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 snow-capped 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 their 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 selfmanagement 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
