The Core Foundational Strength in Wisdom: Temperance
Why Philosophy is Critical to Great Leadership
The context of great leadership can be studied throughout the course of history and a favorite habit of mine is to delve into the annals of philosophy to deepen my understanding about how great cultures came about historically. The trajectory of mankind is fascinating and much can be learned from combining what we know about science with what we know about philosophy. I understand why it is important to separate the two for the purpose of specific research, but when studying leadership, I have a certain personal belief that one cannot exist without the other. We inherit our natural predispositions from our biology and we hone our potential with our philosophy. How could a leader exist and retain followers without having some kind of expressed philosophy that provides hope or potential for the follower? Who holds the space for a group of individuals to have faith in possibility for greater potential?
Very simply, the leader. How? The climate they create around them. What is created by a leader is simply the psychological impact held possible by the particular philosophies of the leader who holds the power in the relational dynamics of the group. The leader’s behaviors, resulting from their philosophies, either helps or hinders the potential of the group manifest. Therefore the philosophies held by the leader may be the single most influential aspect of their power. For this reason, I am known to collect the leadership mantras of my clients as we move through the process of leadership development. My experience as a leadership coach has taught me well..that it is within the secret, often unspoken, beliefs of the leader that I can begin to see the limits of their notions or the cracks in their sometimes faulty beliefs that, if they begin to change, can open the door for potential growth. Their philosophies have brought them to where they are and hold important clues into the glue that holds them together, but alas, it is my job to loosen the glue, so that more growth springs forth as a result of our connecting. We must, together, honor the beliefs that have brought them to today, while embracing the change that must evolve them at their core. And what we all know, is that great teams, do not exist without great leaders who are continually growing, along with their environment. And we are not in the position to learn, much less grow, if we are not in command of our emotional aspects, so that we can operate with sound mind.
The Whisper or the Brick?
I recently heard a story told by a great leader to his team illustrating this point. He told of a very successful man, expensively dressed and on his way to work in his BMW sedan. The man was preoccupied with the trappings of work, and driving at a clip since he was shortly attending an important board meeting concerning an acquisition that would make his career. As he drove down the street near his home, he noticed a small commotion on the side of the street and was briefly annoyed at the loud yelling of two young boys, obviously playing too close to the road. In the next minute he heard a loud crash as something smashed into the side of his pristine car. Furious, he screeched to a stop, and got out of the car, fully prepared to tear into the two boys with fury. What he encountered on the other side of his car made him stop in his tracks. A boy who was obviously paralyzed from the neck down was lying in the street just two feet from his door. The other boy was in tears and said “Mister, I am sorry I had to throw that brick at your car, but my brother had fallen out of his wheelchair and I could not stop him from rolling into the street. I knew you were going to run over him if I didn’t do something!”
The man felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins and yet knew he could do nothing but apologize to the boy for not noticing his distress. As he collected the boys and took them home, he began to connect with the shame of his distracted state of mind. If he had been driving at a normal speed and paying attention, none of this would have happened, so his own emotional state had indeed caused the consequence of his distress and would now cost him the extra time and expense of having his car repaired. Not to mention the tragedy that almost occurred had the brother not had the presence of mind to throw the brick to save his brother. The leader who was telling this story to his team, made the point that if you are not listening to the quiet whispers of conscious living, then the brick will follow along to wake you up before you know it. This analogy has great implications to leadership and is indeed at the foundational core of the Tilt Leadership Model in the core strength of Temperance. Wisdom is not possible without it.
A Short History About Temperance
At the most foundational core of the Tilt Leadership Model lies the primary core strength of Wisdom: Temperance. The history of temperance cannot be told without introducing the history of a term called “sophrosyne”, derived from the adjective “sophron” in the historical works of Homer. It was used at first to describe a human (or divine) character who behaves in a way that is consistent with his nature or station or who shows good sense as opposed to frivolity or witlessness. Homer’s characters became exemplars of honorable qualities that indicated moderation, self-knowledge and self-restraint.
In the earliest years of literature, quite naturally, the qualities most valued were that of the hero, whose primitive bravery could win wars, build castles and defend them. The barbaric times required exceptional valor in order to provide for the safety of survival. It was only later in the sixth and seventh centuries that the changed conditions in the Greek world led to the rise of the “polis” or city-state where it became necessary to tame the hero and make him into a citizen. This concept became known as sohrosyne and the inherent qualities of this new exemplary type of behavior created a code of cautionary maxims like “know thyself” and “nothing in excess” which enabled a new society of sanity versus hubris.
This new philosophy enabled an awareness (in those who sought to have it) that included an ability to reflect on man’s tendency to indulge in excessive hopes and ambitions, beyond that which man should aspire. Today we would refer to this tendency as a preoccupation with delusion and fanciful notions that are not grounded with good judgment and the practical application of discipline. This new notion assisted the philosophers of that time to examine the catastrophe that befalls the hero whose self assertion leads him to ignore reasonable limits and desirable qualities like justice and humility. The literature of this time was enamored of the hero and inevitably illustrated that he or she was blind to something essential in himself or his situation. The heroic character possessed an admirable but imperfect nature and inevitably a story of tragedy intertwined with star-crossed circumstances was a fascination in literature for ages in the great writers and playwrights (i.e. Romeo and Juliet). We still love to watch the story of the hero and we still somehow love the undeniable flawed nature of our humanity played out in movies and plays.
Yet, there is a difference between then and now that deserves a revisit to the quality of temperance. That difference is what we call the ripple effect of leadership in a global world economy versus a world isolated by geographical boundaries. In ancient times, the impact of leadership was contained in small areas, both enabling homogeneous societies (like Rome during the Renaissance) to bask in the virtuous pursuit of human nobility without a concern from neighbors as long as the military power was able to protect it. Great advances in creativity unfolded in societies such as these, advancing mankind in remarkable ways. Yet today, the safety of containment is virtually lost and we must now exist in a world that requires dependence on great leadership for its very survival. Our childlike faith in heroes will need to evolve to an understanding that if we are to grow the potential of this world, we must learn to embrace a higher level of awareness in ourselves and in our leadership. The ripple effect of the leaders we trust is wide-reaching and potentially disastrous without the good voice of reason that is unique to mankind.
The primal nature of the appetites and the passions are common to all species who work to survive their environment here on earth. But it is our unique gift alone, that includes a capacity to use reason to temper our perspective. With the increase of knowledge, our awareness is rising, but the work of leadership is far from complete. The effects of unconscious leadership are all around us and the ripple effect is broad. The important question is this: have we reached a new level of awareness where we can now be less gullible about who we put our faith in to lead us? Those who are of sound mind and have demonstrated that they are able to conduct their decisions with a disciplined mind, clear of emotional distortions? Or heroes who seduce us with their charisma? Or is it something in between, as we say in the Tilt model….balance in everything is key. We all have our leanings, but if we lean too far, we have lost our connection to creative flow.
The First Commendable Trait of Temperance: Prudent
Now here’s an old fashioned word for you…prudence! Over the years it has gained a reputation for being perceived as something only school headmasters possess. Yet, nothing describes what we mean by appropriate allocation of resources like this archaic word! And in the research on creativity in team climate, this is one of the most crucial elements required in creating an opening for creativity and innovation, which is the goal of Tilt leadership. In a recent groundbreaking study concerning the behavioral themes by leaders that either HELP or HINDER innovation, the top macro theme reported by teams concerned “controlling resource availability” (Akkermans, Isaksen & Isaksen, 2008). Participants in the study reported that the greatest impediment to innovation concerned arbitrarily assigned or limited resources devoted to creative endeavors. Those leaders who deliberately provided resources for exploratory endeavors, inevitably created a climate where the team could actualize exponentially beneficial results. Specifically mentioned in the study, was the provision of training with regard to how to use the mind in ways that would expand thinking. If a team believes that the leader is limiting the most effective allocation of available resources, the result is almost always frustration, which leads to blocked creativity.
We define prudence as a leader who is perceived as “appropriately sensible in the allocation of resources” and this character trait requires the leader and the team to use “reason” in making a judgment about how to allocate limited resources. Inherent in this commendable trait is the ability of the leader to resist emotional agendas that might entice them to move forward on decisions when it does not make good sense. And this means that they are willing to hear the reasoning of the team members, as well as the reasoning of other stakeholders in the process. A good case in point was made in the study above, where a team wanted to create a pay for performance compensation plan that required understanding all of the regulations and implications that might unfold in the way of unintended consequences if all aspects of the plan were not well thought out. The leader in this case, was able to delay making a decision until the group was satisfied that most of the variables had been considered. The firm benefited greatly by the implementation of the creative compensation plan and thus the team performance was enhanced by the application of good prudent decision-making.
The Second Commendable Trait of Temperance: Patient
The previous example leads right into the next trait of temperance, namely patience. We define this trait as the leader’s ability to “wait for the appropriate time to take action”. What we find in the typical behaviors of the hero who is overconfident is the tendency to succumb to a sense of urgency of some sort. Granted, we do have powerful instincts as human beings and our hunches in emergency situations are often called for (see the section on Bravery). But we too often find that the tendency becomes addictive and thus is deployed in too many situations where it is not called for. Many kinds of stimulus exist in our world of work today and many of them call out for urgency when the situation is truly calling for patience in order to maximize a best decision. Knowing the difference requires self-awareness and control over the addictive nature of urgency.
One great example is the sense of urgency we feel when we receive an email or voice mail. We have come to believe that we must respond within a certain amount of time to stimulus of this sort and the truth is that almost 90% of these communication triggers are not something we would consciously put in the category of important if we use good reason. Additionally the stress this sense of urgency produces in most of my clients is most unreasonable. For this reason, one of the first things I do with my clients (mostly high potential leaders) is to help them get grounded in assessing the difference between what is important and what is not and how to respond appropriately. Indeed, I hone this skill in myself by monitoring the way I manage a coaching call. In the course of teaching and mentoring new coaches, I often notice the tendency to jump on the issues that surface in the course of a call, and bounce all over the place, only to lose the most important aspect of the presenting issue in the call. The skill to stay focused on the greatest need in the moment is something that must be developed.
It might be helpful if I explain how I manage this skill regarding self regulation myself. My _inner _experience is to feel a sense of urgency when several issues are brought up at once, yet if I allow myself to get distracted from what the client said they want to work on most, then the client’s most pressing needs may not be protected. Personally, to ward off the temptation, I practice note-taking when I notice something that I many want to bring up later, and stay focused on what is relevant to the most important issue at hand. In this way, the client determines the agenda of the work instead of me. And if coaches can’t practice this, then we are adding to the stress of reacting to whatever presents in the moment in the same way organizations are condoning each day. What our clients need most is an oasis of calm presence of mind and I take my responsibility regarding this role very seriously. How many places do we find this in our busy lives? As coaches and as leaders, we must be the voice of reason, and develop the skill to wait for the right moment. This requires staying the course on what is most important now as well as what is most important in the future and holding space for both to unfold at the right time.
The Third Commendable Trait of Temperance: Composed
The exercise of self-control, most especially in “control over distorted emotional response”, requires that we have the capacity to experience ourselves, know ourselves and decide how to respond rather than react from our inner experience. I like to say that it is absolutely true that we will have personal reactions that are a result of our inner nature (some which are not that pretty to behold!), but what makes us think that others should be subject to our inner experience without any choice in the matter? Simply put, we are who we are, but do we have a right to ask others to handle our emotional reactions to circumstances? Particularly when we have been trusted to have power over others in a leadership role. In the inner circle of our personal lives, it is appropriate and meaningful to be authentic, even in the expression of our irrational emotions, but those who are in our intimate circle are there by choice and are hopefully those who love us more unconditionally. We have responsibility to behave with maturity in these relationships as well, but can let our proverbial hair down a little more because of the circumstances.
At work, most of the time it is the organization that chooses to put a leader in position, so the contract of employment has less perceived control (by the employee) than does a personal commitment toward family. So, how we choose to behave when given that role determines if we are being a manager or a leader. Anyone can manage others by using the positional power bestowed by hierarchy, but if one is to lead, then the role requires followers. Inherent in the definition of follower is a certain voluntary relationship that is based on the desire to follow the lead of another. This is the responsibility we have…to build a “followership”. And if we are not composed and given to being self-possessed in our conduct, then we are leading reactive chaos instead of the voice of reason. Followers can sense the difference.
The Fourth Commendable Trait of Temperance: Reflective
It follows that a leader who is prudent, patient and composed is also demonstrating the outward manifestation of a reflective nature. We define reflective as the capacity to “pause to think to respond, instead of react”. This trait is demonstrated by great leaders who take what we call the “4 second access to wisdom”. When a leader pauses for four seconds before responding, he or she is more apt to access wisdom in the answer. Our brains possess unfathomable speed and amazingly we can often access a more mindful response in a short time span, but this takes practice and discipline. When I was younger, my emotions could be so strong that I would literally have to wait 24 hours before I could gain access to the voice of reason in my own mind. I learned very quickly that if I simply reacted with emotion, there was inevitably some kind of damage done to others around me, so I began to set limits on myself in my early thirties. I remember clearly that I had to identify situations where I might be tempted to react emotionally instead of calmly and that if I reflected overnight, I would often awake with a much more grounded course of action that served me and others much more than my initial reaction would have.
Over time, I was able to shorten the window of time down to a few hours and eventually I taught myself how to respond more appropriately in the moment. But this has taken years of conscious practice. Each day, I am surprised by the executive level leaders I encounter that have not noticed their propensity to cause most of the problems they encounter merely by not cultivating this all important self regulation skill found in the great leaders. As with every skill, this one requires practice, but I find it has the most beneficial powers we can learn in terms of creating a foundation that breeds trust. Remarks that leave our lips without our first reflecting on the impact of those words, can turn into a useless waste of energy cleaning up the mess, that could be otherwise focused on some kind of creative endeavor.
The Overused Aspect of Temperance: Danger Signs
With every gift, comes the potential for overuse and in the case of Temperance, this manifests as hesitation, procrastination, apathy and detachment. When we go too far with the traits in this skill, we can be blindly holding on too long for the right moment to act, so it must be balanced with the act of forward movement in the form of activation. When we do not act, we become complacent and ineffective. The outward manifestation of positive temperance is expressed in its polar opposite, in the core strength of inspiration. The two must be balanced together to provide mindful vision for the future. If one is overusing temperance, then the developmental work is to work on its opposite strength: inspiration, which is to bring about new outcomes. Temperance without inspired activation is apathy and brings about nothing other than the status quo.
Temperance, the Mother of all Reason
In the end, our credibility as a leader is dependent on how we are perceived and how we are perceived is dependent on our ability to be seen as the voice of reason for our fellow colleagues. That is why this trait exists at the base of the Tilt model. It is the foundational basis for the stability required by our followers to know that they reside in a team and climate where reason will rule and their leader can be predicted to be the voice of that reason. The balance between the temperance and inspiration is the key to providing vision for a new future. If one overuses inspiration (the polarity of temperance) and presents the irrational vision of delusion, no one will follow, or if they do, they follow a vision that will inevitably lead to tragedy. Plato argued that temperance is the most important of the cardinal virtues and reported that it was central to any conception of ideal state and exemplifies the soul in its optimum condition…a soul that is balanced and harmonious. One that can be followed to greatness and the unfolding of creative potential.
Summary
Temperance is part of the universal language that we all know when we see it. It arises from the human instinct for order and moderation. And yet, it must contain an element of personal commitment.
When we each find our own voice, sprung from the ruminations of our quiet reflections..it rings true with the many, calls to those on the path and inspires those who may have lost their way.
Copyright 2009 Pam Boney