Leadership the path of Harmony

One of the most seek dreams each and every company has is how to be high performing. High performance means that every step of the way actions are precise without any waste of movements. The meticulousness actions are then translated to an almost perfect outcome, that means great returns and success.

Each and every organization has groups of different measurements that clearly define what success means. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are the important factors that brings a sunny clarity to what we want to focus about and how we interpreted the collected information. Some KPIs are quite arbitrary, while others becomes core values of progress.

However what exactly is needed for these extremely valuable characteristics of our product or team to work well? Some might try to answer that question with a rational mind-set: given you have provided all the key infrastructure required for something to bloom, then there is no reason for it not to do so. There is indeed a truth in this thinking, the point is that most of people will focus on the material side of the support needed in order to support growth.

I’ve already touched in a few articles the humanization of our mind-set. People are mainly social animals and as such they are more defined by their behaviour than by the physical traits. We might assume that a person with an extreme good memory to always bring historical resolutions in order to make informed decisions. However we disregard if the environment where (s)he is immersed is providing enough openness for such a skill to be leveraged.

So what exactly are we looking for? The perfect name for that is called Harmony. A very interesting definition for it is: the way in which parts are combined into a pleasant arrangement. Basically, each piece on the engine is glued in a way that they perform in the best of their capability, while empowering other pieces to function even better.

This simple chemistry is a difficult substance to handle. Organizations spend millions of dollars and thousands of hours every year seeking for the right answer. They question theirselves, how highly competent people can deliver minger results when they are supposed to be top of mind.

The reasons quite often lingers in the unseeing fact that if team members do not trust one another and do not compromise their sole beliefs for the greater good of empathy, then low level results are not unexpected. Healthy disagreements and constructive oppositions are forms of incentives to flourish great results.

“Mutual respect and mutual listening are foundations of harmony within the family”
— Buddha

Many tend to take personally the different opinions and sometimes creating a toxic animosity towards the divergent. Without realizing, the rejections levels increases and, what could be an unconventional and creative vision, is now seeing as a lowly argumentation not worthy of attention. Little by little the building blocks that form the team or organization as falling apart.

The Zen Buddhism has a nice take on the subject called “embodiment of non-discriminatory wisdom” or in simple way polishing the vision of equality of all things. We, all, are desperately seeking for acceptance and recognition of our ideas and efforts. Along the way, the blind manhunt in order to fulfill this desire has costed teams and organization unrecoverable amount of damages.

A unchained mind is the one that, regardless of the self-beliefs, is capable of seeing the problem from the eyes of another. A team that is capable of putting aside their differences and understanding that what all of them are seeking is a the common goal of success is a starting point. The greatest sin lies on the unilateral view that is partaken by one side, forcing the hand against the group.

“Being humble means recognizing we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others.”
— Gordon B Hinckley

A classical movie Invictus, Morgan Freeman in the personage of Nelson Mandela asked Matt Damon in the role of Francois Pienaar:

(Nelson Mandela) - How do inspire your team to do their best?
(Fancois Pienaar) - By Example.

In the very heart of ethnical differences, overcoming inequality was not easy. The situation in the movie is not as far from our daily struggles. We all have ideals and strong convictions, but putting their aside is mainly taught by our leaders or the leaders we are. There will be no perfection and dissidence won’t be entirely mitigated, despite of the efforts displayed.

Teamwork is grounded on the foundations of trust. Like any other tree, to grow robust, it needs tenacious roots. Furthermore, a cyclical and never ending process of improvement is bounded to happen. We cannot avoid conflicts, but we can make them sharp better and stronger teams. We cannot change people’s beliefs, but we can given them all the tools to see the world in a different through the lens of the other.

“Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.”
— Jerry Seinfeld

The biggest challenge to find the optimum realization is accepting that this is not a one day battle. Some will attempt and give up. Some will just avoid going down this path. A leader will never stop, (her)his resilience is based on the conviction that unknown is the path we walk and to get through the storm is required all the strength (s)he has. Why? Because it’s the job of the Leader to teach by Example.