well-rounded and nuanced approach to leadership.
Overall, "The Leader's Way" is an excellent book that offers valuable insights into the Dalai Lama's leadership philosophy. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in leadership, mindfulness, and personal growth. The book is not only relevant to business leaders but also to individuals who aspire to be better leaders in their personal and professional lives.
Today’s Book of the Day is THE LEADER’S WAY, written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Laurens van den Muyzenberg in 2011 and published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibet and lives in exile as a refugee in India after the Chinese invasion of his motherland in 1959. He is also the leader and a monk of the Gelug Buddhist school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism. His social commitment focuses on peace and non-violence, environmental themes, economics, women’s rights, nonviolence, interfaith dialogue, physics, astronomy, Buddhism and science, and the relationship between meditative practices and cognitive neuroscience. The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, and the US Congressional Gold Medal in 2006.
Laurens van den Muyzenberg is an international management consultant who has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, the United States, Chile, Bahrain, India, and Japan. His work focuses primarily on the improvement of corporate governance and management performance.
I have chosen this book because, as a Buddhist and a business coach and consultant for leaders (and having led my own companies as well), I wanted to give you a glimpse into how these two apparently different worlds coexist.
I found The Leader’s Way: Business, Buddhism, and Happiness in an Interconnected World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be an extremely brilliant and transformative read. This book seamlessly weaves together Buddhist wisdom and modern leadership principles, offering a practical, yet profound guide for everyone seeking to lead with compassion, mindfulness, and ethical responsibility in today’s interconnected global landscape.
In this book, His Holiness wants to provide his followers and readers with an inspiring manifesto for business change by emphasizing the crucial role of a leader in letting his employees, coworkers, and customers become aware of and promote happiness and well-being within their organization and society at large.
The Dalai Lama challenges conventional notions of leadership that prioritize individual success and profit-driven motives and proposes a deep paradigm shift towards a mind-changing inclusive approach focused on collective welfare and harmony.
The book gives many practical tools and suggestions to its readers, all of them with an emphasis on compassion and awareness. His Holiness encourages leaders to engage in regular introspection and meditation to become aware of their own truest and most intimate motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. By developing this heightened awareness, leaders can make better and wiser decisions with greater mindfulness and empathy, fostering a healthier and more harmonious work environment.
The book is divided into three sections, each of which describes a different aspect of leadership. The first section is about ethical leadership and the need for leaders to be compassionate and empathetic. The second one shows how self-awareness helps leaders to understand their own strengths and weaknesses. The final section gives the readers a practical understanding of the importance of a renewed organizational culture based on happiness and holistic well-being and the need for leaders to create a positive work environment.
His Holiness highlights how compassionate leaders possess the ability to understand the needs and aspirations of their team members in a more profound way. When leaders are compassionate, they create an atmosphere of trust and support in the organizations they manage, thus allowing individuals to flourish and contribute their best to the organization’s goals, vision, and purpose. An added advantage of such a compassionate environment is improved employee engagement and productivity, leading to sustainable success.
Furthermore, the book also makes it clear how it is important for an organization to foster ethical decision-making by the leadership. His Holiness encourages leaders to continuously assess the ethical implications of all their choices, considering not only the financial, profit-based outcomes but also long-term consequences on the broader society, community, and environment. Ethical leadership is crucial for maintaining a balanced and sustainable world.
The Dalai Lama also addresses the topic of happiness and its relation to leadership and healthy organization, where working is a pleasure and not just a source of income. He demonstrates how true happiness arises not from material possessions or social status but from a deep sense of purpose, inner peace, and genuine empathy, love, and care for others. By cultivating happiness within themselves and promoting it among their teams, leaders can create an improved work environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, and overall organizational success.
The Leader’s Way culminates in a call for responsible leadership that goes beyond personal interests to serve the greater good of society and the planet. His Holiness advocates for an interconnected approach that acknowledges the global impact of business decisions and encourages leaders to contribute positively to the well-being of all beings. The most interesting thing, here, is that this call and its related approach are not based on a Buddhist practice. They are good whatever your cultural, religious, and philosophical background.
In conclusion, this book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a remarkable one that creates a meaningful bridge between the worlds of Buddhism and leadership. It provides a profound and practical roadmap for all the leaders who want to get rid of their money and profit-based mindset to aspire to become compassionate, mindful, and ethical actors of a permanent, positive change in today’s business world.
The book, written 12 years ago, has for sure inspired me to integrate the principles of compassion, self-awareness, and ethical responsibility even more into my personal and professional life. I highly recommend this book to every leader who wants to lead with purpose and contribute to the greater good of humanity.
I really wanted to like this one. As a CEO of what I would call a mission-driven company (if you can pardon the cliché), this had my hopes up as an insightful look into applying the Buddha's teachings in business.
But, over the six-hour listen (this was road trip material), all I got out of it was to be right-minded (have good intentions) and consider maximizing the greatest human benefit and minimizing harm. With these guidelines in place, leaders will make better choices.
I didn't need a specific book about Buddhism and business to draw that connection. Would love to read something a little more exact about how to navigate the difficult decisions that make up the role of a leader.
“Люди не можуть стати по-справжньому щасливими без дружби і добрих стосунків з іншими. Ба більше, ці добрі взаємини повинні бути обопільними. А це неможливо, якщо їхня єдина мета — задовольнити власні бажання. Я вважаю , що уряд й організації теж підпадають під це правило, оскільки вони налагоджують контакти між людьми, створюють робочі місця і матеріальні блага та відіграють дуже важливу роль у питаннях рівня життя і людського щастя й сферах, де ті перетинаються”
“Суть буддизму можна під- сумувати у двох концепціях: правильної точки зору і правильної дії. Правильна точка зору не має жодної цінності, якщо вона не веде до правильної дії”
“Правильна точка зору складається із двох частин: процесу прийняття рішень та трьох цінностей чи концептів, які потрібно враховувати у кожному рішенні.”
“Перше, на що варто зважати у процесі прийняття рішення, є намір, що лежить в його основі . Намір має бути добрим, тобто він , щонайменше, не повинен завдавати будь-кому шкоди”
“Другим аспектом є стан свідомості лідера і , якщо можливо, інших людей, які залучені в процес. Випробування для того , хто приймає рішення, полягає у розпізнаванні появи будь-яких негативних впливів на свідомість, таких як оборона чи злість , і здатності повернути розум до спокійного, зібраного та зосередженого стану. Підходячи до кінця процесу прийняття рішення, лідери мають запитати себе: Чи будуть наслідки цього рішення корисними для моєї організації та усіх, кого воно стосується?”
“Взаємозалежність є причиною і наслідком із іншого погляду. Оскільки нічого не існує без причини і кожна причина має багато наслідків, взаємозалежність, поміж багатьма незвичайними явищами, є логічним результатом. Йдеться про фокусування на нашій залежності одне від одного. Усі дії мають наслідки для самої особи та інших. Мої дії впливають на інших. Їхня реакція на мої дії впливає на мене, і це безкінечний процес. Компанія — типовий приклад взаємозалежної організації.”
“Шість ідеалів, часто виражені як щедрість, етична дисципліна, терплячість, ентузіазм, концентрація та мудрість, — є , очевидно, цінними для всіх людей, не лише для лідерів. Утім , лі- дер, який володіє цими рисами, має особливу здатність суттєво впливати на інших”
“Причиною численних скандалів у сфері бізнесу є жадібність людей, котрі при владі, до грошей та престижу; це протилежне щедрості… Щедрість повинна поєднуватися з мудрістю. Бути щедрими у вирішенні лише короткотривалих проблем недопустимо, потрібно зважати й на наслідки у перспективі.”
“Коли я думаю про етичну дисципліну, то згадую пораду, дану успішним у керуванні своєї країни королем і н ш и м правите- лям. Він пояснив принцип свого управління так: «Для правителя найкращий спосіб керувати своєю країною - це насамперед керувати собою ». Під «керувати собою» він мав на увазі опиратися спокусі.”
“Терплячість необхідно розвивати. Це єдиний спосіб бути готовими , якщо виникають провокаційні обставини на кшталт ворожості, критики ч и розчарування… Терплячість слід розуміти як «виправдану терплячість». У деяких ситуаціях є потреба у негайних діях. Рішення, чи про являти терпіння, вимагає неабиякої розсудливості.”
“Концентрацією я називаю здатність зосередити всю вашу ментальну енергію на одній проблемі. Більшість людей мають дуже слабку концентрацію, переносячи увагу від однієї речі до іншої .”
“Мудрість здебільшого повʼязана з правильною точкою зору - здатністю бачити речі такими, якими вони є , і усвідомленням, що ніщо не є постійним. Вибір того , що слід зробити сьогодні, аби отримати результати в далекому майбутньому, потребує правильної точки зору та правильної діяльності.”
“Слово «мантра» походить від слів «manna», що означає «розум», та «tra», тобто «захист». Буддисти вірять, що читання мантри, послідовності слів , може допомогти захистити розум від негативних думок та емоцій. Ми також віримо, що це корисно для духовного розвитку.”
“Геркштрьотер вважає вважливими чотири характеристики принципів: 1) Принципи повинні бути чіткими і зрозумілими. 2) Вони мусять заохочувати людей, які працюють у компанії. 3) Вони мають допомагати людям приймати відповідальні рішення. 4) Вони повинні бути значущими для різних культур (для глобальних компаній)”
“Якщо н е брати до уваги таку очевидну погану діяльність як продаж небезпечних продуктів чи поширення неправдивих даних про продукт, існує три найбільш шкідливі методи конкуренції: встановлення монополії, фіксація цін та корупція.”
“Свобода дорогоцінна. Свобода, яка веде до щастя, залежить від дівповідальних дій людей і як особистостей, і як членів організації. Лідерство, яке визнає загальну відповідальність, є справжнім ключем до подолання світових проблем.”
“Капітал є засобом, а не результатом. Результат - це свобода та процвітання для всіх. Цього можна досягнути за допомогою вільної ринкової системи, в якій усі учасники діють відповідально. Я думаю, що інтеграція капіталізму та буддизму відбувається, коли концепції правильної точки зору і правильної дії стають невідʼємними частинами економічної системи. У цьому контексті я розглядаю слово «відповідальна» як те, що підтримує ці концепції, і тому сподіваюся, що слова «відповідальна вільна ринкова економіка» прийдуть на заміну словам «капіталістична система»”
Dalai Lama and management consultant Laurens van den Muyzenberg proved in The Leader’s way that the best business practices and Buddhism principles have much in common. Many people think that Buddhism leads to passivity and rejection from the material world, but the main accent in Buddhism is how to act in the right way. The sense of Buddhism is in two conceptions: the right point of view and the right action. The right point of view does not have any value if it does not lead to the right action, act in the right way is a foundation of the successful business. To have the right intentions is the first part of Buddhism conception of the right point of view, it means that the actions would be helpful for you and everyone influenced. The second part determines three aspects of reality:
1) nothing exists constantly, everything is changing; 2) nothing exists independently; 3) nothing exists without reason.
The right thinking depends on calm, assembled and concentrated mind, as soon as you are influenced by anger, envy, fear or uncertainty you become thrilled and inefficient. The Leader with 6 ideals (Generosity, Ethical discipline, Patience, Enthusiasm, Concentration and Wisdom) has special possibility to influence effectively on others. The main goal of the Leader is to create a company with strong and warm heart and to see the things as they really are.
Dalai Lama defines seven features of the Person according to Buddhism:
1) understanding of the principles and reasons; 2) comprehension of goals and results; 3) insight of yourself; 4) understanding of temperance; 5) realization of a business and effectiveness of using time; 6) understanding of the organization; 7) insight of people.
Definition of an income according to Buddhism traditions - good purpose if it is fairly mined and used for happiness and needs of people.
The Buddhism method of the right choose is divided into four steps:
1) What is really going on and is it a problem? 2) What is a reason of this problem? 3) What is my final purpose? 4) How I can reach my goal?
The teachings of Buddhism have much to offer business leaders and had a great impact on my behavior.
O abordare a leadershipului, din două perspective de o complementaritate inedită: spiritualitatea buddhistă și consultanța de management.
Cartea prezintă, în stilul concentrat și clar al scrierilor buddhiste, aplicarea valorilor spirituale ale perspectivei corecte și conduitei corecte (concepte ce pot fi echivalate, în sistemul de valori de business, cu cele de viziune și misiune) în provocările liderilor din mediile de afaceri.
Începută ca proiect de studiu comparativ între socialism și buddhism, cartea a evoluat către o dovadă a interoperabilității, la nivel strategic, între capitalism și buddhism, doctrine care, păstrându-și, fiecare, specificitatea, reușesc, în același timp, să se pună în valoare reciproc.
Organizată pe 3 planuri (a te conduce pe tine, a-ți conduce organizația și a conduce, în lumea interconectată), cartea prezintă acțiuni, idei și principii ușor de înțeles și disponibile oricui își asumă un rol de lider, formal sau informal, într-o lume în care companiile, la fel ca și oamenii, au scopul de a obține fericirea, care, în termeni capitaliști, s-ar putea traduce, dincolo de profit, în misiunea de a genera satisfacție angajaților, clienților și tuturor participanților la circuitul valoric al companiei.
I didn't know what to expect of an audiobook that examines the intersection of global business and Buddhism and since I knew very little of Buddhist beliefs it turned out to very informative. The Dalai Lama's positive comments on the possibilities of Buddhism, capitalism, and democracy being very effective for positive change in the world, assuming very strong ethical leadership of both companies & governments, was quite interesting. This whet my appetite to learn more about the history, practices, and doctrine of this religion. Since the authors alternate thoughts & voices often and the audiobook usually didn't mark these transitions it took some time to figure out whose opinion I was hearing and that was frustrating.
Перш за все, я дійсно була розчарована якістю самого тексту через наявність граматичних і лексичних помилок. Від Видавництва старого лева очікуєш більшого. Сама книга зацікавила мене більше почитати про буддизм, звернула мою увагу на те, що б мені хотілося змінити у компанії, де я нині працюю, нагадала про те, щоб на будь-яку проблему, переміни чи рішення треба дивитися з різних сторін. Мені сподобалися наведені приклади із ведення бізнесу і фейлів великих компанії. А для себе я винесла розуміння важливості мети будь-чого, що я роблю. І мета ця повинна бути вигідною і доброю не лише мені, а й іншим. Якщо так є, то позитивний результат у грошовому еквіваленті (або будь-якому іншому очікуваному еквіваленті) приходить автоматично.
Quizás estoy mala, no sé. Me pareció vago, un poco obvio incluso - no necesito un libro entero para saber que un líder que tiene en mente el bien común toma mejores decisiones, y tampoco sé si es tan específicamente pertinente al budismo. Algunas de las conclusiones que saca el consultor con respecto a los conceptos del Dalai Lama son un poco tiradas de los pelos, defiende bastante los despidos de personal, es cuanto menos raro.
Me hubiese gustado una explicación menos centrada en el rol del lider como ejecutor de decisiones y más en el rol del lider como guía de otros, sobre cómo ocupar ese cargo en un ambiente tan despersonalizado como es el laboral.
Capitalism works well under Buddhist ethics. Much like the Adam Smith argument enlightened self interest requires moral reasoning. I just have the suspicion any competitive advantages of Buddhist businesses are long term and outcompeted and undermined by the unscrupulous in the short term. The dissatisfying answer I hear from Buddhism when dealing with the unscrupulous is to wait them out even though they cause immense suffering. And recognize the unscrupulous will ultimately not be satisfied/happy in pursuit of insatiable desires. This is a very very long game.
The Monk and the Management Consultant - looking for a synthesis between capitalism and Buddhism Today's reading was this little book that comes from a decade of collaboration between two unlikely worlds. The jist of the book is Right Decision Making by taking a truly "long view" in a deeply "interdependent world." Right decisions come from right view, which lead to right action. Therefore at core of all leadership is right action that benefits all. Systems thinking/holistic viewpoint is to be adopted, along with mindfullness. This means seeing things as they really are, and looking at things from other peoples perspective as well. Three central concepts have to become instinctual to decision making— cause and effect, interdependence, and impermence Learn to train the mind to be calm, collected and concentrated. Training the mind must become instinctual like eating food. Calm and collected decisions involves asking ourselves four questions: What is the reality and is it a problem? What is the cause of the problem? What do I want to achieve? How can I arrive at the goal? If you remember only two concepts after reading this book—Right View and Right Conduct—and keep these two principles vivid in your mind, your decision making will improve, as will your satisfaction with life. Three sections in the book - 1) Leading Self - best way for a ruler to reign over his country is to first rule himself well. The Six Perfections to leading oneself —often expressed as generosity, ethical discipline, patience, enthusiastic effort, concentration, and wisdom—are of obvious value to all individuals, Meditation is key, and the book discuss' 5 methods of meditation for indiviuals, as a key method of training the mind. 2) Leading Organization - Several of the CEOs reported that fewer meetings were required because they had learned to concentrate and give their undivided attention to the item at hand.The first step of a leader is to restore faith and purspoe in those one leads.Creating Faith, establish values and make right decisions. The purpose of a business/org cannot be profit, profit is the end result of what you. Pursue happiness of all involved. 3) Leading in an interconnected world - goal of achieving freedom and prosperity for all. Quotes from the book, that stuck a chord with me
I believe that leaders of religious traditions—with their ability to take a long view of the human condition—should participate in discussions of global business and economics. The root of happiness is not in what we desire or what we get but somewhere altogether different. It stems from a place of inner contentment that exists no matter what we gain or achieve. People cannot be truly happy unless they have friendships and good relationships with other people. Furthermore, good relationships are reciprocal. True 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. Thinking the right way means making sure that every action is based on the right intention and the right motivation. The right intention is that the action will be beneficial to you and everyone affected by it;The second part recognizes three aspects of reality: impermanence, interdependence, and dependent origination. Buddhism teaches that nothing exists that is permanent; nothing exists that is independent; and nothing exists without a cause. the root cause of suffering was self-centeredness. Also People would rather deal with a person who is interested in their well-being than with someone who is interested only in him- or herself. Right View consists of two parts: the decision-making process and the three values or concepts—dependent origination, interdependence, and impermanence—that have to be respected in every decision The concept of impermanence teaches us that every goal is a moving target. Right livelihood is important - do not deal in weapons; deal in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter, as well as the slave trade and prostitution); work in meat production and butchery; and selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs. The researchers compared the brain maps of 175 people who had never meditated to the brain map of the monk. They found that the monk’s activity in the frontal lobe, which is associated with greater happiness, was higher than that of any of the 175 other people tested. the meditators had 5 percent thicker brain tissue in the prefrontal cortex.4 In other words, meditation had seemingly enlarged the part of the brain that regulates emotion, attention, and working memory. Buddha considered respect for all to be very important. Buddhists believe that even if a person acts badly, he or she has the potential to become a good person and deserves respect as a human being. Worth reading slowly, and returning to it from time to time. It is a very easy read, but one that can change how you view both capitalism and Buddhism .
Текст книги дійсно більше схожа на маніфест. Після «Книги радості» авторства Далай Лами і Десмонда Туту очікування до цієї книги були занадто високими, тому, мабуть, і не справдилися. У книзі багато думок, тем, але не встигнеш хоча б трішки зануритися у міркування щодо однієї як автори переносять тебе до іншої, і так протягом усієї книги. Отак, понадкушувавши усього, прочитавши книгу, залишився голодним
To be fair, I listened to the audio book version and the reader had the most monotonous voice ever. I really struggled with it and found it to be the most boring business book I have ever read (generally I listen to business books rather than read). The book jumps between authors and the link between the thoughts seem tenuous, even strained to me. The Dalai Lama's contribution seems like a executive summary of Buddhism, over simplifying it breaking it down to right view.
Whenever I see a book that is written by the Dalai Lama, I want to read it and I learn a lot. In this book I found it very informative about the use of meditation and how ones should live life with intention, but I found the recommendations about how business leaders should behave more philosophical then realistic . There is a lot a leader in industry can do to change the way the world works, but its another thing for a leader to apply it and that is where I think the book lost me a little.
Half of this book is written by the business consultant, and the rest is attributed to the Dalai Lama. I would consider it Buddhism "lite" for the lay person who happens to be a CEO. If one thinks of the deeper philosophy of the liminal realm of not existing, but not non-existent, this book is too wordly and lands one right back on the wheel of samsara. Practically speaking, most souls end up like that anyways, so no harm in chipping away at what one can.
While I generally appreciate the message, this book is pretty basic and repetitive. While it claims to be applicable beyond C-level corporate readers, many many pages are geared toward that audience, with little relevance beyond. I found this book overly didactic and boring.
The concepts are interesting, relevant and valuable re-reading. But, overall, I found the book too basic, too generic and not insightful enough. Stating that the Buddha believes bribes is kind of trivia and not valuable in this day and age, for example. Still a light ok reading.
Great visionary, topic and ideas but the book itself was missing something. While I did like this book, I got more out of other books on Buddhism and compassionate leadership so might advise others to start elsewhere first.
This is a fantastic stepping stone on the path to leadership, as well as personal self awareness and has led me to start reading more books by the Dalai Lama as well as on the subject of buddhism.
It was interesting to see this point of view. I found problems with some of his points but it was cool to see someone coming from a communist to democratic point of view.
While a valuable message on being mindful of the consequences of your leadership decisions, the discussions on organizational and national level guidance felt more abstract.
Agree with almost everything in the book, but felt to naive and optimistic in most cases. Surprised to hear multinational conglomerates like Shell and Unilever held up as positive examples.
In general, I am not much of a fan of business books. I have found the majority of the ones I've read to be over-priced, frequently condescending or preachy in tone, and sorely lacking a real-world understanding of what people at all levels of business organizations are faced with on a daily basis.
So perhaps you can also understand my reactions of surprise, interest, curiosity, and, yes, skepticism, when I came across this book.
The Leader's Way is a joint effort between His Holiness The Dalai Lama, and management consultant Laurens van den Muyzenberg. It developed as a result of a decade's worth of discussions between the two, about how the principles of Buddhism related to and could inform, the global business landscape.
This book is an absolutely fascinating, and highly relevant look at the strong connections and surprising [unless you are already familiar with the aspects of Buddhism] parallels between the two structures. It also presents specific, clear and easily implemented ways that anyone can become a better leader by understanding and using the basic Buddhist tenets of "Right View" and "Right Conduct".
I think it is important to note, as the book does, that the advice in its pages has value for not only current senior leaders in high roles in businesses, but offers opportunities to anyone who is willing to use them by telling us:
"Remember, authentic leaders and change makers are not exclusively found among top management, and we encourage employees at all levels to find their leader within by employing the practices in this book."
Lest you be concerned about any attempts at religious indoctrination, let me put your fears immediately to rest by quoting His Holiness directly from the book:
"I am not interested in converting readers of this book to Buddhism . . . This book is not about Buddhism as a religion or as a way of life. I believe that people can find values to help them lead a good and responsible life in all religious traditions. I also believe that people who do not follow any religion can lead a good and responsible life. The ideas in this book are therefore possible for everyone to accept and practice."
And, in case your next concern is how a Buddhist monk could possibly have anything to say that is applicable to the capitalist world of business, well both the authors of the book address that one early on too:
"The business arena and the concepts of Buddhism seem, at first, to be an unlikely pairing. The former, primarily concerned with production, profit and growth, seems to stand in contrast with the latter, which concerns itself with compassion for others and the well-being of humankind and our planet. Take a closer look, however, and we find that business practices and Buddhist principles are both concerned with happiness and making the right decision."
The book is extremely well-organized, beginning with the individual leader, moving on to the organization and expanding to discuss the entirety of society. At each stage we are offered ways to revise both our thought processes and our actions, in order to recognize that the world is no longer served by - in fact will no longer be able to survive using - a "me: first, last and only" philosophy and approach.
Just in case you are still skeptical, the book offers many actual examples of companies globally [and yes - in the U.S. too!] that are using the approaches. Organizations like GE and IBM, both of which are highlighted for their business's recognition of the impacts their policies have on other people, and their commitments to not just do good business, but to BE good businesses. And I dare you to suggest that these aren't successful organizations! They are approaching doing business with aspects of the structure recommended in this book. So, clearly it IS possible, as the book says, for: "Honesty and business to coexist."
As the Dalai Lama himself states:
"When I started this project, I was not sure that companies could act in such a way that they could deserve a thoroughly good reputation. Now I am convinced that they can. And I consider this goal very important for individual organizations and for society as a whole."
I was inspired after reading this book about the opportunity for business to acknowledge, and act upon its tremendous potential to make a genuine difference in a positive way on the larger world it functions within. If everyone who is a current, or an aspiring business leader read this book and committed to implementing even a portion of the recommendations it offers, our world would improve in such massive ways that we would all be better, safer, happier and more kind as a result. But as importantly, particularly for business leaders operating in the current environment, business CAN also be successful using the approaches detailed in this book