How to Expose yourself to Cutral Influences as a Leader

A few decades ago, Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Maharaj-ji, is a well-known guru who inspired Steve Jobs’ friends Larry Brilliant and Robert Friedland as well as other searchers. Steve Jobs reportedly travelled to India in the hopes of meeting Maharaj-ji. To Steve’s abiding regret, Maharaj-ji passed away just before he arrived. As scattershot as the quest of many young people seeking a wider perspective than the one they were given as children, Steve’s time in India was fragmented. He went to a religious gathering where ten million other pilgrims also attended. He ate odd foods, wore flowing cotton robes, and got his head shaved by an enigmatic guru. Dysentery struck him. Life is sometimes compared as an ever-changing river in Buddhist philosophy. It seems as though everything and everyone is perpetually changing and evolving. Perfection is a goal that can never truly be realized in this worldview, and it is also a process that is ongoing. That kind of concept would eventually fit Steve’s meticulous personality. One thing Steve Jobs did in then 1970s was considered seeking a paradigm shifts. Our childhood cutral influences, impact most of the values we have, which in end can impact the decisions we make as leaders. There is a reason why you see Jack Ma talk about rivers in Chinese tradition, but discusses both America’s and China’s role in the world from both perspectives. Obama stated in a speech that “ There isn’t the red state or blue states, their is only the United States of America”. So these questions are determined by our cutral infelunces, but how do we exposw ourself to more cutral infleunces in order to lead companies, orgnozaitons and nations to another level.

Live in a place in a differnt culture.

On the Sioux Lakota reserve, Phil had life-altering experiences that greatly altered the direction of his life. During nearly ten years of playing for the Knicks and then the New Jersey Nets, Phil used his Lakota teachings to coaching a few of the NBA’s top teams.

Look at mutiple news channels.

Watch both CNN AND Fox, you will see that their is miscommunication in both channels, both facts and opinions are miscommunicated. Some factsa are wrong, but studies do show it is not the facts, it is mostyl the opinion that is causing a huge backlash. It is important to have a backbone and support the party of your choice, that is a democratic right, but it is also a reasonability that you look at other’s views.

Visit Different countries

This one is obvious, but going to different country and looking at the food, arts and philosophy will make a huge difference, if you don’t have the money, visit a close neighborhood you ahve never visited, a city that you have never visited, or maybe a friend's house of a different culture that you have never visited.

In end thank you for staying until the end, you are already ahead of most the leaders in this space. If you would like comment below on paradighm shifts you’ve had and one of the above that you consider doing.

“People don’t judge you by your beliefs, they judge you by your behavior.”

Amit Kalantri, Wealth of Words