The Altruistic Leader...

As a Leader, you are generally expected to have supporters or
subordinates; but as Dag Hammarskjold, former Secretary General
of the United Nations said...

"Your position never gives you the right to command. It only
imposes on you the duty of so loving your life that others can
receive your orders without being humiliated."

This is what a Leader is all about empathy... Altruism.

Do you still remember how you became a Leader? The struggles
you had to go through and all before arriving at what you are now?
Or some of you might want to say, "but I have never struggled,
I was always on top."

Well, although it's quite unthinkable, good for you then.

"A man's success is made up of failures because he experiments
and ventures everyday, the more he falls he gets, moves faster
on... I have heard that in horsemanship, he is not the good rider
who never was thrown, but rather that a man will never be a good
rider until he is thrown; then he will not be haunted any longer
by the terror that he shall tumble, and will ride whether he is
bound." - Emerson

Thus, failure can be your best teacher. It can also give you the
priceless gift of humility. As the Vice President of an American
Company once said, "I have had enough success to keep me
from despair, and enough failure to keep me humble."

Why did failure come to the picture when the issue is
about Altruism?

For nobody knows what will exactly happen to the future? And
with that in mind, our security really depends on our dealings
with others. if we act with "altruism" now then one day when we
need help... help will come knocking.

We have to give in order to receive.

Empathy is expected of good Leaders within the organization.
However, a wise man knows that he should not put all the eggs
in one basket; otherwise, growth would be limited and even
failure looms what with the uncertainty of business.

Altruism should then be extended outside of your working
environment onto your business connections.

See, if you can not show care to your connections, don't you
think you are just indrectly deceiving them? Oh my, how? Why?

First, why did you connect with them when there really would not
be anything going between you? Second, you deceived your
connection in a way that all you wanted was to learn or get
something from them without compensating.

Wait a minute.

Compensating? Do we have to pay to make friends or connect?
Everything has a price... but it's not exactly what you think it is
between friends for this compensation comes in the form of a
mutually beneficial connection. Meaning, you help each other in
whatever way possible.

Realize that there is really no sincerity in connecting if all you want
is simply to fill up your database. Sincerity is present only when
you understand that both parties have wants or needs to be met...
and are willing to do something about it.

"Think of the poorest person you have ever seen and ask if
your next act will be of any use to him." - Mahatma Gandhi

If this article has succeeded, it should have given you at least
some glimpses of what that "subtle and unmistakable touch of
love" means within the context of Leadership.

Remember...
"Altruism is exercising compassion to others and enhancing power to your future."