Soul's Wisdom

When Nelson Mandela died, the world mourned not just a leader, but a living testament to an almost unnatural truth:  forgiveness is the purest form of strength . His life forced us to confront a paradox— that in leadership, as in life, reconciliation heals what power cannot touch.      We know this truth abstractly. As professionals, parents, and peers, we’ve witnessed how instinctively we recoil from forgiveness when harmed. Even those raised in faith traditions that enshrine mercy as divine struggle to embody it. Why? Because forgiveness  isn’t  natural. When wronged by individuals, institutions, or systems, our primal reflex is retribution—a hunger to make the "prey" suffer as we suffered. Yet Mandela’s torment—27 years imprisoned, his people broken—reveals the inverse logic of true leadership:  Excellence emerges not in wielding power, but in relinquishing the right to wield it against those who deserve it least . This is the golden nugget of...

The Unmeasured Metric: Why Honor Outlives Profit At a recent roundtable, I watched a CEO eviscerate his manager: “I know you tried your best. But your best wasn’t good enough—it bore no fruit.” His careful phrasing and coiled posture betrayed contempt. Beneath the words lay an indictment:  You failed to deliver profits, even if it required cutting corners. Your integrity is worthless without revenue. This moment crystallizes a modern leadership crisis. We claim to revere leaders who weather storms and scale summits—yet we discard them when they stumble honorably. Why do we applaud "discernible outcomes" but ignore the  moral infrastructure  required to achieve them? Why, in an era obsessed with ostentatious gains, has truthfulness become optional? I understand that leaders must create economic value. But pragmatism reveals a harder truth:  The straight path doesn’t always lead to profit . Sometimes markets shift. Sometimes ethics constrain. Sometimes luck e...

Why Constant Hustle Is Crippling Your Impact and How to Fix It Most leadership literature obsesses over  doing : charismatic traits, decisive actions, visionary goals. But virtually none addresses the  essential art of strategic disengagement —the deliberate pauses that transform pressure into wisdom. Consider the relentless demands heaped on leaders: ·          Strategic:  Setting long-range visions, exploiting new markets, aligning teams ·          Operational:  Digesting daily briefings, making swift high-stakes decisions ·          Psychological:  Bearing the weight of expectations (often with fewer resources) No wonder studies reveal plummeting confidence in CEOs. No wonder strategic roles go unfilled for years. When leaders become "eternal action figures" (as Joe Robinson warns),  they cease to lead—they react . The S...

The mark of exceptional leadership isn’t choosing between these forces—but mastering their dance. We glorify competition in business, yet overlook its quieter twin:  complementarity . Though seemingly divergent, these "Two C’s" are hallmarks of visionary leadership when balanced artfully. The Virtue of  Positive  Competition True competition isn’t about deceit or ethical compromise. At its best, it: ·          Ignites excellence  by rewarding teams who push boundaries ·          Uncovers hidden leaders  through meritocratic recognition ·          Elevates entire industries  as rivals innovate to capture markets As Dr. T.P. Chia observed: “We live in a world competitive in spirit and action. We pay a heavy price for being uncompetitive.” Without healthy rivalry, customers settle for mediocrity. Innovation stagnates. Prof...

When I think of leadership, the first image that comes to mind is the biblical illustration of the shepherd and his sheep—a timeless metaphor for the relationship between leaders and followers. It wasn’t just about giving direction or exercising control; it was about intimacy, connection, and responsibility. The shepherd knew each sheep by name, spoke to them gently, and even patted them on the head each evening to soothe them. He didn’t lead from afar or through impersonal systems—if such systems even existed then. He led by staying close, observant, and engaged. That closeness wasn’t sentimental fluff—it was strategic. Shepherds achieved their purpose not through dominance, but through presence, trust, and vulnerability. And I can’t help but ask: why can’t we revive that model of leadership today? Of course, a modern leader literally patting employees on the head would be wildly inappropriate. But surely the essence still holds. Shouldn’t today’s leaders aim to build the kind of tru...

According to Dictionary.com , attitude is defined as a manner, disposition, feeling, or position with regard to a person or thing; a tendency or orientation, especially of the mind. In simpler terms, it’s the way we mentally position ourselves toward people, situations, and goals —and I believe that orientation is one of the most powerful forces shaping our lives. When I choose to believe that I can accomplish a task—even one filled with setbacks and uncertainty—that mindset alone becomes a foundation for success. It may not happen overnight. It may even take longer than I hoped. But perseverance that springs from a strong, determined attitude eventually opens the path forward. When my attitude says “I can” , challenges lose their power to derail me. Obstacles become tools that shape me, not stop me. But when I approach that same challenge with doubt—when my inner voice whispers “I’m not enough” —I’ve already placed limits on myself. A negative mindset is often a quiet form of s...