Intensity – the hallmark of a leader!
Businesses fascinate me. For as long as I can remember, I have been involved with businesses – as an unpaid apprentice to my dad in my school days, as an employee, as a manager, as a CEO, as an entrepreneur, an investor, and lately, as a volunteer for the wonderful charities and people that I get to associate and work with. If there is one common take away that I experienced in all my dealings, it is that within each of us is the ability, and the choice, to live a life of freedom and intensity. My ability to contribute has always been in proportion to my willingness to embrace responsibility for my actions and for my environment. All the lasting successes that I achieved came from a willingness to step up and accept responsibility. Only when I ventured out, embarking on projects and businesses that were beyond my scope, experience, available resources, and perceived limitations, did I get a real sense of my own self.
I have learnt life’s lesson that there are only two ways to tackle any problem – to run away from the problem OR to become bigger than the problem. Working with emotion (intensity) is not the same as being emotional. Hating the present system or mindlessly complaining about it serves no useful purpose. In fact, I have often found that hate blocks our very capacity to create and expand. On the other hand, intensity does not depend on the nature of the work or action or the challenges involved. It can be as complex as running a billion dollar company or as simple as cleaning the floor. It is not the “what” that is important, but the “how” that is important. An interest in something can be lost, but never the intensity. Intensity in this sense is a call from deep within, a calm controlled focus that drives us to effective execution.
To quote from John Stuart Mill, “Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption.” All business is but a game. Our intensity is the differentiator among the differing outcomes that we face and what allows us to persevere through the ups and downs. At the same time, it has served me good to remember the proverb that once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box. The best way to enjoy any game in life is to remember that it is a game; and to give it your all and have fun along the way.
So don’t just follow me. Instead, get set and embark on the most exciting and rewarding journey yet – to realize the leader within us!
Very nice article! Good work….look forward to keeping up with your posts!
How to get bigger than the problem ? Can you please explain this with a practical example.
In my life I have see that when one tries to work to become bigger despite of the problem he becomes failure.
Overall a motivating work.
Thanks
The answer is residing in your question itself. It is said that pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. One does not work to be bigger despite the problem. Instead one becomes bigger than the problem and does not resisit it or avoid it. If you decide to drive on a road, you should also be willing to accept anything that could happen. If one suffers in spite of that then it only means that one has not stretched one’s intellect to accept the responsibilities that come along with the decisions we make. I will expand on this subject further in a later post since it is a topic by itself.
Thanks. Example makes sense.
I think I understood now. It means make decision knowing that outcome could be anything or stretching to all possible outcomes so whatever outcome of decision we get we are aware of it and avoid suffering.
Will look forward for your upcoming post on this topic!
Thank you so much for sharing.
AN excellent, thought provoking article ! The right one for the budding. Thank you !
AN excellent, thought provoking article ! The right one for the budding and those that are awaiting to bud. Thank you !