[October 17, 2018] Yesterday I was speaking with a medically-discharged soldier who had received horrible wounds in Afghanistan. He told me that he survives his awful wounds because of his belief in the principles espoused by the Dalai Lama. Those who can carry on after such traumatic events are only those who find a deep spiritual faith within themselves.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has campaigned tirelessly for peace, nonviolence, democracy, and reconciliation, especially among world religions. Winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, he radiates charisma.
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.” – Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people
While working on this article, I re-read other profiles of great leaders; those from the ancient world and those who are practicing leaders today. I discovered that the profile I had written for Pope John Paul II was not that much different. Here are the Dalai Lama’s main leadership characteristics:
- Highly sympathetic
- Visionary
- Sensitive, compassionate, and imaginative
- Strives for inner peace
- Proactive
- Opposes the use of violence
- Advocates peaceful solutions based on tolerance and mutual respect
- Deeply believes that the purpose of life is to be happy
The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader in the true sense. And, he uses all methods of communicating with his Tibetan countrymen and with the world. You can find him on Twitter (link here), on his website (link here), and Facebook (link here). He has millions of followers, not because he is a spiritual man (which he is) but because he exudes a personality that attracts people to him.
He fled Tibet during the 1959 Tibetan uprising when China cracked down upon the country. As part of his goal to communicate with as many people as possible to spread the message of nonviolence and inner peace, the Dalai Lama travels the world to speak about Buddhism and science, peace, interfaith dialogue, and various topics on Tibet and religious teachings.1
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Some that I recommend for future profiles:
Julius Caesar
Franklin D Roosevelt
Guru Gobind Singh
Joan of Arc
Emperor Trajan
I would also recommend Elizabeth I of England (1533 – 1603).
Red Cloud, Cochise, Squanto, Crazy Horse, Pontiac, Geronimo, Sitting Bull, and Black Hawk. Any of these American Indian Chiefs should garner a lot of attention.
The best one you’ve done so far is Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The whole series, however, is extremely valuable. I use these to teach my students and football players the value of studying great people.
Mr Asper, good point here. I too use these profiles but to encourage myself to do better. It is always best if you know what you are striving for. In this case there are certain leader characteristics that I value and try to emulate them.
Well done today.
Good article today, (¬‿¬)
Great series on leader profiles (the good and the bad).
🙂
I agree. I look forward to who Gen. Satterfield will pick next.
You were right to put “highly sympathetic” at the top of the list. This man truly believes that every human has great spiritual meaning. That is why he is so adamant about no war no violence.
The Dalai Lama has a leadership style that can be easily distinguished from those in the military or corporate America. I do see the great value in what he does and how he leads.
Good article on the Dalai Lama. I do like these profiles. Perhaps some day you can put together the more common traits so we can look at them as a whole.
Great suggestion.
I second that suggestion.
That is a very good idea.
Nicely done on the profile. I do see how his traits follow the leaders you’ve given us here. Thank you.
Yeah! I agree. Cheers from Australia!
Good to see you’re still reading Gen. Satterfield’s blog, Joey!