Financial Times

Ideas have legs, let's make them walk
By Random Access memory (RAM)
It was almost hilarious to hear a senior government minister crying out that it is time to have a citizen's movement in place. We always thought that governments were meant to be citizen's movements driving the agenda of the people and the nation. The call for a citizen's movement has been made by groups of like-minded people (LMPs) from among the ordinary citizenry, because there is a definite failure on the part of the political 'leadership' on this front.

It is important that the learned minister takes a second glance at this issue, placing it in its proper professional perspective. But then, the political bickering goes on and on and the inconsistencies, accusations and counter accusations get hurled back and forth from the burners on the stoves of those in power.

Since most professionals and business leaders in Sri Lanka tend to turn to western models, concepts and ideas of management for emulation, RAM thought it apt to first seek a rationale for what's happening around us, using some of these very models. Two of them seem to fit the equation best.

The first is the groundbreaking book by Daniel Goleman, the Harvard don and columnist of the 'New York Times' that claimed to redefine intelligence and success in life and business titled 'Emotional Intelligence'. The book first appeared in 1996.

The concept purported was that our view of human intelligence was far too narrow, and that our emotions played a much greater role in thought, decision-making and individual success than is commonly acknowledged.

Our current plight of deadlocks and impasses can be rationalised to be a lack of application perhaps of both emotional and human intelligence. The other is the work of Deepak Chopra, the US based guru of alternative management techniques of Indian origin, who successfully built an empire of a consultancy practice out of dealing with one's inner-self and develop self-realisation as a rational practice for achieving success in the world of corporate business.

He has helped many global corporations take a good look in the mirror, utilising teachings of ancient Indian gurus including heavy doses of the Buddha's words, combining that wisdom with modern management practices.

The lesson taught earlier this week by Sarvodaya leader Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne to the business professional and other social leaders at a meeting of the Joint Business Forum (J-BIZ) is indeed similar and coming from a local community activist and leader, who is not a management consultant claiming a fat fee, is commendable.

The message given and focussed on intelligent minds of those in the business community was that there is a need to resolve issues we face first by looking inwards at ourselves. How can we expect others to act in unity and in consensual ways, when we ourselves are in disunity, disarray and in conflict? He is reported to have asked.

While a three-minute meditation session, can in no way get us to achieve this objective, the intent perhaps was to seek a beginning for a way forward or for paving a road ahead. The process of self-awakening for most of us may mean a hard road ahead.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as practised by most today through good deeds of giving hand-outs to the poor and holding top positions on charitable organisations only serve to satisfy our own needs of feeling good and perhaps win awards given by global corporate CSR entities.

Blind following of irrational political leadership, depending on political goodwill for business success and not making our normal and emotional intelligence work well for us may need to end, if the business community is to contribute effectively to the nation building process.

Thinking 'out of the box' may well be the need of the day. A good beginning may be collective sessions of meditation and assertive action, first to look inwards and then radiate those positive energies to develop a true sense of corporate social responsibility for achieving national reconciliation, peace and development.

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