In the twenty-first century we can expect more of the unexpected, not less. The relatively clear lines of demarcation that traditionally separated different cultures, religions and world-views are blurring rapidly. Technological change is advancing so rapidly that few of us can begin to keep up. Older people find it particularly difficult to adapt to new technologies. Unless we are living in a Himalayan cave, every day we are confronted with ideas, images and gadgets that are foreign to us.
Those who hang onto the illusion that governments and corporations can be counted on to provide us with stability, as well as the security of pensions, medical coverage, welfare, unemployment insurance, etc., are living in the previous century. Even our natural environment is undergoing a dramatic transformation, and while there are many debates about the exact nature of what is happening, no one seriously doubts that it is major. If we want to find stability in life, we had better stop looking for it ‘out there’. There never has been any lasting stability in the external world, and this is truer today than ever.
Four hundred years ago, Sir Francis Drake’s small English navy took on the huge Spanish armada, and after a short battle his smaller, lighter, faster ships had routed the cumbersome, heavily armed, floating fortresses of the Spaniards. A few centuries earlier, at Bannockburn, Scotland, 30,000 lightly armed Highlanders decimated Edward II of England’s heavily armed 100,000 strong, cavalry and army. The key to Scotland’s success was an uncanny mixture of brilliant strategy, good fortune and raw courage. There are a number of important lessons in these two examples. Bigger and stronger is not necessarily safer or better. On the other hand, there is much to be said in favour of travelling light and staying flexible. A small target is also harder to hit than a big one and often a light tap in just the right spot is enough to bring down a giant. Additionally, in both examples, the victors each had the benefit of extraordinary leadership: Robert the Bruce for the Scots and Francis Drake for the English. As with any venture, it also helps to have the blessings of the gods, for as Shakespeare’s Hamlet observes, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’
In the current context, those self-leaders who rely on knowledge, competence, strategy and intuition rather than the illusory safety of size or market share, will be better off in the long run. For one thing, it is easier for a single, aware person to notice and seize a passing opportunity than it is for a herd of running cattle. Secondly, when the business or social environment changes suddenly, which happens with increasing frequency, a small operation can adapt and move in a different direction more rapidly and with less resistance than a large one. Thirdly, there is the question of integrity: corruption, prostitution-like compromise and sabotage are facts of life in many big organisations. Some men and women of integrity have a temperament that allows them to work in a diseased environment and make a positive contribution without becoming polluted in the process. Such people have great strength and deserve our respect and admiration. Others, however, will be miserable trying to function in such a setting, perhaps becoming sick or suffering burnout and depression. Worse yet, they may pick up the virus of corruption themselves.
The self-leader has the advantage of choosing his associates and even his customers. He can design the kind of working and professional environment that contributes to his well being and vitality, his creativity and the quality of his thinking and consciousness. To some, this may seem ‘me’-centred, but let’s not forget that we are the source of our own experience and of what we draw to us. If we are sick, depressed, unhappy or resigned, what will be the quality of our work? How will we make a genuine contribution to others through our profession? Finally, the self-leader will be able to move around with relative ease in a constantly changing environment and, if he pays attention, quickly tap into current trends, adapting them to his own advantage
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