Real Leaders Gain Deep Understanding!
Wednesday June 5, 2013
“The situation of the world is still like this. People completely identify with one side, one ideology … Reconciliation is to understand both sides, to go to one side and describe the suffering being endured by the other side, and then to go to the other side and describe the suffering being endured by the first side. Doing only that will be a great help for peace.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Methinks this Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk is writing about more than world peace here. There’s plenty of war right now between people in their families, with friends and colleagues and in our local communities.
I recall a facilitated meeting I had with the President of a company I owned motivated by my dissatisfaction with his performance. The coach who ran the session began with asking us to share with the other what we deeply appreciated about him.
Blew my mind!
It opened the space for me to see his point of view and even MY contribution to our not producing the results we wanted.
If there’s a relationship in your world that is less than optimal, take a look at how you can understand the other’s suffering. If that term that Buddhists are so fond of doesn’t work for you, then just look at what might be bothering them. In the moment you immerse yourself in the other’s world, everything will change for you and the relationship.
Really!
Comments and questions are welcome!
