3 Key Qualities of Noble Leaders (Part 2)

Connection

In the first part of this series, we addressed the quality of awareness as the ground of noble leadership. While awareness is critical for being a noble leader, seeing and knowing what's happening (or NOT happening) around you is just the first step. Before a leader engages in skillful action (more on that in Part 3) s/he should first effectively make a connection. Since leaders cannot accomplish their missions without the help of others, quality connection is essential. However, simple contact should not be confused with connection. Walking by an employee’s desk and asking “How’s it going?” while continuing to walk out the door without waiting for a response is simply “contact.” For connection to occur, there needs to be sustained attention, listening (not just hearing), and a felt sense of genuine interest. Let’s break those down.

Sustained attention means being present without distraction. Training in mindfulness practice helps develop this skill. When we’re there, we’re really there…the whole time. We’re not stopping to look at our mobile device, or turning our head every time someone walks by, or glancing at the TV or computer screen. We’re totally present with the person we’re with.

Listening means giving the other person the gift of your full attention and absorbing what they’re saying. It means not thinking about what you’re going to do or say after the other person finishes speaking. It does mean fully HEARING what they’re saying, taking it in, and letting it enter your consciousness.   

Genuine interest is shown by demonstrating some form of empathy toward the other person based on what they’ve just shared with you. Empathy can sometimes be expressed verbally or non-verbally. An employee tells you he’s worried because he doesn’t know how he’s going to make a deadline and you say, for example, “I can see that you’re stressed out about that. What do you think would help support you in making that deadline?” If you lack the words at the moment, simply tilting your head and expressing concern can show you’re hearing and empathizing. Relating to the employee’s emotional state and expressing a willingness to help alleviate his pain in some way shows that you’re interested in his success, thus making you an ally in his success rather than a target for his frustration.

The key to each of these components is to be genuine. If you’re genuinely paying attention, genuinely listening, and genuinely interested, you will create genuine connections and develop an office, team, or workplace that is genuinely loyal because they will know that you care about them as people and not just as contributors to the bottom line.  

Part 3: Skillfulness (stay tuned)

3 Key Qualities of Noble Leaders (Part 1)

Noble leaders lead with a sense of vision and purpose in a manner that inspires and elevates those who work with them. In particular, they possess three key qualities which they keep in balance in order to allow them to excel: awareness, connection, and skillfulness. In this post, we discuss awareness.

Awareness

Awareness is the quality of seeing and knowing what is happening at three levels. Noble leaders are aware first of themselves. They are conscious of their own habits, emotions, skills and abilities, as well as their own shortcomings. This self-awareness allows them to take advantage of their strengths and locate and utilize resources that will compensate for their weaknesses. When a weakness displays itself as a mistake in judgment, a burst of uncontrolled emotion, or hubris, a leader’s developed self-awareness will sound an alarm, allowing for the opportunity to self-correct or seek some form of recovery or re-setting. Sometimes it results in regret and apology. This is only made possible through the power of awareness, honesty, and humility.

A second level of awareness is that of others. This means, being aware that there are other huma

n beings in one’s environment who, just like them, have thoughts, feelings, desires, and needs. When a leader doesn’t pay attention at some level to the humanity of those with whom she works, others feel she doesn’t care and the commitment to the common mission is weakened. When people feel treated like equipment rather than like thinking, feeling human beings, no one feels “ennobled”, and thus, the leader cannot be considered “noble.” Conversely, when a leader demonstrates that she is aware of what’s happening among those around her, she becomes worthy of respect and admiration. The humanity of simple awareness of another’s humanity is powerful.

Finally, noble leaders are aware of the world around them; that is, the energetics of the environment  in which they operate. This ranges from knowing the current mood of one’s office staff, to feeling the tension or elation of the whole organization. It can also extend wider to include an awareness of society and where it stands vis-à-vis the organization’s mission at any given time. Such global awareness allows a leader to gain valuable perspective that can not only help guide the organization’s direction, but also see how the organization can make contributions that are not only needed but welcomed.

Not Answering Hate with Hate but with Love

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker exemplifying "noble leadership" 

Noble Leadership

To lead others in a way that is “illustrious, distinguished, and worthy of respect”  is the essence of “noble leadership.” Noble leaders are illustrious, that is, they “shine” as an example of good leadership. They are distinguished in that they accomplish their purposes skillfully and in areas of import to those whom they are charged with leading. They are worthy of respect because they work for the common good and in a way that respects the inherent worth and dignity of ALL the citizens, not just the ones with whom they agree or align themselves politically. 

The Guiding Philosophy of Noble Leaders

      Every person is possessed of basic, inherent, dignity and worth.Thus, noble leaders:

•  Always want what is best for the populace and, therefore, want to serve.  
•  See themselves as servants of the people and therefore have an attitude of humility.
• Desire peace and harmony.
• Are confident in their convictions and true to them.
• See irony and find humor in life, due to having tremendous perspective.

The speech of Noble Leaders is:

• Benevolent – their words are not aimed at injuring, wounding, or maligning, but instead they reflect non-aggression, uplifting and supporting the dignity of all.
•  Humble – they do not boast of their qualities or accomplishments, or imply that others’ are not as good or benevolent as they are.
•  Ennobling – their words reflect and support the best in people and pull them up, encouraging all who hear them to nobility in thought, word, and action.
• Appreciative – recognition is given for deeds accomplished, cooperation, teamwork, and efforts made toward a good cause; a spirit of celebration.

The actions of Noble Leaders are:

• Aimed at the common good.
• Unifying, rather than divisive.
•  Skillful in timing and execution.
•  Marked with dignity and grace.

A Renaissance for Nobility

Society these days is sorely lacking in a certain quality--namely, “nobility.” Just what does it mean to be "noble"? Let's look at some definitions:

noble (n.) "man of rank," c. 1300, from noble (adj.). The same noun sense also is in Old French and Latin. Late 14c. as the name of an English coin first issued in reign of Edward III.

noble (adj.) c. 1200, "illustrious, distinguished; worthy of honor or respect," from Old French noble "of noble bearing or birth," from Latin nobilis "well-known, famous, renowned; excellent, superior, splendid; high-born, of superior birth," earlier *gnobilis, literally "knowable," from gnoscere "to come to know," from PIE root *gno- "to know" (see know). The prominent Roman families, which were "well known," provided most of the Republic's public officials. Meaning "distinguished by rank, title, or birth" is first recorded late 13c. Sense of "having lofty character, having high moral qualities" is from c. 1600

Source: Online Etymology Dictionary

 If we look at the earliest use of the word “noble” we find that around 1200 A.D. it was used to mean “illustrious, distinguished, worthy of honor or respect”. When we look at our leaders today, we might consider them “illustrious” due to being in the public eye. We may also consider them “distinguished” due to their many accomplishments. But “worthy of honor and respect” seems to be a tough one to swallow. The word “noble came to English from Old French which derived from the Latin “nobilis”, meaning “well-known, famous, renowned” and even further back from “gnobilis” from “gnoscere” derived from the Proto-Indo-European root “gno-“ meaning “to know” (the “g” being silent and also a phonemic pair with the letter “k”—thus, modern English’s “kno”). So originally to be “gnoble” or “noble” simply meant to be “known”. The ones who were “known” by everyone in the ancient Roman Republic were most often its public officials.

Later in the 13th century the additional meaning of “distinguished by rank, title, or birth” was first recorded. Thus, the word “noble” came to mean someone who was “well-known who was of high-rank, title, or birth.” These are the people who were looked up to and expected to rule, to create order, to protect and promote the common welfare or “commonweal” (commonwealth). Moreover, there is a connotation of “superior” but also of being “splendid.” In short, these were people one could look up to. Ideally, when they did promote the common good, they were “splendid” and admirable. However, when they began to use their position and power to secure wealth, land, and more simply for themselves, the “nobles” were looked on with disdain. Still, the past corruptions notwithstanding, the terms “noble” and “ennoble” have enjoyed a generally positive connotation within the modern day lexicon. These terms conjure up the idea of “doing the right thing”, being “educated”, and acting out of a “higher purpose” rather than out of narrow self-interest. I believe it is a re-birth, or renaissance, if you will, of this manner of nobility that our contemporary political arena would benefit by.

Noble Leadership in the U.S. Political System and the Presidential Elections of 2016

Vice President Joe Biden' Presidential Race Announcement

In his speech on October 21, 2015 announcing that he would not enter the 2016 Presidential race, Vice President Biden, while gracefully declaring that he would not be throwing his hat into the campaign ring, issued a clarion call for what is most needed--because it is most lacking--at this time in U.S. political culture:

I believe we have to end the divisive partisan politics that is ripping this country apart. And I think we can. It’s meanspirited. It’s petty. And it’s gone on for much too long. I don’t believe, like some do, that it’s naive to talk to Republicans. I don’t think we should look at Republicans as our enemies. They are our opposition; they’re not our enemies. And for the sake of the country, we have to work together.

As the president said many times, compromise is not a dirty word. Look at it this way, folks — how does this country function without consensus? How can we move forward without being able to arrive at consensus?

On the topic of “justice” he further stated:

I also believe we need to keep moving forward in the arc of this nation toward justice — the rights of the LGBT community, immigration reform, equal pay for women and protecting their safety from violence, rooting out institutional racism. At their core, every one of these things — every one of these things is about the same thing. It’s about equality. It’s about fairness. It’s about respect. As my dad used to say, it’s about affording every single person dignity. It’s not complicated. Every single one of these issues is about dignity.

And the ugly forces of hate and division, they won’t let up, but they do not represent the American people. They do not represent the heart of this country.

Kudos to VP Biden for demonstrating what Noble Leadership sounds like!