The Golden Rule Of Leadership

Leadership in today's dynamic corporate environment goes beyond strategic planning and profit margins; Leasership today depends on establishing a culture that is firmly anchored in morals and values.

Whilst we have all at some point in our lives been taught the Golden Rule, like most things in life, knowing it and understanding it and then embodying it are very seperate things.

The Golden Rule, a global moral code that cuts across all cultures and religions, and has enormous impact on corporate leaders and the success they are looking to create.

This article will not just review the Golden Rule as it applies to corporate leaders, we'll also look at some of the limiting ideas prevent leaders from embracing this powerful and timeless principle.

The Golden Rule: "Treat others as you would like to be treated."

The Golden Rule can be found in some form in almost every ethical tradition and is the cornerstone, the guiding the moral compass for consious individuals across the globe.

• The ancient Egyptians (c.?664–323 BCE))who had it scribed on papyrus scrolls, "That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another,
• Leviticus 19:18 : What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow
• The Roman Emperor Seneca (c.?664–323 BCE) who expressed his vesrion of the Golden Rule as "Treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you."
• Jesus: The sermon of the mount: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
• Muhammad: "As you would have people do to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you"
• Buddhism: "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful"
• Confucianism: "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others."
• Traditional African religion Yoruba: "One who is going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts"

The Golden Rule is Universal. Yet, despite its ubiquitous appeal, far to many senior corporate leaders grapple with consistently being able to apply this universal rule. This article will look at a.) how to apply the golden rule in a corporate environment as well as b.) investigate the core limiting beliefs that get in the way of leaders practicing the principle in their working environments .

RESPECT - The Essence of the Golden Rule:

Emotional Resilience: Even during the toughest moments, remember that you can have the heat without lighting the match. Disagreements will arise, but it's essential to approach your team with respect, avoiding hurtful words and actions.

Respectful Communication: When it comes to having difficult conversations, don't bring your own emotional baggage and untrained reactions. Show respect by actively listening, being open, and striving for understanding. Maintain open, honest, and respectful communication at all times. Create an environment where everyone feels safe to share thoughts, dreams, and vulnerabilities. True authenticity, whether in personal relationships or corporate settings, arises from the trust that you can be your true selves with one another.

Finding the Win-Win: Every partnership always experiences disagreements; it's just how it is. In these situations, it's critical to realise that maintaining the harmony of your union comes before individual success. Look for ways to make everyone happy while fostering good relationships. This strategy promotes creative solutions that are advantageous to the entire organisation.

Seeking to Understand: Effective listening lies at the heart of any communication. Embrace Stephen Covey's wisdom, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Prioritize listening and empathizing with your team members' perspectives before expressing your thoughts and feelings. This simple act can bridge gaps and lead to more effective teamwork and conflict resolution.

Kindness and Appreciation: When caring and respect are cultivated with little deeds of kindness and words of appreciation, people blossom. Regularly thank your team members for their accomplishments, keeping in mind that even seemingly insignificant acts can have a big impact on the relationships between coworkers. A culture of gratitude can improve morale and employee engagement in the workplace.

Whist all of the above interpretations of the Golden Rule into a corporate environment may sound somewhat idylic and all rainbows and unicorns, the fact is and with centuries of this core slice of wisdom prevailing, it does work. Our problem is that we bring our own limiting beliefs and baggage to our working environment, getting in the way of us upholding this universal principle.

There are a number of limiting beliefs that can prevent leaders from fully embracing the Golden Rule.

These include:

• The belief that the corporate world is a dog-eat-dog world. This belief can lead leaders to view vulnerability and empathy as weaknesses.
• The belief that it's all about winning. This belief can lead leaders to prioritize personal victories over team harmony.
• The belief that their voice matters most. This belief can lead leaders to disregard the value of input from others.
• The belief that kindness is a luxury. This belief can lead leaders to view acts of kindness and expressions of appreciation as a waste of time.
• The belief that maintaining control is paramount. This belief can lead leaders to withhold information or micromanage their team members.

Heres how to turnaround your thinking as regards these top five limiting beliefs obstructing leaders from fully embracing the Golden Rule:

Limiting Belief 1: "It's a Dog-Eat-Dog World"

Many senior leaders perceive the corporate world to be inherently competitive and cutthroat. They view vulnerability or empathy as potential weaknesses. If you come from a mindset that believes business is a tough and aggressive place, then of course being open or caring might make you look weak.

To change this view, one must challenge the idea that showing vulnerability is a bad thing. In reality, being an authentic leader helps build trust and promotes collaboration among team members.

Limiting Belief 2: "It's All About Winning"

In the pursuit of success, some leaders prioritize personal victories over team harmony. In other words, they tend to care more about their own success than keeping their team working well together. They treat disagreements as fights they must win instead of opportunities to find win-win solutions where everyone can agree and buy into.

To change this, one needs to focus on what the team achieves together, recognizing that seeking win-win solutions not only strengthens relationships among team members but also ultimately improves the overall outcomes of the organization.

Limiting Belief 3: "My Voice Matters Most"

Too many corporate leaders hold the belief that their viewpoint carries the most weight. The impact of this view ends up as a disregard for the value of input from others. These leaders tend to justify thier limiting belief by asserting their authority as the boss. IOW they believe that they've earned the privilege of having their opinions matter more than those of their team members.

To overcome this perspective, it's important to embrace the Stephen Covey wisdom of Habit 5: Seek first to understand others before seeking to be understood. When we clearly understand that the only difference between seeing something as concave or convex is a matter of where one stands. Of course if this is your penchant then it will take diligent effort to approach conversations with curiosity and a willingness to genuinely understand someone else's perspective. It's essential to remember that diverse viewpoints are the driving force behind innovation and informed decision-making.

Limiting Belief 4: "Kindness is a Luxury"

In the fast-paced and what can often seem, cutthroat world, too many corparate leaders have come to view acts of kindness and expressions of appreciation as time-consuming luxuries that divert attention from the bottom line. TV shows like Billions and Succession just propogate this line of thinking.

To address this, understand that these seemingly small gestures of kindness and gratitude do in fact create real value. They are real investments in team cohesion, productivity, and employee morale all of which ultimately lead to better business outcomes.

Consider for a moment the impact of an employee feeling valued and appreciated. Aren't they far more likely to be motivated, engaged, and committed to their work? And isn't this also true when team members help each other, share credit for successes, and offer assistance during challenging times? We instinctivly know it fosters a sense of unity and collaboration all of which ultimately leads to smoother teamwork, improved problem-solving and more innovative solutions.

All the employee engagement literature points to the fact that when employees feel that their contributions are acknowledged and that they are part of a supportive work culture, they are more likely to go the extra mile to achieve team goals. It's no secret that people are more likely to want to work for and stay with an organization that values and respects its employees. Higher employee engagement not only leads to greater productivity, it also reduces staff turnover and recruitment costs.

Ultimately, businesses that prioritize and promote such a positive work culture are more likely to achieve long-term success and better outcomes.

Limiting Belief 5: "Maintaining Control is Paramount"

Leaders may believe that maintaining control is essential. This ends up leading them to withholding information or micromanaging. As a way to couter this belief, recognize that trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Trusting team members and empowering them with information fosters mutual respect and collaboration.

Embracing the Golden Rule

Of course, as leaders, embracing the Golden Rule can be challenging, especially when one's limiting beliefs unconsiously overshadow our actions. However, by identifying and challenging these beliefs, we can transform our leadership approach and create an organizational culture rooted in respect, empathy, and trust.

Ultimately embracing the Golden Rule as a core foundation of our leadership, we end up leading from a place of authenticity, compassion, and collaboration which enriches our organizations, our communities and our own personal lives.