Standing Apart from the Crowd

Edited excerpts from a college commencement address we were honored to give on 8 May 2021.*

Receiving your diploma today makes you different, as only 36% of adults 25 and older have a college degree.1 Yet—there's more. 

The goal is learning to live in community, which includes a sense of belonging while standing apart from the crowd. As has been said, "The person who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to find themselves in places no one has ever been before." 2

Simply put, it pays to be different. That means possessing qualities such as integrity and perseverance--both sought-after employee traits.  

(C) Olivet The Magazine

Wisdom literature

From the writings of noted American Quaker and theologian Dr. Elton Trueblood, here are three practices that contribute to being different:

First--"The cultivation of reverence."  This comes from the continuous nurturing of our inner beings. It includes humility and self-discipline.

Second--"A life of service." Which is a healing ministry to individuals and social institutions.  

Third--"Possessing intellectual integrity."  Leadership demands the price of rigorous thinking. To be uninformed (or ill-informed) is to live at the mercy of others. 

Let's summarize

Sameness, like the Dan Ryan, is a congested expressway.   

With an improving job market and similarity of talent, something must separate you from the masses. For example, being trustworthy, listening well, and cooperating with others to get things done.  Even if working from an apartment on Zoom.

An online survey of employers conducted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities found that candidates' demonstrated capacity to (1) think critically, (2) communicate clearly, and (3) solve complex problems is more important than their undergraduate major. 

Those three proficiencies help define a liberal arts education.

What do positive behaviors mean for your career? Combining personal qualities employers are looking for with the right skills helps a college graduate get off to a perfect start. 

Final thoughts

Another benefit to standing apart--it helps keep bad company from corrupting good character. As the late best-selling author and businessman Charlie "Tremendous" Jones observed: 

"In five years, you will be the same person you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read."

The upside to developing strong moral qualities is to look in the mirror, know the person within, and like what you see.

It pays to be different.

*Olivet.edu

1 U.S. Census Bureau, March 30, 2020.

2 Attributed to both Francis Phillip Wernig and Albert Einstein.

Strategist.com 

© Bredholt & Co. 

Wisdom for the Ages

"Any fool can know. The point is to understand."

--Albert Einstein

Leadership is not for everyone, even though development programs and offerings from higher education might lead us to believe the reverse is true. In fact, many don't want to be leaders, or qualify, even as they are nudged in that direction and away from the much-needed tasks of management.   

Why is this so?

One reason is that leadership, done right, is hard work. There may be perks and occasional glamour which come with titles, but for the most part, heavy loads, especially for prolonged periods, exact a steep price--physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Another is that people tend to function in a business without having developed a philosophy of life that centers on how to live--with knowledge, truth, and the meaning of life.

Answering these and other questions would seem to be a prerequisite for someone seeking a position of responsibility. Yet, few there are who take time to consider this particular building block of character seriously, are aware of its importance or know how it becomes a reality in their lives. There aren't many corporate universities offering a "philosophy" course in their curriculum. 

That's unfortunate.  

Associating with someone clear on their purpose and that of the enterprise makes for healthy relationships and a creative work environment.

What can we learn about philosophy, with a contemporary application, from those whose wisdom transcends the ages?

In their book, The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership, M. A. Soupios, and Panos Mourdoukoutas combine philosophical discernment with the pursuit of leadership in modern times:

Rule l:  "Know thyself." (Thales) Understand your inner world, your bright and dark sides, your personal strengths and weaknesses. Self-comprehension is a fundamental precondition necessary for real leadership.

Rule 2:  "Office shows the person." (Pittacus) The assumption of authority brings out the leader's inner world. It reveals whether the leader has undergone a process of honest self-discovery that allows for the productive application of power. 

Rule 3:  "Nurture community in the workplace." (Plato) Community development and positive group sentiment are virtues leaders must nurture by providing the right support, guidance, and incentives.

Rule 4:  "Do not waste energy on things you cannot change." (Aristophanes) Do not waste resources and energies on things you cannot control and things you cannot change.

Rule 5: "Always embrace the truth." (Antisthenes) Effective leaders should always embrace the truth, always encourage candid criticism throughout the organization, be skeptical of flattering appraisals, and never let authority place a wedge between them and the truth.

Rule 6: "Let competition reveal talent." (Hesiod) While knowledgeable employees can be hired in the marketplace or recruited from within, bringing their talent out and aligning it with organizational interests requires an environment that allows employees to compete with each other in a constructive rather than a destructive way.

Rule 7: "Live life by a higher code." (Aristotle) Dedicate yourself to a higher standard of personal conduct; don't hold grudges and ill will toward those who offend; be ready to assist those who are in need without asking something in return; remain calm in the face of crisis; dedicate yourself to principle without compromise; earn the trust, respect and admiration, of your subordinates through your character, not through the authority conferred upon you by the corporate charter; turn authority into power.

Rule 8: "Always evaluate information with a critical eye." (The Skeptics) Don't rely upon old premises, assertions, and theories. Develop a critical mindset that accepts nothing at face value, certify the credibility and usefulness of critical information, analyze the context that produces critical information and the messengers that convey it, and never rush to judgments.

Rule 9: "Never underestimate the power of personal integrity." (Sophocles) Always set an honorable agenda; adhere to a code of professional conduct, never try to justify dishonesty and deceit; rather fail with honor than win by cheating.

Rule 10:  "Character is destiny." (Heraclitus) True leadership begins within, not without.

(Buy the book.)

Do we understand?

Do you have a philosophy of life, and leadership, which explains your purpose or sense of calling? If so, what is it? Do those around you know your philosophy? Is it lived out for all to see? Does it match the values and culture of your organization? 

Psychologist Lawrence Pervin, who wrote an authoritative textbook on personality psychology, framed the matter this way: "Is there a disposition to express behavior in consistent patterns of functions across a wide range of situations?"

Where do you need to improve? 

Basic beliefs--and behavior--matter, as wisdom in exercising the mantle of leadership derives from the qualities of our moral character. 

Strategist.com

(C) Bredholt & Co.