Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders (16 page)

“What did the words say?” I asked with great interest.

“They were the words of the great Indian philosopher Patanjali. As I have committed them to memory, I can recite them for you:

Julian continued, oblivious to the basketball game that had just resumed. “In giving me that plaque, Yogi Raman gave me the reward he knew I wanted —”

“Rather than the reward
he
might have wanted had he been in your shoes,” I interjected.

“Exactly. When the visionary leader spots someone in the throes of good behavior, he recognizes her and rewards her as
she
would wish to be rewarded. In this way, the practice of peak performance steadily ebbs through the entire culture of the organization until people don’t know any other way to work. That’s how you get to world-class status. And it is achievable.”

“Okay, so I clearly have to ‘hunt for good behavior’ around GlobalView. Rather than only looking for people doing things wrong so I can correct them, I must get aggressive about finding people who are doing things right. Then, when I do, I should recognize and reward their efforts, with something tailored to their interests. I’ll also get better at the simple act of praising. As you said, most people appreciate praise more than any other form of recognition and yet they rarely receive it. I think I’ll make ‘Praise Is Free’ my new leadership mantra. I’ll bet the monks would’ve liked that one. Mind if I ask you another question?”

“That’s what I’m here for, my friend,” Julian replied warmly, patting the creases out of the fabric of his long velvet robe.

“My people still need a fair amount of work before they reach peak performance. And yet I know they need to be rewarded and recognized immediately. Should I wait until they improve their skills and are models of good behavior?”

“Brilliant question. You really are digging deep into the wisdom I’m sharing with you. I appreciate this. If you wait until perfect performance arrives, you’ll be waiting a long time, maybe forever.”

“So what’s the secret?”

“The secret is to praise progress and reward results. Hunt for good — not perfect — behavior and get people excited about their improvements. Doing so will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Peak
performance will eventually come because your people will keep getting better and better.”

“Kind of like our home team here,” I said pointing to the players who had just run down the length of the court on a fast break and scored another two points. “I remember coming to see them when the franchise was brand new. Man, they were pathetic. And yet that wasn’t really so long ago.”

“And many of those same players have become superstars. The coach praised progress. He found a reason to reward them. And now look at these guys. They are unbelievable,” Julian said, jumping to his feet again. His fists were now pumping into the air and he was yelling words of encouragement to the players, all of whom he knew by name. I never realized Julian was such a big ball fan. His enthusiasm was contagious.

“Julian, I’ve got more questions for you.”

“Fire away,” he said, once again returning to his seat amid the stares of those who had the misfortune to be seated near us.

“I’m not really sure I know what to say when I praise someone. I mean, I’ve never really done it before. Sure I can say a few quick words like ‘nice job’ or ‘keep it up,’ but do you have any other suggestions on effective praising?”

“Praising is a skill that requires study and practice. Every leader needs to get good at it. To get you started, here are a few of the basic praise principles: praise must be specific, it must be immediate, it must be done in public and it must be sincere. Also, personalize your praise by using the person’s first name when making the positive comment. The most beautiful sound in the world to a person is the sound of his or her own name. Oh, and don’t fall into the trap that too many managers fall into when they praise.”

“Which is?”

“They overpraise. While praise is important, giving it with reckless abandon devalues it, just like printing too much money cheapens the currency.”

“Any other specific ideas on motivating my team?”

“Sure. I’ll give you some of the best and most cost-effective ones. Posting a personal thank-you note on the employee’s door, paying his parking expenses for a month, an annual subscription to the magazine of his choice are simple but proven ways to reward people for excellent performance. Letting an employee attend a meeting for his manager, sending birthday cards and breaking bread with employees also help to keep them motivated and show you care. I recently read about one manager who adopted the low-cost but highly effective strategy of filling a large chest full of motivational books, tapes and videos from respected personal development authors. She called this her ‘treasure chest.’ When any of her team members deserved to be rewarded, she would walk them over to the chest, in full public view, and encourage them to select something they’d enjoy. I love this idea because it not only rewards good behavior, it allows your people to grow and develop through their exposure to the positive books, tapes and videos, making them even better performers.

“Remember, Peter, visionary leaders are liberators, not limiters. They know they are duty-bound to help people unlock the best that lies within them and to help them develop a sense of stewardship over their professional and personal lives. They constantly expose their employees to ideas and information that will help them actualize their natural talents and become more independent as thinkers and as people. As the great sage Confucius observed,
‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a

day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’
Like I told you at the clubhouse that night, leadership is all about freeing people’s strengths. When you really get down to it, the actual corporation you call GlobalView isn’t much more than a seal and a few pieces of paper spewed out from some corporate lawyer’s computer. The true value lies in your people and their potential to help you manifest your grand vision for the future.”

“Powerful thoughts. You know now that I think about it, some of our competitors have some pretty good techniques to energize their employees as well.”

“Really?”

“I guess I just didn’t understand the power of rewarding and recognition, so I didn’t pay much attention to them.”

“When the student is ready the teacher appears,” said Julian with a smile as the game drew to a close.

“One of GlobalView’s competitors is constantly doing fun things to challenge and stimulate its team. Its sales team always begins meetings by ‘celebrating heroes,’ going around the table recognizing the salespeople for meeting their goals or for excellence in customer care. Another company has dubbed one office wall ‘the victory wall,’ placing motivational quotes, testimonial letters and strategic goals on it for all to see as they pass by. I’ve even heard about one top Xerox manager who took a ski cap embroidered with the name of a five-star ski resort to every meeting. This ‘symbol of victory’ served as a powerful reminder of where the team would be vacationing if it met its sales targets.”

“Those are fabulous ideas I think you should seriously consider bringing into your organization. And never forget the importance of cultural traditions.”

“Run that one by me again,” I requested.

“In the Himalayas, the sages had developed a whole series of cultural traditions to keep them unified. Every evening, no matter how busy they were with their philosophical readings or teachings, they would come together to share a simple but delicious meal around a long wooden table. It was really an unbelievable sight to watch these beautifully adorned monks laughing and singing as they ate, savoring the gifts of one another’s company and enriching their sense of community. These basketball players do the same thing with their Friday-night pizza parties or their semiannual family picnics. These are traditions that serve to bring people closer. They encourage teammates to care about one another. They build richer relationships and help people to see themselves as a part of a shared destiny.”

“So traditions should become part of our corporate culture?”

“Definitely. Let people get to know one another and let their hair down from time to time. Have family picnics or biweekly submarine-sandwich lunches. Shake the cobwebs out of those huge headquarters you have and get people talking and laughing again. One company I know of even has Crazy Days. Believe me, people not only have a great time, productivity soars. As one wise leader once said, ‘Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated.’”

“Explain this Crazy Days tradition to me. I’ve never heard of it.”

“In this particular company, a day is designated every quarter as a Crazy Day. It’s nothing more than a day designed to let people blow off steam and reduce stress; it boosts morale. For example, one quarter, they designated it as You’re Not the Boss Day. The CEO had to make coffee, answer the phones and work in the warehouse while some of his employees got to work out of the boss’s
office and have some fun. This simple idea broke down many of the artificial barriers between management and nonmanagement people and enhanced team spirit. Another quarter, the crazy day was called Corporate Circus Day. Clowns, magicians and jesters were hired to perform throughout the company’s offices, much to the delight of all the employees. Even those passing by the lobby were invited to take part in the spectacle, providing great word-of-mouth promotion about this innovative and people-centered organization. One of the most successful crazy days was Back to the Future Day.”

“Sounds intriguing.”

“All the employees got together to celebrate their past successes. Personal success stories were posted on the walls of the conference hall that had been rented for the occasion, for everyone to see. Then they all focused on their future goals and brain-stormed about the best ways to achieve them.

“The point I’m trying to make with all these examples is that visionary leaders understand that employees who feel they are valued members of an exciting team will go the extra mile to give their best. If you practice Ritual 3 by rewarding routinely and recognizing relentlessly, they will invest their spirits in your organization. And they will begin to see themselves as a part of the larger whole, as an integral part of something special and as an important member of the GlobalView team. That’s when your company will become unstoppable. Perhaps Yogi Raman said it best the time he observed that ‘when spider webs unite they can tie up a lion.’”

As the crowd filtered out of the stadium, a strange silence filled the air. We had won the game and people were clearly pleased.

But something even more pressing had attracted everyone’s attention. Up in the sky, one star had begun to twinkle brightly, illuminating the darkness with an almost magical hue. Though it was almost 11:00 P.M., it appeared as if a rich coat of daylight was waiting to burst through the darkness and envelope the night sky.

I had never seen a phenomenon such as this. Soon the entire crowd was standing still, staring quietly into the sky.

“I can’t believe what I’m seeing, Julian,” I said, my gaze fixed on the bright star that appeared to be the center of everyone’s attention.

“I can,” he replied with a knowing smile.

“Does this have something to do with the star you were talking to the other night and that telescope you are carrying?” I asked intently.

“Absolutely. And the time will soon come when I can explain exactly what’s going on. When I was in the Himalayas, the sages predicted that this astronomical event would take place. Even I’m surprised at how accurate they were.”

Within minutes, the darkness had returned and the glittering star had quietly slipped off into the night. The sight I had just witnessed was astonishing. Though I didn’t know anything about astronomy and such natural occurrences, the magnificence of the spectacle was almost overwhelming.

“That was incredible, Julian!”

“The laws of nature are the most powerful laws in the universe,” he replied. “They lead you to the truth, Peter. The quality of our lives as leaders is better off by the degree to which we learn from them. Visionary leaders have full knowledge of these laws and align their efforts with them.”

“What do you mean?”

“They have the leadership wisdom to understand that ‘as you sow, so shall you reap.’ They know that the growth of a business follows the same cyclical process as the change of seasons. They are aware that, as in nature, adversity is always followed by opportunity, just as the darkness of the night is always followed by the brightness of the day.”

“I’ve never thought that the laws of nature applied to the business world.”

“They sure do and the leader who recognizes this timeless fact will have an enormous advantage over his or her competition. That’s why our next meeting will be in more natural surroundings.”

“Where exactly?”

“I’d like us to meet next Sunday in the woods behind Bear Lake.”

“You mean the place where all those hunters go?”

“Precisely. Just go to the entrance of the forest. from there, you will see a series of markers that will lead you to the spot where I will continue to share the sages’ leadership wisdom with you. I promise that you will not be disappointed.”

“What time?”

“At dawn. It’s a very special time of the day.” “You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m absolutely serious. The dawn is the best part of the day. And I think it’s about time you experienced the tranquility it brings. Now I’ve got to run.”

“You’re always dashing off, Julian. What’s the hurry?”

“I’ve got to find that star,” was the only reply I received as he disappeared into the crowd.