Jack Kornfield gives a talk on inspired leadership, drawing on leaders such as the King of Thailand and George Washington.
What is inspired leadership? Jack Kornfield discusses this topic, exploring both inner leadership and outer leadership throughout the duration of the talk. He opens with a suggestion of what we might call wise leadership. In the example he offers, he shares how the King of Thailand takes vows “to act with compassion towards all beings and all of life, and to do so for the benefit and the awakening of all.”
Harnessing Inner Leadership
Kornfield explains that to become our own leader means to become ‘the one who knows.’ We shift from a small sense of self (identification with mind and fear) to a more expansive sense of self rooted in the heart. As we shift our attention and values in this way, generosity, truthfulness, honesty, equanimity, and good will (among other qualities) blossom.
These qualities are not always nourished in busy, modern society, but as we take the time to explore our own mindfulness practice through a variety of mindfulness exercises, we start to gain a sense of what it really means to embody inspired leadership.
Strengthening Our Practice
With infinite distractions and activities around us, it can be challenging to really harness this inner sense of leadership. A daily mindfulness practice may help. If you are interested in making mindfulness a part of your everyday life, you can join the free 28-Day Mindfulness Challenge to build that daily practice.
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