One of the keys to happiness and success is to find an important cause to which you can dedicate your life, according to leadership guru Robin Sharma.
Robin Sharma: Author and leadership guru
Sharma, author of 11 international bestselling books, including The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, gave insights and advice for youths at Qatar University’s College of Law yesterday, telling the audience how they can be leaders regardless of official title, authority or social status.
“Leadership is about what you do when no one is watching,” said Sharma. “Anyone can be ethical when all eyes are upon them, anyone can be excellent when your family or friends or your business peers are watching. The true test of you as a leader ... is how ethical, passionate and engaged you are when you are the only person in the room.”
Sharma said that living in service to a greater cause, in service to mankind, is a sure way to find happiness and contentment in your life. “At the end of your life you have to be able to answer the critical questions about who did you help, how many lives did you touch, and did you leave the earth better than you found it,” said Sharma.
He said that one should not use income or material wealth as a determinant of success.
“Research has shown that people making $10mn a year are only incrementally happier than blue-collar workers,” said Sharma. “Measure success by the value you create, by the difference you make in the world.”
Sharma is a leadership consultant for major international corporations, and the advice he gave to Qatar’s youth was of significance not only on a personal level but also to success in business.
While humility is an important trait, it is also crucial to be ethical. In the past, business often followed the ethos that “greed is good”. “In business 2.0, the new way of doing business, generosity is good. When you go out and build your business, your reputation, your career, please don’t doubt the value of giving your customers 10 times more value than they expected. Please don’t doubt the value of being the most honest person you know. Please don’t doubt the value of kindness. Please don’t doubt the value of honour. These are some values that we know in our hearts are great values, but sometimes we doubt whether we can win by these values. And sometimes it takes a little longer when you live by these values, but ultimately what makes a great business or great career is sustainability. You can be successful for a year or two, but for me the big question is can you be successful for the course of a career.”
He said that what makes a great company is not whether or not it can be successful for three years, but can it be successful for generations.
For graduates who are about to begin their career, Sharma said that “you are paid not just to work, but you are paid to be scared. As a leader you are paid to be frightened - running away from the things that make you feel uncomfortable is running away from your growth. It’s running away from your freedom. Doing the things that make you feel uncomfortable gives you more power.”
Sharma added: “The thing you’re most frightened to do represents your greatest opportunity. Victims are frightened by change, leaders are inspired by change. As you grow and confront your fears and become more powerful, people will ridicule you. If you’re not being laughed at or ridiculed at least once every seven days, you’re not dreaming big enough. You can tell that you are expressing the fullness of your genius by the fact that the world around you is criticising.”
He also had words of warning to those who find success. “Success can be very dangerous, nothing fails like success,” said Sharma. “A lot of companies are running into trouble right now because they fell in love with their winning formula. When you become successful, don’t fall in love with your success because the moment you start believing your own press clippings is the moment is the beginning of the end. Never lose the beginner’s mindset, humility is not just good manners – humility and integrity is challenging yourself.”
In response to a question about how one should change the attitudes of others, Sharma echoed the words of Mahatma Gandhi, saying that one should “be the change you want to see in the world.”