"Redefining Strength: The Power of Compassionate Leadership"

If you are not dominating then you are considered weak. If your team does not fear you or is bound by rules then disorganization is bound to occur. If your company does not bend rules and win at any cost, you cannot establish authority in the market you operate in. And in society, if there are no hard consequences to bear for your ill actions or you can get away with wrong, you are deemed to function from a place of authority and privilege.

So, the question then arises: What happens to people and leaders who function on fair play, compassion and dignity? Are they seen as weak? And why are we as individuals and collective so ready to take the easier path, even if it is at the cost of another? Where does human mindfulness then rest?

I tend to think that it is often the parameters built around success that create this disfunction. We have multiple tick boxes around what success looks like: primarily money, status, fame, power. For example, most businesses’ primary focus is making money. While it is the truth that a company must generate revenue or it will cease to exist, but money cannot be an end in itself.

A company’s work culture and leadership are driving forces that create value for all stakeholders that it operates in. Right from the product or service that one offers to the people who drive the business and those that invest in it, from business values and ethics to community engagement and philanthropy, a business built on compassionate leadership is not just a moral choice but a strategic imperative. Similarly political leaders are in politics to serve but largely it is understood to be in a position from where they rule.

The Dalai Lama was once asked if he feared anything and his answer was that he feared losing the ability to have compassion for the Chinese. This is a very powerful place to be in because life is all about juggling, balancing and making choices. Some choices will demand that you step back, let go and forgive. It is that space that will allow you to make the right choice, one that comes from a deeper exploration and understanding of compassion and integrity.

The key to a happier world is built on the ability to be more mindful, to be more conscious, to be more aware.