Leadership
A Timeless Advice From A Guru To All Leaders
“The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding” — The Kybalion.”
Whenever two or more people come together, the natural conflict for power starts immediately, either consciously or unconsciously. Some people are not interested in leading others and instead focus on themselves and their inner circle. On the contrary, some seek power to satisfy their burning passions and desires or help, aid, and assist others for the greater good of all. No matter what the intention is, many leaders jump into authority without enough training and experience. Like the multi-disciplinary education of the prince and princesses of the past, even great training does not guarantee success in leadership unless you have a good character, a vision, and a compass.
The founder of the Ottoman Empire, one of the biggest empires in world history that ruled Anatolia, the Middle-East, East Africa, and South-Eastern Europe from 1299 B.C. to 1923 B.C., Osman Bey, was a lucky emperor not only because of this great theoretical and hands-on education but also due to his wise master, Edebali.
Look at the wise words he spelled to the young emperor when he founded the state that would soon be one of the biggest and strongest empires of the world.
O my son! Now you are king!
From now on, wrath is for us; for you, calmness!
For us to be offended; for you to please!
For us to accuse; for you to endure!
For us, helplessness and error; for you, tolerance!
For us, quarrel; for you, justice!
For us, envy, rumor, slander; for you, forgiveness!
O my son!
From now on, it is for us to divide; for you to unite!
For us, sloth; for you, warning and encouragement!
O my son!
Be patient, a flower does not bloom before its time. Never forget: Let man flourish, and the state will also flourish!
O my son!
Your burden is heavy, your task hard, your power hangs on a hair! May God be your helper!
Ottoman Empire was based on Sufi principles and fostered freedom of belief, diversity, inclusion, and belonging even for foreigners, which was exceptional for their period. For several centuries, all emperors had a mentor from a Sufi background that became their moral and spiritual compass.
Many emperors and kings used to have mentors in the past. If you had a great mentor, it would make a significant difference in your life as a leader and help you succeed faster. The challenge for those strong, fierce, and valiant kings of the past with their huge authority and power was most probably being able to listen to someone speaking the truth to their faces. This tough task could end for many with immediate death or exile if the truth was painful to the king or was shared in an untimely manner.
Aristotle was the mentor of Alexander the Great. Even during his endless quest to conquer new territories, the well-known young king exchanged letters with him.
Osman bey was lucky to have Edebali beside him. Edebali helped him develop and grow the new empire with a key role in the empire until he died in his 120th age, according to the archives. Edebali was a Sufi master who was considered an enlightened or an ascended master and helped the young Ottoman Emperor lead by virtues and defeats his ego as he grew stronger. That tradition would raise wise leaders in the next generations to rule a multi-cultural empire in one of the world’s toughest regions.
Here are the learnings from this article.
- surround yourself with people wiser than you because your future is as strong as the 5 people in your inner circle,
- no one can know and find all the solutions alone. Therefore, ask for their opinions when you need them,
- know how to face the hard truth no matter how much truth hurts,
- don’t break those mirrors who show your inner world to your mortal eyes. Instead, listen like an apprentice, and hear the invisible messages of life,
- find role models that you can learn from. Learn from them and adapt their skills,
With love,
Kenan