Is there leadership without courage? Is there leadership without conscience? Finally, existentialism is explained.
There are times when we feel small. Really small. All our wars seem unnecessary, and conquests trivial. Our days seem to lack objectivity. Our existence seems meaningless.
For some of us, these moments of truth do not come often enough. If they did, this world would be a much better place to live in. Like hamsters on a wheel, we go about our corporate lives oblivious to our surroundings and the greater meaning of life.
And then along comes a story about a 7-year-old who takes a bullet to save her mother. Knowingly, willingly and selflessly, she sacrifices herself. How many of us have faced life with the courage of this 7-year-old? How many of us will go to our graves, never knowing what it feels like to be fearless?
We want to be leaders but lack the fundamental qualities of leadership – courage has to be one of them. I have yet to meet a courageous corporate leader. Courage is one of those things that is sucked out of our systems as we climb the ladder. We manage “risk,” we are convinced, and that somehow translates into “risk averse” and, over time, into something worse – total and complete lack of courage. We are afraid of our own shadows, and that reflects in all our decisions.
Then, the very same day, and as if on cue, you come across another story. This time someone has acted on their sense of social responsibility. No, not by making a big charitable donation at the end of a life devoid of any conscience – social or otherwise. Not even by a bold action like participating in a demonstration or vigil against social injustice. But by the only means, social responsibility must be demonstrated in a capitalist society – creating a business driven by social responsibility.
Kiva is a P2P platform that connects lenders with economically disadvantaged borrowers in the developing world. This enabler of micro-lending is “acting” on the “theory” postulated by Nobel Laureates. People do not need handouts; sometimes, all they need is a hand. And there is money to be made doing this. Not “Private Equity money,” but still a decent living worthy of the same respect.
Is there leadership without social responsibility? I think not.
The question is: How many of us dare to have a conscience?
