HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW - Leaders have a strong impact on people's lives and on how the world develops. Today, the world seems to be facing an emotional crisis. Rates of stress, anxiety, and depression are higher than ever. I consider our tendency to see each other in terms of "us" and "them" as stemming from ignorance of our interdependence. As human beings, we are physically, mentally, and emotionally the same. Despite our many extraordinary qualities, we seem less able to cooperate. Our strong focus on material development and accumulating wealth has led us to neglect our basic human need for kindness and care. {We must} reinstate a commitment to the oneness of humanity and altruism toward our brothers and sisters.
What can leaders do?
- Be mindful - Cultivate peace of mind. Tackle destructive emotions like anger and attachment, fear and anxiety. Warmheartedness, boosts our self-confidence. Compassion reduces fear. This, not money and power, is what really attracts friends.
- Be selfless - We are naturally driven by self-interest; it's necessary to survive. But we need wise self-interest that is generous and cooperative, taking others' interests into account. Once you have a genuine sense of concern for others, there's no room for cheating, bullying, or exploitation.
- Be compassionate - The ultimate source of a happy life is warmheartedness. Compassion can be combined with intelligence and can be taught and learned. Actions motivated by anger and greed tend to be violent, whereas those motivated by compassion and concern for others are generally peaceful.
Mark Brooks: The work we do in the dating and online social communities industries is incredibly impactful. We are in a position to set cultures (within our communities), renew norms of good behavior, and nudge people into more holistic states of happiness by engineering more and deeper connection. Please comment on this Swellcast. We'd love to hear your thoughts.
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