November 2009 Archive

As we approach Thanksgiving, let’s reflect on the value of gratitude.

The New York Times just published a review of Margaret Visser’s new book entitled:  “The Gift of Thanks-The Roots and Rituals of Gratitude.” She believes that gratitude is a moral emotion. For her it is not so much about the gift received but about the receiver’s “whole life, her character, up-bringing, maturity experience, relationships with others and also her ideals, including her idea of the sort of person she is or would like to be.” 

Gratitude leads to generosity. America is a generous nation. Institutions and individuals give more to others than any other country in the world. The concept of “giving back” is born out of the sense of gratitude. One may argue that there are fiscal incentives that encourage giving. But the very fact that those incentives were included in the tax code indicates that the legislators’ intent was to encourage giving.

Gratitude in the workplace can increase job satisfaction and foster loyalty, which in turn can reduce turnover and thus increase productivity and profitability.

One could ask how can we be grateful when facing so many personal and national problems, particularly at this time. It might be helpful to put our problems into a global perspective.  Someone said that more than  half of the people in this world would love to have……. our problems. That is very true.

We also take too much for granted. It is unfortunate that we often need to have something taken away from us to realized how blessed we were prior to loosing it. Many years ago, I fell extremely ill and the doctors in the ICU in Lausanne, Switzerland did not think I would make it.  I too thought that this was most likely the end my life on this earth. I discovered that it is possible to die with regrets. I had one regret: I realized that I had passed through life without really appreciating nature, the wind, sunshine, the rain, the forest and flowers. I wished I would be given a second chance, even if for just one day. Well, I was given many more than one day. That was 38 years ago! I have been, ever since, much more appreciative of nature and grateful for life.

Jean Baptiste Massieu, the French politician during the French Revolution once said:

“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” 

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the November 9^th 2009 issue of Time Magazine, Nancy Gibbs in her essay entitled the A Case for Modesty in an Age of Arrogance  makes a good case for the value of humility. She believes that the immodesty of those who “claimed to Know it All have Wiped Us Out.”

We can safely assert that the absence of humility or arrogance played a significant role in the recent collapse of major financial institutions.

Humility has not been a highly-priced value in corporate America. It is often seen as a sign of weakness.

We should take a second look at humility. 

Below are a few of it its attributes: 

• Humility is in fact a realistic attitude.

We know we are never truly the best. We know we are not always right and that we make mistakes. People around us know it too, yet we try to pretend otherwise. 

• Humility should not be confused with low self-esteem.

Rabbi Abraham Twerski, a professor of psychiatry and author, says that being humble means having an accurate sense of self and that is crucial to a healthy self-esteem. 

• Humility also allows us to have an open mind.

It allows us to respect and value the ideas of others as opposed to “blind” arrogance, which only allow us to see ourselves. 

• Humility allows us to laugh at ourselves.

It is an excellent indicator of good mental health. People that think too highly of themselves rarely have a good sense of humor.  Someone said that a “big shot” is only a “small shot” long away from home!  

• Humility is a great asset in leadership.

Gandhi, who led India to independence and Nelson Mandela who led South Africa out of Apartheid were known for their humility.  It is said that Moses, one of the greatest leaders of all times, was “the most humble man on the face of the Earth.” 

• Humility does not negate strong will power.

In his book “Good to Great” Jim Collins makes the point that companies that have outperformed their competitors were often led by individuals that had both strong personal humility and intense perseverance to reach their goals.

Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of the U.K. once wrote:

“Humility — true humility — is one of the most expansive and life-enhancing of all virtues. It does not mean undervaluing yourself. It means valuing other people. It signals a certain openness to life’s grandeur and the willingness to be surprised, uplifted, by goodness wherever one finds it.”

Last week we heard about the two pilots from Northwest Airlines who simply forgot to land in Minneapolis. They overshot their destination by 150 miles. It is not exactly clear as to what happened and why they maintained radio silence for an hour and a half not responding to radio calls from ground control. National Guards planes were ready to take off to intercept the airplane should it be a hijacking. When finally one of the pilots radioed ground controlled he said: “We got distracted.”

There were a number of rumors has to what happened. Some reports claimed that the pilot and co-pilot were in a heated argument, others reports claimed that both were sound asleep. Neither one of these explanations is reassuring for travelers! The explanation the pilots gave the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is that both pilots has lost tract of time while discussing new flight schedules. (Time did fly!).” Northwest suspended both pilots and then the FAA revoked their licenses. It was later revealed that they both had logged on their laptops. The investigation continues, but we can safely assume that the pilots were indeed distracted, we just don’t know exactly by what.

We are all prone to distractions. Some people are more inclined to be distracted than others, such as the “absent-minded professor” type. Consequences to distraction can be insignificant or disastreous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 80% of crashes are due to some form of driver distraction. Harvard University study revealed that cell phone distraction causes 200 deaths and 500,000 injuries each year.

How can we minimize distractions? 

1. We have to be aware that we can all be distracted at one point or another and therefore exercise caution.

2. We should think about the possible consequences of distractions.

3. We should remember that sometimes distraction occurs not necessarily when our minds are rambling but when we think or concentrate about what is to come next instead of what is now. Thinking about the immediate future rather than the current present.

In some way we are all pilots. We may hold in our hands, in certain circumstances, the destiny of those who depend on us and who can be impacted by our distractions and their consequences. Responsibility, an important value in ethics, is the best antidote to distraction.

Christopher Columbus, a great navigator once said:

 ”By prevailing over all obstacle and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at the chosen goal or destination. “