The Wisdom Of The Flower

Posted on May 10, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.

Leading From A Healthy “Center”

In our busy world, too often individuals, as well as leaders, loose contact with the source of their existence and become strangers to their own self.  We tend to run around trying to solve the problems of our world while anxiously avoiding confronting that reality where many of our problems find their deepest roots: in our own selves.

In many ways, we are like that busy person who walked up to a flower and said: “What are you doing here?  Can’t you get busy in some way?” – and then finds himself unable to understand the flower’s confident response: “I am sorry sir, but I am just here to be beautiful.”

Effective leaders take regular time to re-center themselves emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.  For a life without a strong, yet “quiet center”, can easily start to become destructive – for we can start to believe that what we “

do

” creates our identity, not who we “

are

.” Without a strong and healthy “center” our words can quickly loose their meaning, our speaking no longer provide meaningful direction, and authentic closeness with others not occur.

The wise leader regularly takes time to disengage for times of quiet reflection.  From this posture of thoughtful solitude, a leader can carefully rebalance their silence and words, withdrawal and involvement, distance and closeness, solitude and community.

Gentleness, wisdom, prospective, life-balance, and inner freedom are nurtured in solitude. Thus times of reflective solitude should be the subject of a leader’s most personal attention.

CHALLENGE

: Lets keep returning to our “center” by returning to times of solitude – returning to the wisdom of the flower – nurturing the truth that our “being” is more important than our “doing.”