KE ALAKA'I - LEADERSHIP

Pocket wisdom: The sage who really knows himself never shows himself off to his people-loves himself, without false pride-discards the mask, and wears his true face. Life, all life, began without words. Life is made and no one owns it. The Tao is neither proud, nor selfish. It is graceful and generous in what it does without claiming merit. The sage's greatness lies in taking no credit but just being. - Tao Te Ching

Webster's Dictionary defines leadership as "the position or guidance of a leader; the ability to lead." A leader is defined as "a person who leads; directing, commanding or guiding." But leadership requires more than merely being a leader; it is much more than that. Ke alaka'i translated means literally to be a leader. When one delves deeper, it means one who shares knowledge to help others-body, mind and spirit-dedicating themselves to teaching the four levels of leadership with the intent to assist others who can do nothing for you. It is a selfless journey, one with much mana mana'o (spiritual and wise thought processing). It is a way of life. It is what my Na Kupuna taught me.

Leadership involves entering the realm of the unknown and making decisions that others won't want to. It is staying on mission and planning your work, then working your plan.

Who You Are

Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.
- Thomas J. Watson

The foundation of leadership lies with "who you are" as opposed to "what you do." There is a difference. What you or your company stand for is your signature. A strong foundation will assure you of the best chance for success, no matter what the goal, as an individual or as a company. We do not raise a house without a strong, firm foundation for it to rest on. And we all learn (eventually) that putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg is insufficient treatment for healing. We should not build our professional or personal foundation with the equivalent of a Band-Aid. In the Orient, there is a saying: "A home without a mother is a home without a foundation. Without a father, the home is without a roof." One needs both foundation and roof to promote not only balance but the best chance of success as Ohana. Ohana means family, yet when you seek more deeply you find that it means lending of/gathering of strength, bonds of love/loyalty, direction, and purpose, the essence of who we are-family. Ke kupono, integrity, is the cornerstone of one's foundation.

Leaders must be true to themselves. What does that mean? It means self-awareness. It means getting in touch with personal values, beliefs, goals, strengths, weaknesses, commitment, courage, attitudes, diligence, and how you see and handle failure or success. Once you identify them, they become the foundation of your behavior and how you will build a firm future. A person maintains his or her lessons when they are true to themselves; they are an "I am person." When all the smoke clears, everything begins and ends with you. Meaning, you must decide. This is positive attitude time, people!

I live my value system, and I believe were it to be compromised, ever, it would be the unmaking of who I am . . . me, Nani Linder. Never, never, never compromise your principles, for this begins your road to self-destruction. I live my culture; I live who I am-anything else would be hypocritical. In our Chinese philosophy we do what we must because it is our job. We may not always like it, but energy is wasted grumbling about what must be completed. Is it not simpler to complete the task and rest, rather than complicate the mind, ruin the digestion, and create ulcers about a task that must be done anyway. If you think you can or can't, you are right. What we feed our inner self becomes reality. Our philosophy of life goes something like this, "If I don't have enough to eat today, I'd better work harder and smarter tomorrow."

The following information will help you build your foundation. But it is up to the individual to put the principles of leadership and living into action with drive and positive attitude. A teacher, coach, or mentor can guide someone to water, but the individual needs to choose whether to drink. We will guide you with the wisdom of our na Kupuna, who taught us our Hawaiian and Asian values of Ka Hanohano (dignity), Ke kupono (integrity), Ka ha'aha'a (humility), Ke alaka'i (leadership), Ko ho omana (spirituality), Ke aloha (alo-sharing, oha-joyous, ha-breath of life), for Hawaiians this is our way of life, and always the 4th R-responsibility. We slay dragons of fear by facing them head on.

Komo Mai (come inside).