Category Archives: Contemplative Leader

Peace of Mind in the New Year

The tall pine tree outside my window stands serene. Birds nestle in its boughs and sunlight sparkles through the raindrops on its branches. Just looking at it brings me a sense of peace. A few paces beyond, the world is anything … Continue reading

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You Are Not Alone

This Wednesday I was taking the train to meet my agent in San Francisco. A few days earlier, I had gone to the Santa Clara station to plan my trip, but the old station office was now closed down. There … Continue reading

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The World as your Self

I often think about the struggles my students go through, the challenges I face in my profession or the little problems I face in my life. I also struggle sometimes to see how  those moments of taking care of my … Continue reading

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The Gift of Community

In America we prize individualism, valuing our self-reliance.  And perhaps some of us grew up in dysfunctional families so we didn’t learn to trust, felt we had to be strong and had to do everything ourselves. But as I learned … Continue reading

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Reach Out to Joy

I was exhausted at the beginning of the summer. After multiple deadlines and the completion of different projects I felt tired, unfocused, depleted. How do we return to our best selves when exhaustion settles in? Who are the friends that … Continue reading

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Something to Prove

A friend of mine went into retirement after a successful career in business, but when I met him again he was reluctant to celebrate. I was moved because even though he was being celebrated for his career, I could still see … Continue reading

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Moment by Moment Clarity

When I got the news, I immediately panicked. It was early morning, ten minutes before 6:00 am and, phone in hand, I was told about my father’s heart attack. I could not enjoy a cup of tea or even my … Continue reading

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The Power of Respect

The Tao Te Ching tells us that “Those who would lead wisely must first respect life.” (Dreher, 1996, p. 63). A major principle of the Tao is respect: for ourselves, for one another, for life itself. Since the Tao Te … Continue reading

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Nurture

He was working carefully, his hands inspecting the rose bush with tenderness, here and there his eyes checking for any disease that might prevent its blossoming. Gazing at the hedge roses, my friend simply said, “nurture them.” A week later … Continue reading

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The Lesson of Living Systems

In a period of tremendous challenge and change, an innovative book on leadership appeared with lessons that can serve us well today. The Tao Te Ching, written over 25 centuries ago during the warring states period in ancient China¸ affirms … Continue reading

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