Reflections of power

I would argue that in any system with a strongman at its center – whether a corporate CEO or an elected official – every member of his or her team reflects some aspect of his or her character. The more complex the strongman is as a person, the more diverse the people around him or her will be, which is a good thing to have.

The balcony and the floor

We all eventually fall prey to our pride and vanity. According to Professor Ronald A. Heifetz what matters is watching yourself from the balcony while dancing on the floor. And of course, leaving the dance floor before your eyesight becomes so poor that you can no longer see yourself from the balcony.

Leadership as evolution

I think the best and most enduring leadership, management style, and governance for running a country should resemble evolution. How so? You allow things to progress based on interests. Then, when an interest group or approach becomes stuck, you intervene. You recognize that evolution has taken the wrong path. At that point, you introduce something new- a structure, a person, or a form of governance – to shift its direction. After some time, for various reasons, it may become stuck again. The only insight I’m missing in this thought is how to define when the path of evolution is stuck. Perhaps I should draw parallels with a similar concept in Darwin’s theory of evolution.

The mind of a hero

There’s a saying about heroes that they don’t think about tomorrow or yesterday. Heroes live only in the present. They don’t think about consequences. They don’t think about returning home. They don’t think about past glories. They focus on the now. Should I do this or not? That’s it.

The snake in its nest

There is a saying: a snake enters its own nest only straight. The meaning of this saying is that a snake, often associated with slyness and street smarts, sneaks in, vilifying. Yet even a snake with all these imaginary traits behaves straight, sincere, and honest in its own nest.