Verse Sixty-Six
Lake and rivers are lords of the hundred valleys.
Why? Because they'll go lower.
So they're lords of the hundred valleys.
Just so, a wise soul,
wanting to be above other people,
talks to them from below
and to guide them
follows them.
And so the wise soul
predominates without dominating,
and leads without misleading.
And people don't get tired
of enjoying and praising
one who, not competing,
has in all the world
no competitor.
~ Ursula LeGuin rendition ~
For me, this verse is about service. While I usually don't paraphrase the Christian Bible, I will in this instance. Somewhere in the New Testament it states the first will come last and the last will come first. I'm fairly confident this same message is most likely found in other great religious and philosophical works.
Of course, in our society, we have it ass backwards. To lead, one sits at the top of the pecking order and shouts out directives to underlings. That's the whole point in the madcap rush to be numero uno -- to be free from the expectations of others as well as to wield immense amounts of power.
We celebrate those individuals who have "pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps" and climbed to the summit on the backs of others. It rarely matters how ruthless a person must act in order to claw their way to the top; the only thing that matters is that the can claim victory.
In my book, the best leaders are those who selflessly serve others. When your whole being places the community first, it means that you are a person of vision, compassion, humility and justice. Your example motivates others to get involved. Such a leader often doesn't earn the credit she or he is due, but they don't care a wit because status and recognition are not what each is about.
It's hard to not want to be lionized for our contributions. All of us yearn for some level of acceptance and recognition. We want to feel like others can depend on and look to us in times of need. Too often, however, our desire to be lauded for our charitable work takes precedence over everything else and we become outraged or jealous when others receive credit and/or we are slighted.
There's nothing wrong with wanting a little praise, now and then. Positive feelings and good vibes help us keep our noses to the grindstone, particularly during those times when we wonder if all our dedication and work is making a positive difference. But we should never lose sight of what it is that we seek to accomplish by our actions and not allow ourselves to get caught up in who gets credit and who doesn't.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
Of course, in our society, we have it ass backwards. To lead, one sits at the top of the pecking order and shouts out directives to underlings. That's the whole point in the madcap rush to be numero uno -- to be free from the expectations of others as well as to wield immense amounts of power.
We celebrate those individuals who have "pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps" and climbed to the summit on the backs of others. It rarely matters how ruthless a person must act in order to claw their way to the top; the only thing that matters is that the can claim victory.
In my book, the best leaders are those who selflessly serve others. When your whole being places the community first, it means that you are a person of vision, compassion, humility and justice. Your example motivates others to get involved. Such a leader often doesn't earn the credit she or he is due, but they don't care a wit because status and recognition are not what each is about.
It's hard to not want to be lionized for our contributions. All of us yearn for some level of acceptance and recognition. We want to feel like others can depend on and look to us in times of need. Too often, however, our desire to be lauded for our charitable work takes precedence over everything else and we become outraged or jealous when others receive credit and/or we are slighted.
There's nothing wrong with wanting a little praise, now and then. Positive feelings and good vibes help us keep our noses to the grindstone, particularly during those times when we wonder if all our dedication and work is making a positive difference. But we should never lose sight of what it is that we seek to accomplish by our actions and not allow ourselves to get caught up in who gets credit and who doesn't.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are unmoderated, so you can write whatever you want.