John O’Donahue’s blessing, “For a Leader”, evokes the essence of great leadership as it emerges from the qualities and insights of self-leadership.
“May you work on yourself
Building up and refining the ways of your mind.
May those who work for you know
You see and respect them.
May you learn to cultivate the art of presence
In order to engage with those who meet you.”
Great leadership is a whole mind, whole body experience that listens, encourages, challenges, and inspires. The crystalline precision of O’Donahue’s words allows for no excuse or escape from his portrayal of genuine leadership:
“May you know the wisdom of deep listening,
The healing of wholesome words,
The encouragement of the appreciative gaze,
The decorum of held dignity,
The springtime edge of the bleak question.
May you have a mind that loves frontiers
So that you can evoke the bright fields
That lie beyond the view of the regular eye.”
Discover and absorb the spirit and wisdom of the whole poem.
