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CAMBRIDGE – Public-opinion polls show that citizens in many democracies are unhappy with their leaders. This is particularly true in Great Britain, where a number of members of Parliament have |
used their housing allowances to enhance their income, sometimes legally and sometimes not. Some analysts predict that only half of Britain’s MPs will be returned in next year’s election. But, |
whatever the failures of particular British legislators, the issues go further than merely allowing voters to “throw the rascals out.” There is also a question of how successful leadership is |
taught and learned in a democracy. A successful democracy requires leadership to be widespread throughout government and civil society. Citizens who express concern about leadership need to learn not only |
how to judge it, but how to practice it themselves. Many observers say that leadership is an art rather than a science. Good leadership is situational. In my book The |
Powers to Lead , I call this skill “contextual intelligence.” The ability to mobilize a group effectively is certainly an art rather than a predictive science, and varies with situations, |
but that does not mean that it cannot be profitably studied and learned. Music and painting are based in part on innate skills, but also on training and practice. And |
artists can benefit not merely from studio courses, but also from art appreciation lessons that introduce them to the full repertoires and pallets of past masters. Learning leadership occurs in |
a variety of ways. Learning from experience is the most common and most powerful. It produces the tacit knowledge that is crucial in a crisis. But experience and intuition can |
be supplemented by analytics, which is the purpose of my book. As Mark Twain once observed, a cat that sits on a hot stove will not sit on a hot |
stove again, but it won’t sit on a cold one, either. Consequently, learning to analyze situations and contexts is an important leadership skill. The United States Army categorizes leadership learning |
skills, which can be trained. “Do” refers to action and requires both training and fieldwork. Most important, however, is experience and the emphasis on learning from mistakes and a continuous |
process that results from what the military calls “after-action reviews.” Learning can also occur in the classroom, whether through case studies, historical and analytic approaches, or experiential teaching that simulates |
situations that train students to increase self-awareness, distinguish their roles from their selves, and use their selves as a barometer for understanding a larger group. Similarly, students can learn from |
the results of scientific studies, limited though they may be, and by studying the range of behaviors and contexts that historical episodes can illuminate. In practice, of course, few people |
occupy top positions in groups or organizations. Most people “lead from the middle.” Effective leadership from the middle often requires attracting and persuading those above, below, and beside you. Indeed, |
leaders in the middle frequently find themselves in a policy vacuum, with few clear directives from the top. A passive follower keeps his head down, shuns risk, and avoids criticism. |
An opportunist uses the slack to feather his own nest rather than help the leader or the public. Bureaucratic entrepreneurs, on the other hand, take advantage of such opportunities to |
adjust and promote policies. The key moral question is whether, and at what point, their entrepreneurial activity exceed the bounds of policies set from the top. Since they lack the |
legitimate authority of elected or high-level appointed officials, bureaucratic entrepreneurs must remain cognizant of the need to balance initiative with loyalty. Leaders should encourage such entrepreneurship among their followers as |
a means of increasing their effectiveness. After all, the key to successful leadership is to surround oneself with good people, empower them by delegating authority, and then claim credit for |
their accomplishments. To make this formula work, however, requires a good deal of soft power. Without the soft power that produces attraction and loyalty to the leader’s goals, entrepreneurs run |
off in all directions and dissipate a group’s energies. With soft power, however, the energy of empowered followers strengthens leaders. Leadership is broadly distributed throughout healthy democracies, and all citizens |
need to learn more about what makes good and bad leaders. Potential leaders, in turn, can learn more about the sources and limits of the soft-power skills of emotional IQ, |
vision, and communication, as well as hard-power political and organizational skills. They must also better understand the nature of the contextual intelligence they will need to educate their hunches and |
sustain strategies of smart power. Most important, in today’s age of globalization, revolutionary information technology, and broadened participation, citizens in democracies must learn more about the nature and limits of |
As millions across India thronged Durga Puja marquees on the penultimate day of the festival Wednesday, so did the Jaintias, an indigenous tribe of Meghalaya comprising Christians, continuing a 400-year-old unique tradition. Worshipping Goddess Durga with the same fervour and devotion but with a different set of ritual... |
Jaintias, both Christians and believers of an indigenous faith, thronged the ancient temple at Nartiang, about 65 km east of Shillong. The Pnar people, as Jaintias are known, were also joined by tourists. The tradition goes back over 400 years. Perched on a hill top, overlooking the Myntang stream, the |
Durga Bari at Nartiang in the Jaintia Hills district was built by the Jaintia kings in the 16th-17th centuries. "Twenty-two generations of Jaintia kings worshipped Durga and Jayanteswari, the ancestral deity of the Jaintia kings," said the young temple priest, Molay Desmukh. Desmukh, 20, took charge of the Durga temple |
five years ago after the demise of his father Gopendra Desmukh. Interestingly, Desmukh priests were brought to Nartiang by the Jaintia kings from Bengal, not Maharashtra as the surname may suggest. The dilapidated centuries-old temple structure was demolished recently, and a new one was built with minimal change in des... |
and material in its place. Durga and Jayanteswari are placed on the same place and worshipped together. Both the idols are made of astadhatu (eight precious metals), and each is about six to eight inches tall. "The rituals and religious functions during the Durga Puja are performed as per the |
Hindu way," the priest said. The ceremony begins with ablution of both the idols, which are then draped in colourful new attires and ornaments before the rituals. On the fourth day of the five-day festival, animal sacrifice is carried out. "However, during the royal Jainitia rule there used to be |
a scary practice of human sacrifice," the priest said, pointing to a small square hole. He has been told by his father that "the severed head used to be rolled through the hole connected to a secret tunnel that falls into the adjacent river Myntang". It's believed that the practice |
was stopped by the British, after the sacrifice of a British subject. "Instead, now water gourds are sacrificed, along with animals and birds such as goats, chicken and pigeons," Desmukh said. A human mask is placed on the gourds, as a symbolic act of human sacrifice. Apart from this unique |
tradition, there is another indigenous feature that marks Durga Puja at Nartiang -- the Durga idol is permanent and is not sent for immersion after the last day of worship. However, the priest installs a young banana plant beside the Durga idol, which is taken out after the completion of |
the worship and immersed in the nearby river Myntang. The entire expenditure of the Durga Puja is borne by the Dolloi (traditional village chief, who is non-Christian) of Nartiang. Even though the majority of the tribal population in the state of Meghalaya has embraced Christianity, a sizeable section of the |
community has retained its indigenous culture, religion and customs. "Nartiang was the summer capital of the Jaintia kingdom, which was set up at Jaintiapur, now in Sylhet district of Bangladesh," said historian J.B. Bhattacharjee. "The palace, though in ruins, still stands there as a testimony to the Jaintia heritage,... |
said. The Jaintia kings spent the summer in the hills to escape the unbearable heat in the plains and return to Jaintiapur after Durga Puja. The royal tradition continued till the British annexed the Jaintia territories in 1835, thereby ending Jaintia reign in the plains. |
|Trees and Shrubs that Tolerate Saline Soils and Salt Spray Drift|| Concentrated sodium (Na), a component of salt, can damage plant tissue whether it contacts above or below ground parts. |
High salinity can reduce plant growth and may even cause plant death. Care should be taken to avoid excessive salt accumulation from any source on tree and shrub roots, leaves |
or stems. Sites with saline (salty) soils, and those that are exposed to coastal salt spray or paving de-icing materials, present challenges to landscapers and homeowners. |May 1, 2009||430-031| |Urban |
Lama Ole Nydahl The six liberating actions are a motivational teaching for direct use in one's life. As is generally known, Buddhism has a very practical aim and its view |
is exceedingly clear. No one gets enlightened from only hearing teachings. Lasting results come from real experiences and the changes they bring about. Because this is so important, Buddha gave |
much practical advice, which should never be seen as commandments but as help from a friend. Being neither a creator nor a judging god, he wants no followers nor students |
who are a flock of sheep. Instead he wants colleagues - mature people sharing his enlightenment and the massive responsibility it entails are his real goal. For those who mainly |
think of themselves, his advice is contained in the Noble Eightfold Path. Starting with a useful lifestyle, it culminates in proper concentration. Whoever has reached the level of compassion and |
insight, and wishes to be useful to others, finds the Six Paramitas or Six Liberating Actions more useful. 'Ita' means 'gone' and 'Param' means 'beyond'. The paramitas develop love which |
takes one beyond the personal. It is the view which sets one free, the deep insight that seer, things seen, and the act of seeing are interdependent and one, that |
subject, object and action cannot be separated. The Paramitas liberate not because bad pictures in the mirror of one's mind are replaced with good ones, but because the confident states |
the latter produce allow one to go behind the good and the bad and recognize the mirror itself; shining, perfect and more fantastic than anything that it may reflect. The |
actions are liberating because they bring a recognition of the ultimate nature of mind. If one only fills the mind with good impressions, that would of course bring future happiness, |
but it would not go beyond the conditioned. With the view of the oneness of subject, object and action, whatever is undertaken for the benefit of others will bring the |
doer timeless benefit. The First Liberating Action: Generosity. Generosity opens up every situation. The world is full of spontaneous richness, but no matter how good the music is, there is |
no party if no one dances. If no one shares anything of themselves, nothing meaningful will happen. That is why generosity is so important. At Buddha's time, people were much |
less complicated than today. They also did not have amazing machines working for them. At that time, generosity was a question of helping others survive, of assuring that they had |
enough to eat. This meant the act was often focused on material things. Today, in the free and non-overpopulated part of the world, this is not the case; one usually |
dies from too much fat around the heart. Due to a lack of clear thinking, people develop inner problems as the outer ones diminish, and start to feel lonely and |
insecure. Instead of worrying about necessities, they develop complicated inner lives and many have never tasted the joy of their physical freedom. Thus in the Western world and parts of |
Asia, where material things are abundant - generosity refers mostly to the emotional. It means sharing one's power, joy and love with others, from the beyond- personal levels from where |
there is no falling down. If one meditates well and taps into the unconditioned states of mind, there is no end to the good that one may pass on to |
others. Sharing one's ultimate certainty is the finest gift of all - giving beings one's warmth - and though one cannot take one's car or fame past the grave, not |
everything is lost at death. The qualities developed during former lives are easily re-gained in later ones and there is no richness that is passed more directly from one existence |
to another than joyful energy. Squeezing the juice out of life pays, and a few more mantras or prostrations, some more love for one's partner than usual, not only bring |
power here and now, but speed up enlightenment. As already mentioned, the finest and only lasting richness one may bring beings is an insight into their unconditioned nature. But how |
to do that? How does one show others their innate perfection? The best mirror is Buddha's teachings and this is why no activity is more beneficial than the making of |
meditation centers. The practical wisdom they disseminate acquaints many with the clear light of their consciousness and the seeds thus planted will grow over all future lives until enlightenment. Though |
many socially minded people claim that such teachings are a luxury and that first one should give people something to eat, this is not true. There is ample space for |
both. When the mind functions well, the stomach will digest the food better and maybe then one can understand the reasons for having less children. In any case, the body |
will disappear while the mind continues on. The Second Paramita: A life that is aware, meaningful and useful to others. As terms like morality and ethics are employed by governing |
classes to control those below, many prefer not to use them. People are consciously intimidated by this, and often think, "If the state doesn't get you in this life, the |
church will get you afterwards." Even when only advice is given, as in the case of the Buddha, and the full development of beings is the only goal, one has |
to choose words which instruct clearly, without employing fear. The best definition of the second liberating action is probably living meaningfully and for the benefit of others. So what does |
this mean? How can one encompass the countless actions, words and thoughts during just one single day? Buddha, seeing everything from the state of timeless wisdom, had a few unique |
ideas. Because people have ten fingers for counting and then remembering, he gave ten pieces of advice concerning what is useful and what is not. Encompassing body, speech and mind, |
they become meaningful also to independent people when one recognizes that Buddha is not a boss, but a friend wishing one happiness. He wants everybody to share the blissful clear |
light of mind; the knower of past, present and future. Understanding that everybody is a Buddha who has not realized it yet, and recognizing the outer world to be a |
pure land, all experience becomes the expression of highest wisdom simply because it can happen. How else could the Buddha act? He never teaches by dogma or from above but |
shares his wisdom with beings whom he knows to be his equals in essence. Due to the good Karma of those surrounding him, Buddha tought for a full 45 years |
and died with a smile. He taught many extraordinary students. The questions they asked him were on the level of Socrates, Aristotle and Plato; the best minds of an amazing |
generation came to test him with the complete range of their philosophical tools and found not only convincing words, but Buddha's power was so skillful that it changed them in |
lasting ways. Beyond perfecting their logical abilities, he influenced their whole mind. Introducing them to the timeless experiencer behind the experiences, there was no space left for doubt. On the |
levels of body, speech and mind, it is not difficult to understand what is useful to avoid. When people have problems with the police, usually they have caused some trouble |
with their body. Killing, stealing, or harming others sexually are the main points here. When they are lonely, usually they say things which disturb others. They usually lie with the |
intent to harm others, spread gossip, split friends or confuse people. If somebody is unhappy, one will develop a tendency to dislike others, feel envy and permit states of confusion |
to drag on. The opposite are ten positive actions of body, speech and mind which only bring happiness. They make one powerful and useful to others. Here the Buddha advises |
using one's body as a tool to protect beings, to give them love and whatever else they need. Whoever has success with others now, has developed that potential during earlier |
lives, so the quicker one starts, the better. One's speech may touch many more beings with the means of communication today. Kind words previously spoken, create pleasant experiences now and |
strengthen good karma. If people listen, speak kindly and receive clear information, then again, in this life they will see benefit in telling the truth whenever possible, avoid telling lies |
to harm others, show people how things work in the world, and bring them calm. And finally, what to do with one's mind? Good wishes, joy in the good that |
others do and clear thinking is the way to go. These qualities brought us the mental happiness we enjoy today and making a habit of them insures happiness until enlightenment. |
The mind is most important of all. Thoughts today become words tomorrow and actions the day after. Every moment here and now is important. If one watches the mind, nothing |
can stop one's progress. The Third Paramita: How not to lose future happiness through anger. When one is accumulating spiritual richness through generosity and directing it with the right understanding, |
the third quality needed on one's way is patience; not to lose the good energy at work for others and oneself. How may one lose it? Through anger. Anger is |
the only luxury mind cannot afford. Good impressions gathered over lifetimes - mind's capital and the only source of lasting happiness - may be burnt in no time through fits |
of hot or cold rage. Buddha said that avoiding anger is the most difficult and most beautiful robe one can wear, and he gave many means to obtain that goal. |
One which is very useful today is experiencing a situation as a series of separate events to which one reacts without any evaluation. This "salami tactic" or "strobe light-view" is |
very effective when reacting to a physical danger. Also other methods like feeling empathy with whomever creates bad Karma, knowing it will return to them, and being aware of the |
impermanent and conditioned nature of every experience, and imagining how deluded people must be to cause such trouble are beneficial approaches. Reacting to whatever appears without anger will set free |
the timeless wisdom of body, speech, and mind and one's reactions will be right. On the highest level of practice called the Diamond Way, one lets unwanted emotions float on |
a carpet of mantras, letting them fall away without causing any bad habits. One may also let the thief "come to an empty house" by simply being aware of the |
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