“One theory says that if you treat people well, you’re more likely to encourage them to do what you want, making all the effort pay off. Do this, get that. Another one, which I prefer, is that you might consider treating people with kindness merely because you can. Regardless of what they choose to do in response, this is what you choose to do. Because you can.”
Seth Godin
“When one of his workers asked for help in decision making, Gandhi told him, “I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starved millions? Then you will find your doubts and yourself melting away.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Gandhi believed in the intrinsic good in every individual – the universality of humankind. He asked individuals to search for the truth that was within them and to act in accordance with their conscience. He devoted a great deal of his life trying to convince people to acknowledge the good in others, to reject differences based on caste, religion, and social position, and to work for the welfare of all.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Power is given to you by others. It is not yours; it is in trust with you and it is a great responsibility. Power is to be used for the benefit of those whose trustee you are.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“One of the great challenges of leadership is to develop harmony between service and the power that is necessary for the exercise of leadership. The ideal is power derived solely from service and used only for service. This is the power that lasts through the ages. It is the power that influences the spirit of humanity.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Gandhi had power, but he had none of the means we usually associate with power: wealth, official position, military might. His power was based solely on the willingness of people to follow his lead. They were willing to serve him because his life was devoted to serving them.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“You and I do not have to wait for a great cause to make a commitment to personal service. It can start with those nearest to us: our family and friends.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“The challenge for leaders is to live up to their fundamental responsibility as human beings: to treat others as themselves.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Leaders who share the strategy, financial performance, and success of the corporation with their employees create a sense of partnership with them. Partners are willing to put in the effort to develop new ideas, to work long hours in emergencies, and to act for the common interest over self-interest, thereby building competitive advantage.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Secrecy is the enemy of trust and is responsible for much of the distrust that exists between business and society, corporations and customers, management and employees.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Most of us reflect on our actions after we recognize that we have hurt someone or done an injustice. This is certainly a good first step, but it is reactive. We need to be proactive through disciplined and regular personal reflection.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“When I say I lack the time to exercise, is this really true given that I have time to watch television? Perhaps it is just difficult for me to admit that I may be lazy.” ~ Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
“Finding your creative genius is easy: do the work, finish something, get feedback, find ways to improve, show up again tomorrow. Repeat for ten years. Or twenty. Or thirty.” ~ James Clear, Blog
“No single act will uncover more creative genius than forcing yourself to create consistently. Practicing your craft over and over is the only way to become decent at it. The person who sits around theorizing about what a best-selling book looks like will never write it. Meanwhile, the writer who shows up every day and puts their butt in the chair and their hands on the keyboard — they are learning how to do the work.” ~ James Clear, Blog
“When we decide to be happy we accept the responsibility to bring happiness to someone else. Some decide that happiness and glee are the same thing, they are not. When we choose happiness we accept the responsibility to lighten the load of someone else and to be a light on the path to another who may be walking in darkness.” ~ Maya Angelou
“The greatest of all miracles is that we need not be tomorrow what we are today. The greatest of all insights is that we cannot be tomorrow what we do not do today. That is why today matters.” ~ John C. Maxwell, Today Matters