Hanieh - Capitalism and Class in the Gulf Arab States

I continue to explore literature that will help me understand the dynamics of work in Qatar and the Arabian Gulf. This is out of my own curiosity plus a desire to find reading that will help other colleagues who come here to adjust, serve, and thrive. Adam Hanieh’s Capitalism and Class in the Gulf Arab States (2011) is my new nomination for essential reading. The book provides thick and detailed description of the historical background that preceded the establishment of the Gulf Sheikdoms and the political and economic conditions that shaped their founding and now their growing influence around the world. Reading Hanieh’s analysis and the implications they have for those who work in GCC countries, as well as others around the world, will result in a much more informed way of relating to the region. The book has many, many details that are far beyond comment in this post. I will offer a couple of enticements…


Let me begin by referencing a very important point of how the Gulf region emerged as it has. The Arabian Gulf has been deeply shaped by Western influences. The Brits shaped Gulf dynamics by pursuing policies to “divide-and-rule through a series of treaties signed with all the Gulf sheikhdoms from 1820-1945” (p. 6) which forbid the Sheiks “from entering negotiations with any foreign power other than the British, and preventing them from building up their naval power.” “Through the treaties, Britain blocked any move toward internal unity between the seven sheikhdoms, which were unable to negotiate with each other without British mediation,… setting themselves (i.e. Britain) up as an external referent and power broker.” (p.7) After British economic and military decline in the 1960s and 1970s, the United States began a gradual process of influencing the Gulf by offering alternative military protection and by nurturing business partnerships through exploration for, and eventual extraction of, oil and gas (p. 53). The British are still very present in the Gulf but the U.S.A. has gained in force as it emerged as the largest economy and consumer of petroleum products. The irony is that, as prosperity in the Gulf increased and as Americans sought ever greater luxury in an overly optimistic and indebted economy, Saudi Arabia in particular became one of the U.S.A.’s most significant investors and a securer of growing debt burden. The economic symbiosis between the U.S.A. and Gulf states must be recognized in order to understand that in the long run the Gulf states are really very dependable supporters of economic, and sometimes foreign, policy of the U.S.A. (pp. 44-45). There are differences to be sure but the long-term economic benefit of all depends on maintaining a relationship.

Another very important point that Hanieh makes is that the Gulf states are “rentier” economies and political entities. By in large, the Gulf fortunes are tied to its natural resources instead of to any meaningful production. The vast amount of wealth accumulated by the governments is not derived from taxes or any other revenue sources other than fees paid to exploit its natural resources. And, because the governments are controlled by monarchs, the petrodollars that come to the government are distributed to the citizens in ways to make sure that loyalty to the government is protected, even though the distribution of wealth is uneven and favors elites who are employed in government or construction/merchant industries. Then is it any surprise that one of the best ways to continue the economic benefit to the region, in addition to wealth coming from oil/gas revenues, is by continuing to expand major construction projects and to foster a consumerist environment where “shopping” is truly the local pastime and major form of entertainment?

In addition to offering robust individual wealth to support consumerism among Gulf residents, the exploding economy of the region has given rise to both individual and governmental investment in many other credit-worthy places around the world. McKinsey Global estimates, “the value of foreign assets held by the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) could increase by 77 percent to around the $3.8 trillion range if oil prices remain at the $70 level of early 2010… If oil rises to around $100 by 2013 and there is a stronger global recovery, GCC foreign assets could reach $5.7 trillion, an increase of over 160 percent from 2008 levels and exceeding China’s foreign assets by around $1 trillion” (p. 182). In other words, while China may have the largest population, financing of the world economy will come equally or more from the Arabian Gulf. The relations between Gulf states and East Asia are also important in trade and human dynamics. Asia is becoming ever more important as consumers (i.e. Japan and other’s growing dependence on liquid natural gas coming from Qatar) and they are also capturing an increasing share of construction projects (i.e. South Korean firms won a quarter of all projects in the Middle East in 2008, p. 183). While big contracts flow from the GCC to the East, cheap labor flows from poorer Southeast Asian countries to the GCC in profound and sometimes erratic ways. Prior to the 2008 global economic crisis, 85 percent of the Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan and 60 percent of Filipino overseas workers were placed in the GCC. When the GCC economies contracted, one of the easiest ways to trim was to “transfer the worst impacts of the crisis onto migrant labor and – by extension – the surrounding region” (p. 178) by sending hundreds of thousands of these workers back to their native countries. The result was increasing unemployment in Southeast Asia and the evaporation of the monthly remittances for families in these countries. As trade, consumer, and natural resource exchange evolves in Asia, Hanieh predicts that the GCC will perhaps become the “nodal point linking East and West” as they “work to provide the necessary flows of energy to all sectors of the global economy” (p. 185).

Both the good and bad news is that the relationship between GCC states and the U.S.A. in both economic and military terms seems unlikely to shift in any fundamental ways in the immediate future. It is clear, however, that China (as well as Russia) may exploit conflicts in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Palestine (p. 186) in order to undermine U.S. hegemony. This is all too graphically demonstrated in the current crisis in Syria that has emerged subsequent to the publication of Hanieh’s book. The point is that the role the U.S.A. chooses to play in every one of these countries could tip the scale to the East. My own perspective is that the economic, educational, and cultural ties that the U.S.A. is fostering are equally as important as previous military ties and that, indeed, the military involvement must become ever more subtle and nuanced.

My purpose in this post is very practical and straight-forward. The dynamics described by Hanieh don’t necessarily make me happy or more comfortable. Understanding that the political and economic conditions that we face today are the result of generations of politicians and business people who set this stage is crucial if we are to escape the naïve finger-pointing, accusations, and retrenchment that some of the pundits advocate. The U.S.A, U.K, and GCC are part of globalized systems that cannot be put back into the box. Although not everything is to our liking as “Westerners,” it would pay to look at the current circumstances more fully and that a multitude of strategies be placed on the table to work through to a positive end. Marginalization and criticism must be replaced with compassion that sees the broader, and sometimes peripheral, perspectives of others. And something more than power, whether economic or military, has to be contemplated in the solutions we consider.

Leadership in times of anarchy - Esther Lloyd Jones

My dear colleague Susan Komives is in the process of sorting through her files and periodically sends me pieces in which she knows I would have interest.  The latest was a scanned copy of a mimeographed speech Dr. Esther Lloyd-Jones delivered to the Florida College Personnel Association in the Fall of 1967.  The title was "Morality:  New? The Same? Changing," the text covering a variety of issues related to the emerging student unrest that was sweeping U.S.A. campuses as a result of civil rights, the Viet Nam War, and the infamous hippy generation.

Esther's speaking and writing frequently advocated the importance of community as an essential part of students' university experience.  This dedication to community stood in contrast to the rising influence of individual psychology and the profound impact of specialization in scholarly communities.  And, the ideas ring as true in today's contentious political and academic settings as I suspect they did in 1967:

We dare not let moral anarchy develop further, but no one great leader is going to emerge today to give us the answers.  The only way out that I can see is to develop a great concerned, informed disciplined center – a center made up of those who have cultivated their understanding about the moral problems that beset us – a center made up of younger and older human beings all working together to analyze, understand, reach decisions, and act in concert.  A center willing to listen to dissenters.

Moral anarchy - what's that?  Is it a time when the perceived moral imperatives of various splinter groups result in the crumbling of any sense of shared destiny?  Is it a place where protectionism has begun to trump the general welfare of others and society in general?

Perhaps "moral anarchy" sounds too strident an alarm, especially when some would prefer to think of simply an age that has become very, very complicated.  Regardless if your belief is that we are experiencing anarchy or extreme complexity, Esther's proposal is for shared leadership and membership that is informed, invites dissent, and focused on mobilizing action for positive change.  Not a bad proposal for the many local, regional, and international conflicts we face today...

Maitland - Wilfred Thesiger; The Life of the Great Explorer

Men live there because it is the world into which they were born; the life they lead is the life their forefathers led before them; they accept hardships and privations; they know no other way. Lawrence wrote in Seven Pillars of Wisdom, ‘Bedouin ways were hard, even for those brought up in them and for strangers terrible: a death in life.’ No man can live this life and emerge unchanged. He will carry however faint, the imprint of the desert, the brand which marks the nomad; and he will have within him the yearning to return, weak or insistent according to his nature. For this cruel land can cast a spell which no temperate climate can match. (Maitland, 2006, p. 377)

Quoted from Wilfred Thesiger’s own prologue to Arabian Sands, this statement characterizes so much with which I identified in Alexander Maitland’s Wilfred Thesiger; The life of the great explorer (2006). This biography is essential, and wonderfully nostalgic, reading for anyone who has been deeply touched by the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula or seeks to understand their character.

Thesiger was an eccentric Brit who traveled throughout Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and into near Asia. Many of the places he traveled are places I’ve had a chance to visit so his descriptions, references to familiar phrases, and habits of the peoples throughout this area are very familiar to me, evoking almost a sense of “home.” While there might be some aspects of Thesiger’s depictions that seem somewhat stereotypical, he deeply identified with the people throughout the Arab-influenced regions of Northern Africa and Asia and he did much to dignify their lives through reports he made to the British Royal Geographic Society, articles, books, and thirty-eight thousand negatives of photographs he took that capture the landscapes and people of the region. Many of his photographs are available on-line and they are well worth a browse. A couple of sites are the Pitt River Museum collection in Oxford, UK, and another is a BBC piece that includes Thesiger’s own commentary and several of his pictures.

Thesiger’s first successful book, Arabian Sands, captured the very powerful experience of crossing the “Empty Quarter” of the Arabian Peninsula, the most desolate, difficult, dry, and extreme portion of the desert lands in this area of the world. He always traveled with guides or porters from the local area and he frequently befriended them in ways that allowed them to maintain contact over many years. Thesiger established credibility by being respectful of the local customs, by frequently dressing in regional attire, and by bringing medical assistance that, even as an untrained novice, were revolutionary in helping the people along his paths of travel. He was an extremely hearty individual; European’s who knew or traveled with him on occasion and native peoples all revered his ability to endure harsh conditions, little food and water, and extremes of hot and cold temperatures. He was not privileged by birth, although his grandfather and father served in military and diplomatic roles in Northern Africa during a time when this was quite exotic. He tasted the intrigue of travel and discovery as a young boy and sought to replicate these experiences throughout a long and active life.

Extremely fond of the nomads and villagers he encountered throughout the southern portion of the Arabian Peninsula, he wrote in Arabian Sands, “There I lived among tribes who claimed descent from Ishmael, and listened to old men who spoke of events which had occurred a thousand years ago as if they had happened in their own youth. I went there with a belief in my own racial superiority, but in their tents I felt like an uncouth, inarticulate barbarian, an intruder from a shoddy and materialist world.” (p. 232) This kind of respect accorded to others resulted in natives throughout the lands he explored coining names reflecting high praise – the Bedu of Abu Dhabi who befriended Thesiger called themselves “Umbarak’s men” (umbarak meaning ‘Blessed of God’) and the Samburu youth of Kenya called themselves ‘mzee juu’s boys’ (mzee juu meaning ‘top elder’).

I will definitely include on future reading lists one or all of Thesiger’s own major books – Arabian Sands, The Marsh Arabs, or the Life of My Choice. He was extremely influential during the days of his active exploration and in his elder years leading up to his death in August of 2003 at the age of 93. His striving to know humanity reflected in many ways a 19th century explorer mentality yet some of his reflections about the impact of technology on various aspects of our lives today are very contemporary. He also advocated an understanding of the Arab world and sympathized with the plight of colonialism’s impact on their lifestyles and the eventual political strife that plagues the region even today. He was evidently like many British explorers in the early 20th century who sympathized with Arabs on Palestine, once writing, “with the virtual connivance of Britain and America, they were to be driven from their homeland or subjected to the intolerable rule of the Israelis, who claimed the right to a country from which they had been expelled two thousand years earlier. Seldom can a greater wrong have been inflicted on an innocent people with such general approbation, and the seeds of such catastrophic and widespread hatred been sown with so much complacency.” (p. 251)

Brokaw - The Time of Our Lives

I watched Tom Brokaw, long-time and respected news commentator, being interviewed by John Stewart a couple of months ago about his new book, The Time of Our Lives (2011). The interview was interesting enough that I chose to pick up the book on my last return trip from the U.S.A. to Qatar. It is a modest book, yet it still has some merit as a reflection of an elder statesman on what he sees as the promise of recapturing the “American Dream.” While clearly focused on America, some of the issues may be relevant in other national contexts where citizens are striving to achieve a higher quality and standard of living.


Brokaw covers everything from world politics (particularly the Arab Spring) to the breakdown of education in the U.S.A. to the exploitation of capitalism that startled us into reflecting on what we are doing. In essence, he suggests that America has lost its way from an earlier day of citizens striving to do their best while serving the greater good of a complex and multicultural society. The shared vision and patriotism that served America so well in the early 20th century has, in Brokaw’s estimation, eroded into a situation where, and quoting the champion of civic leadership John Gardner, “leaders in all segments of our society today… are rewarded for a single-minded pursuit of the interests of their group. They are rewarded for doing battle, not compromising” for the good of all (p. 24).

In addressing faltering educational achievement in the U.S.A., Brokaw noted that not only is there a disparity in earnings between college and high school-educated adults but that there is also a chasm of optimism – those with more education earn more and have greater confidence that they can achieve their dreams while those without education and consequential lower earnings potential exhibit despair over their status in life. The facts are that higher educated individuals (a minimum of a college degree) have half the divorce rate, half the obesity incidence, half the smoking rate, and they vote twice as often as others with lower education (p. 85). But it isn’t just that those with college educations do better, it is the type of education they receive that matters most. In comparing the style of college education in the U.S.A. to the rising interest in education in China, Brokaw quotes a study by Simon and Cao that concluded, “Chinese universities have become technique focused… Rote learning, in which students who can answer questions in classrooms may not be able to solve and manage real life problems” (p. 70). Engagement with real problems and taking responsibility for one’s learning is a distinctive quality of American education that perhaps China doesn’t even know it is missing.

Brokaw’s proposal for recapturing the American Dream is to invest more in education, reverse the rising debt young people take on to acquire their degrees, and then create ways for citizens to reinvest themselves in the welfare of others. He provides several examples of young wealthy Americans who have given portions of their wealth away in order to start not-for-profit organizations to serve others. He recommends that an expanded service core be created that requires all young people to sacrifice in service to their country, rather than only asking the poor among young adults to risk their lives in military service. Finally, he proposes that American business take a careful look at its purposes – is it only creating balance sheets that result in quick and ephemeral gain or should the role of business be to create sustainable performance dedicated to a wider purpose?

Brokaw spends the concluding pages of the book reflecting with nostalgia on the relationship he had with his parents and what he seeks to instill in the hearts of his grandchildren. He proposes that perhaps one of the most promising opportunities for the “Great Generation” and “Boomers” is to engage with their children and grandchildren, to encourage a return to the values that they’ve seen make a difference in America, and to return themselves to more modest and service-based living.

Chua - Day of Empire

Day of Empire (Amy Chua, 2007) is an analysis of the great empires of history and what allowed them to have a pervasive impact in their time and what ultimately led to their demise. Chua’s proposition is that the same attribute that brought them to such prominence was also the Achilles heel that brought their end – openness and incorporation of many different cultures.

Chua very carefully defines “empire” as those societies that had colossal power that was preeminent in the known world of their time. The empires she recognized were the Persian Empire of Cyrus and Alexander, the Romans, China’s Tang Dynasty, Genghis Khan’s Mongols, the Dutch, British, and late 20th century America. Missing from the list are Spain, Portugal, the Mughals and Hapsburgs, specifically because none of these were unrivaled powers in their times. The great empires were uniquely able in their early days to envelop other cultures, to invite their contributions, and to build a sense of shared destiny among their peoples. She indicates “… in every case tolerance was indispensable to the achievement of hegemony. Just as strikingly, the decline of empire has repeatedly coincided with intolerance, xenophobia, and calls for racial, religious, or ethnic ‘purity.’” (p. xxi)

In the case of the Roman empire, Chua notes that the great tolerance of Rome as it spread was a necessary condition to expansion. However, this tolerance also led to some of its territories, particularly in the east and north, maintaining their own relatively independent social order. This autonomy allowed for a growing resistance to Roman rule and the crumbling of any shared commitment to the welfare of the empire. While the Persian, Roman, Mongol, and British empires emerged through expansionist economic and political motivations, the Dutch and American cases unfolded when other people came to them. Holland was a very small country and had few citizens before it became the refuge for many Jews and Muslims fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. America was mysterious, a risk, and a harsh frontier that became the home to hearty frontier seekers escaping religious persecution and economic hardship. Because the Dutch and Americans welcomed these fleeing masses, both of their empires drew talent, ability, motivation and dedication from its newly arrived citizens.

Day of Empire was published in 2007 and preceded the changes that have taken place in the last five years. In fact, questions she raises about whether or not the U.S.A. should continue to exercise globe-shaping influence seem odd in today’s flatter global economy. Chua commented, “the ironic result of the United States’ ‘democratic world dominance’ has been rampant, raging anti-Americanism.” (p. 328) American products and culture are widely embraced yet those who seem so eager to adopt American ways resist its political and military domination. She said, “… the United States would be better off following the formula that served it so well for more than two hundred years. America pulled away from all its rivals by turning itself into a magnet for the world’s most energetic and enterprising…” (p. 335) Comforting to those who worry about its emerging prominence, Chua believes China is not likely to exercise anything close to “empire.” Her perspective is that China has never been able to incorporate other cultural groups and perspectives, something that its neighbor to the south, India, has repeatedly been able to do. Thus, the suggestion is that the United States may be able to define a new kind of role, influential while not unilaterally dominant, when it is balanced by India, a country whose citizens are among the most positive in the world in their views of America and its people.

The lessons of Day of Empire are important for a variety of reasons – individual, governmental, and global. If individual leaders are unable to affirm diverse perspectives and contributors to their cause and if nations harbor notions of superiority that deny other cultures a place, then the global community will suffer. However, if leaders and governments can find a way to avoid intolerance and hatred among their diverse stakeholders, then a future of prominence and prosperity may be possible. While Chua's book focuses on the United States, there are other nations throughout the world that would likely be interested in enhancing their presence; the advice Chua offers about welcoming others and making sure all benefit according to their contribution is sound advice for any nation that hopes to prosper in the 21st century.

Females excel in all categories of leadership

Interesting study in Harvard Business Review about how females compare to males in leadership. While this is important in North American settings, it may be even more critical in emerging economies where female students tend to be more committed to their education than their male counterparts. If female students are becoming the best education, and if they tend to exhibit the attributes of good leadership, we should have a great future -- as long as they are allowed access.

The Essential Rumi (translated by Barks, 1995) and Have a Little Faith (Albom, 2009)

Two books I read back-to-back – Have a Little Faith (Albom, 2009) and The Essential Rumi (Barks, 1995) – related in fascinating ways to each other. The combination of them offered insights on the three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Suffism (a small subsect of Islam, recognized by some, but not all, Muslims). These books allowed me to continue to explore my own faith in the context of different faiths that I’ve encountered over the years.

Beginning with Suffism, it is a unique perspective that focuses on contemplation as a way of pursuing religious enlightenment. Rumi is the Suffi mystic whose writings are frequently quoted by philosophers across time and culture. A popularized aspect of one of Suffism’s practices is the dance of the “Dervish.” The “Swirling Dervish” is recognized as part of Turkish culture but frequently not seen as a religious observance. Dervish means “doorway” and takes this name because those who do the dance become so entranced that they become “an empty place where human and divine can meet.” (p. 277) In verse, Rumi describes the times when we should dance:

Dance when you’re broken open.
Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance, when you’re perfectly free. (p. 281)

Have a Little Faith weaves the lives of two individuals, one a Rabbi (nicknamed “the Reb”) at Albom’s community synagogue, and the other (Henry) a recovering drug addict and ex-convict who founded the “I am my brother’s keeper” shelter in downtown Detroit. The “Reb’s” request that Albom deliver his eulogy at his funeral kicks off the book. The succeeding chapters recount the years following as Albom became increasingly aware of the depth of the man he had taken for granted as a youth. Alternating interludes describe Henry’s struggles with his addictions, being unjustly convicted of murder, and eventually released from jail to start a new life. These two men, different in their religion, virtue, and life circumstances end up being not so different in the ultimate meaning of their lives through the grace of uncompromising service to their fellow human beings. And, by seeking to serve others, both find the peace that allows them to “sleep in a storm.” As the “Reb” so eloquently professed in a 1975 sermon:

My friends, if we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. We will never wallow in the agony of ‘I could have, I should have.’ We can sleep in a storm. And when it’s time, our good-byes will be complete.

The “Reb” and Henry had very different theologies and congregations yet Albom could see that they were driven by the same God, one who is merciful, loving, and sacrificing. Why is it, then, that Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and other religions haggle and sometimes even wage war to establish supremacy over each other? The Reb’s response, based on recognizing and affirming the differences among religions:

Well, you can look at it this way. Would you want the world to all look alike? The genius of life is its variety. Even in our own faith, we have questions and answers, interpretations, debates. In Christianity, in Catholicism, in other faiths, the same thing – debates, interpretations. That is the beauty. It’s like being a musician. If you found the note, and you kept hitting that note all the time, you would go nuts. It’s the blending of the different notes that makes the music. (p. 160)

I couldn’t help but think back to one of my earlier posts on Karen Armstrong’s book, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life (2011) as I reflected on what I learned from Rumi’s and Albom’s writings:

The seventh step, “how little we know,” encouraged curiosity in understanding others as a way to increase compassion. As she explained, so often we have our own pre-determined view of others and, instead of allowing ourselves to absorb new information and insight, we judge others in order to substantiate our own bias. She bemoaned that there is a certain mystery about others’ ways of thinking and living that is turned to sacrilege as we attempt to “pluck out” the point we wish to use to serve our own agenda. (p. 127)

Ultimately, one of Rumi’s poems, “The Howling Necessity: Cry Out in Your Weakness,” addresses the “how little we know” and offers hope in the story of a man who has lost his will to pray and dreams of an encounter with Khidr, the guide of souls :

“Why did you stop praising?”
“Because I’ve never heard anything back.”
“This longing you express is the return message.”
The grief you cry out from draws you toward union.
Your pure sadness that wants help is the secret cup.

Isaacson - Profiles in Leadership

Walter Isaacson’s Profiles in Leadership: Historians on the Elusive Quality of Greatness (2010) does not reference the extensive body of leadership research and theory. However, through astute historical analyses of the individuals profiled in this book, it brings many very important issues about leadership to light.

The profiles are primarily highly visible public figures who had positions of authority that allowed them to exert leadership. The other cases were exceptional cases where, by sheer force of will, the individuals were able to exert influence that pushed important issues forward in history. The public figures included the likes of George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Franklin Roosevelt, and Robert Kennedy. The exceptional cases included Charles Finney, Chief Joseph, W.E.B. DuBois, Wendell Willkie, and Pauli Murray. What I particularly liked about the book is that it was realistic; it identified failures in leadership as much as it focused on successes. Even in cases where history generally paints a positive picture, figures like Franklin Roosevelt were described as having both shortcomings and triumphs. In the case of Dwight Eisenhower, he is described as someone with immense potential for greatness following his successes as a commander in WWII but who failed in moral leadership when he ignored issues of discrimination and racism that affected the very men and women on whom he counted as soldiers.

There are so many jewels in this book that it is extremely difficult to pick only a select couple of examples to illustrate the wisdom of these historical analyses. Choosing two who actually opposed each other in the world of American politics will have to suffice – one is Franklin Roosevelt and the other is Wendell Willkie who sought the GOP nomination to run against Roosevelt. Franklin Roosevelt faced the challenge of restoration after economic collapse and a world war that he wanted to avoid. When “New Deal” policies came under question at the end of Roosevelt’s first term, he grew increasingly bold in his criticism of those who resisted his attempts to rescue the economy by saying that “…all my old enemies… monopoly, speculation, reckless banking… war profiteering” were undermining his efforts to create an economic recovery. Going further, he said, “Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me – and I welcome their hatred… I would like to have it said of my first Administration that the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match…” Roosevelt went on to win two more terms as President of the United States.

Wendell Willkie, businessman turned politician, was most significant for his contribution in authoring, along with Irita Van Doren, One World (1943). One of the most widely read books of the day, it addressed the increasing isolationism that was emerging at the time. Walter Lippmann praised it as “one of the hardest blows ever struck against the intellectual and moral isolationism of the American people.” Willkie was dedicated to engagement with the world in ways that recognized the negative repercussions of colonialism saying:

If we had left the olive groves and the cotton fields and the oil wells of this region alone, we might not have had to worry… But we have not left them alone. We have sent our ideas and our ideals,… our engineers and our businessmen, and our pilots and our soldiers into the Middle East; and we cannot escape the result… If we fail to help reform, the result will be of necessity either the complete withdrawal of outside powers with a complete loss of democratic influence or complete military occupation and control of the countries by those outside powers. (p. 256)

The previous reference to conditions in the Middle East are quite remarkable for 1943 and they are frighteningly predictive of the continued struggles of the Middle East.

In the conclusion of the chapter on Pauli Murray, an early champion of the American civil rights movement who was one of the first to use Ghandi’s methods of non-violent resistance, Glenda Gilmore (chapter author) sums up the key issue of transforming public leadership when she wrote:

Leaders aren’t just the few famous people who dominate the news or find their place in history books. They don’t always represent the majority. They aren’t always popular. They don’t always win, and they aren’t always remembered. Leaders such as Pauli Murray, brave and obscure men and women who act on their convictions even though they fail time and time again, sometimes change the course of history. (p. 280)

Salibi - A House of Many Mansions

I've continued to read a lot about the Arab world during my residence in Qatar. It has been a tremendous help in understanding local and contemporary issues, even though much of what I've read has been history. My most recent read was given to me by a Lebanese colleague - Kamal Salibi's A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered (1998/2011).

"Reconsidered" is a very important point in the Salibi book because his purpose in retelling the Lebanese history is to counter what the author believes has been a somewhat fanciful history used to justify particular political perspectives. "Many mansions" is also a very important point as Salibi tells the story of so many different people coming and going from the geographic area of Lebanon over time. He traces the origin of the peoples of Lebanon back to tribal groups who came from Yemen, who became the Phoenicians, and then were mixed with more modern cultural groups such as the Druzes, Maronites, and even those encroaching down from what we now recognize as Syria. Because of Lebanon's advanced practices and proficiency in trade, it became a crossroads which was very attractive to any national, cultural, or religious group that wanted to dominate the region.

While the comings and goings of different cultural groups contributed to the tense blend that is now Lebanon, the most divisive moment came when the British broke their promise to Arabs to allow them national independence in their historical homelands and, instead,

"partitioned this Arab Territory with the French, and committed themselves to hand over a particularly precious part of it, namely Palestine, to the Jews." (p. 29)

This moment contributed to the growing belief and dynamic of Arab nationalism, an ideal that Salibi asserts was flawed from the start.

"While there was much that could be said for Arabism as a valid national ideal, most of the Arabs who adopted it were tribal or quasitribal communities of different kinds, and also of different religions and sects, who had not undergone uniform social and civic development." (p. 52)

This diversity of perspective within Arabism was exploited by outside forces from the West as well as from inside the Arab community within Lebanon to achieve various political benefits, an issue which continues to plague Lebanon to the current day.

One of Salibi's most interesting conclusions is that Lebanon in many ways represents the dilemma of the broader Arab world. It survives with a delicate balance of many cultural and religious perspectives; accepting a less romanticized version of what Lebanon has been, and is, will be essential to its future.

"What Arab nationalism, which is a phenomenon of the last hundred years, continues to propose and promote as Arab national history is no less fictionalized than the history of Lebanon. It has succeeded in deluding the general run of the Arabs into believing that the political unity they had once experienced under Islam was in fact an Arab national unity." (p. 218)

In essence, Lebanon's complicated past is much like the broader Arab world; recognizing the lack of true unity of both will hopefully lead to the West ceasing the practice of throwing all Arab peoples into one category and it will allow Arabs to work toward shared purposes while affirming the essential differences which will most likely remain for all time. This realization, and accepting it not as defeat but release to reality can come to fruition if all accept that no guilt for lack of unity need be asserted or sustained. In Salibi's words,

"No Arab country today need feel any guilt about accepting its actual existence as a wilful or unwilful departure from an Arab national historical norm. It is only when the Arabs succeed in ridding themselves of the highly idealized Arab nationalist vision of their past that they will be able to live together in the modern Arab world." (p. 231)

Levitin - This is your brain on music

Obviously, the title of this book is a take off on the scare-tactic commercials of bygone days of drug prevention. However, this kind of "your brain on..." is scientific, engaging, and, to a musician, a beautiful explanation of why I am so passionate about listening to, understanding, and performing music. For someone not deeply versed in what makes music interesting - pitch, timbre, rhythm, harmony, melody, and dynamics - the early chapters of This is Your Brain on Music are easily understood descriptions of things that we all understand at a general and descriptive level. However, understanding how they work together and how conventional use of each, as well as surprise uses, create the beautiful music that we listen to time and again, will hopefully help everyone enjoy music even more.

The assertion of the book is that music, dating back 50,000 years, may have been a type of vocalization that eventually led to the creation of language. From a neural science point of view, music uses more areas of the brain than any other function yet known. That's why brain-trauma patients who have lost their ability to read, talk, or even move can still sing songs that they learned as children or do something as complex as play the piano.

Music is so much a part of our daily existence that many of us don't even recognize when it is around us. Our taste for music is also shaped by the environments where we live. If we tend to associate with only those like us, we tend to have a narrower appreciation across history and culture. Exposure to broad types of music is particularly important for children because our preferences are established by our late teenage years. That's not to say that we can't learn to appreciate other types of music but, if we want to broaden our interests, it takes intentional effort.

Broadening musical exposure takes us into the culture of others and what is interesting about the cultivation of taste outside of our norm is what Levitin describes as a "U" shape. The "U" shape occurs when a 2-axis graph is created with one axis being complexity and the other appreciation. Initially, simple forms of music are attractive to us and they are the ones to which we resonate. Over time, the simple forms of music may become boring or too familiar a part of what we hear. Thus, we spread out and try new types of music but it is very predictable that the initial listening may require a stretch of comprehension. That's why, when we hear something to which we are initially attracted, we listen to it over and over, becoming more familiar with the new complexity of sound until our appreciation is firmly established.

Because music is so ubiquitous in our world, I see it as a metaphor for many other things, including leadership. So the idea of cultivating interest in diverse music is probably not unlike what it takes to cultivate curiosity and interest in other countries or cultures. Initially, we strike out to explore a culture that is a little bit of a stretch for us. However, as we travel more, or as we are exposed to greater diversity in our experience, we become more comfortable with greater diversity. My experience in Qatar has broadened both my interests in music as well as people. At first I explored cautiously, seeking to encounter difference that was only a slight departure from my own preferences or background. Now the easy stretches are less stimulating; I've grown more comfortable and trusting of greater stretches over time and now enjoy encounters that would have taken me completely outside of my comfort zone just a few years ago. It works in music, in relationships, and leadership.

As I get older...

Cornell West, eminent scholar who has offered essential comment in the discourse of contemporary American questions, has determined to return to his roots at the age of 58. In a statement about West’s decision to return to Columbia University’s Union Theological Seminary where he started as an assistant professor in 1977, Rev. Serene Jones, Union’s President said, “As you get older, the more integrated your life is, the healthier it feels and the less time you have to spend waking up deciding who you’re going to be that day.” What a remarkable statement! And, it is the relief of advancing age that each day I wake up I spend less and less time deciding who I’m going to be that day.

West’s statement also indicated that he knew his days of fullest engagement in his work were numbered and thus, he wanted to pursue the work he was called to do on this earth. The joy of being in Qatar is that I fully identify with, and am buoyed each day by, the comfort of knowing who I am and knowing that my work is worthwhile and purposeful. And, I know that there is no place I would rather be than Qatar in a time when higher education is so important to young people around the globe.

One of the topics I’ve struggled to understand of late is the question of working in places like Qatar, and many other emerging economies where expatriates work. There are many benefits to being here but it also requires some sacrifices that can weigh you down. It is being aware of the balancing act of fulfillment in the work against the sacrifices that it takes to be here that requires constant monitoring. Lack of self-awareness on this question can be deadly. Deep awareness, while painful, at least allows me (and perhaps others) to focus attention in ways that maintains a tolerable balance. I hope to explore this more in future posts that are informed by talking to some of the other expatriates and Qatari colleagues with whom I work. We have a lot to learn from each other.

FAT and Three Idiots

Faithful, available, and teachable – three very simple ideas but profoundly important to leadership and to fostering healthy and successful organizations. My recent post about the zappos.com book addresses some of this but these three words are a bit more direct and perhaps even easier to understand and remember. I picked up on these words while listening to a speaker talk about how his organization selected and nurtured staff; his point – if you want committed and effective colleagues, be sure to assess if they are faithful, available, and teachable.

Faithful – beginning with the purpose of your organization, strive to identify and nurture faithful colleague who understand the grand vision you seek to fulfill. This faith reflects a conviction, and the willingness to act on it. And, the faithfulness reflects an understanding that the outcome of one’s efforts may not be predictable. Faithfulness to a vision is essential if any of us is to have a ghost of a chance of fulfilling our personal or organizational visions but there is another kind of faith that is equally important – faithfulness in our relationships – building trust, cooperation, and care that allows us all to do our best work.

Available – reflecting not only availability in time and space, a good colleague is available to live in the moment, be present, and attend to relationships and work. Have you ever shared something deeply important to you with someone you felt you could trust, only to feel empty and bewildered once the moment was behind you? In this example, the likelihood is that, regardless of your passion in the moment, the “other” was evidently not available to join you. Compassion, to live as if you are the other, is the kind of availability that really connects us with each other and our aspirations.

Teachable – demonstrating more than a capacity to learn, a person who is teachable is curious and eager to explore new possibilities. Most of us have a lot to learn and in our better moments admit that our understanding of pretty much everything has its limits. However, it is another thing to be a curious learner at every turn, ready to explore, to question, and to engage in order to bring new insights to the surface even when we believed that we were already well informed.

Realizing how powerful the FAT ideas were, I continued to reflect on these words throughout the weekend. To my surprise, a chance encounter with “Three Idiots” brought the FAT paradigm into full reality. “Three Idiots” is a film that I’ve heard about a number of times. It is a Bollywood movie that was recommended by a friend on numerous occasions but I never got around to viewing it until Friday night. I viewed this delightful film without English subscripts yet was able to understand most of the plot without the slightest difficulty. I was mesmerized by the acting, the predicaments, the humor and poignancy and then suddenly realized that I was seeing FAT in action. Three college-bound Indian boys are randomly brought together as roommates and develop a bond that allows them to discover purpose in their own lives that is quite remarkable. While the immediate and explicit purpose of their experience at university is to graduate with engineering degrees, along the way they discover the power of deep friendship, of faith that they will accomplish their goals if they help each other, and availability that brings them to each others’ aid in numerous precarious circumstances. Ultimately, the film demonstrates that not allowing oneself to be forced into boring, didactic, and demeaning learning can result in personal transformation and it can also offer the opportunity to encounter each other in ways that are deeply moving. “Three Idiots” is a beautiful coming of age saga that should not be missed by anyone who cares about education, relationships, and discovering how being faithful, available, and teachable can transform the lives of young people.

Oppenheimer - Die Philharmoniker

During our recent visit to Eastern Europe, Diane and I went from one great Imperial architecture example to another. One that was particularly beautiful was in Vienna, where we visited the Belvedere Palace on a sunny summer afternoon. The Belvedere is now being used as an art gallery and it is truly one of the most beautiful palaces of Europe. While the palace was wonderful, there was a surprise neither of us anticipated.

Walking through the galleries without knowing what we would see, I was overwhelmed when I walked into the room where Max Oppenheimer's "Die Philharmoniker" hung against a far wall - the full wall as the painting is a monumental 298 X 432 cm in dimension. Die Philharmoniker is Oppenheimer's life work, although he produced many other pieces. He began the piece in 1926 and finished it in 1952, after shipping it from one studio to another as he sought to escape the persecution of the Nazis in central Europe. Die Philharmoniker includes images of several prominent musicians of the early 20th century, but most important to me, Oppenheimer included Gustav Mahler as the conductor. Although there are several artistic depictions of Mahler, including Rodin's bust, Die Philharmoniker captures the essence of Mahler more than any other. Mahler is at the center of the composition, yet strangely detached from his surroundings. He seems to rise above the orchestra in ways that draw only the best from the musicians but oddly leave him isolated and disconnected from his fellow artists.

Oppenheimer and Mahler were both Jews during very difficult times in Europe and America. Both were tortured and unfulfilled in many ways. And both are drawn together in Oppenheimer's greatest work of art and in a depiction of Mahler at his best - bringing life to music as few conductors have every done before or after his tempestuous years as director of the Vienna Opera Orchestra and Philharmonic.

The day we saw Die Philharmoniker was yet to reach another climactic point when we took the street car to Grinsing, a village on the outskirts of Vienna, to visit Mahler's gravesite at dusk. I was worried that we wouldn't make it before dark because I sensed the coming of dusk; luckily, it was only the result of late summer afternoons beginning early and lingering for several hours, as if summer days were meant for relaxation. We arrived in plenty of time and after searching rows and rows of gravesites we ultimately found both Gustav Mahler and Alma Mahler's gravestones. I don't know what I expected in being at the last resting place of a musician who has given me so much joy throughout my life. Although slightly melancholy, it felt more like the fulfillment of a relationship that, although lost in the moment, can be assumed to last forever. Sometimes I feel that I should have been born in the late 19th century so that I could have had a personal relationship with the artists, musicians, and architects of this time. To be able to study, visit, and appreciate Mahler's profound contribution to art was especially meaningful during this trip and I will never forget it.

Hsieh - Delivering Happiness

Tony Hsieh’s reflections (Delivering happiness: a pathway to profits, passion, and purpose, 2010) on the story of zappos.com as an international e-business phenomenon are both realistic and inspirational. The most refreshing part of his recollections is that he owns missteps, failures, and success – a mix that is sometimes missing in contemporary business success stories. The missing reflection is the impact of Tony’s educational opportunity. He portrays himself as a less than motivated student who was more interested in starting entrepreneurial businesses than getting good grades. The clincher is that he just happened to have attended Harvard University and relied on the friendships and networks he made from his undergraduate days to create the core of the businesses he started as a 20-something. Neglecting to acknowledge the importance of being a Harvard graduate ignores how powerful privilege (whether economic, political, intellectual, or other) can be in shaping one’s life.

The best lessons from Hsieh’s reflections include the importance of fostering a positive organizational culture, the necessity of taking risks, and focusing on service that brings happiness to both those who purchase your service as well as to those working to make it happen.

Zappos.com didn’t establish its company values but instead eventually recognized and documented them after it became obvious that their values were having a profound impact on Zappos.com’s success. The core values that they discovered employees embraced included:

1. Deliver WOW through service
2. Embrace and drive change
3. Create fun and a little weirdness
4. Be adventurous, creative, and open-minded
5. Pursue growth and learning
6. Build open and honest relationships with communication
7. Build a positive team and family spirit
8. Do more with less
9. Be passionate and determined
10. Be humble

These values allowed Zappos.com to survive economic ups and downs, lay-offs, and eminent bankruptcy. Most importantly, the company values helped the leadership stay focused when there were temptations to compromise on quality and they encouraged passionately risky behavior that took Zappos.com to higher and higher success in business and fulfillment.

Advocating that “your culture is your brand,” Hsieh makes a compelling point that positive organization cultures are the result of seeing the organization’s work as something beyond just the immediate task of product delivery (no matter what that product is). Zappos.com even measures the degree to which its employees see themselves as involved in something bigger than e-business sales of shoes and accessories by periodically asking them if they “believe that the company has a higher purpose beyond just profits,” and asking if “Zappos has a real purpose – is it more than just a job.” Simple questions but how sad it is that many people would not assess their company/organization as having either higher purpose or believe their work environment is more than a job.

Hsieh’s conceptual model of happiness is largely derived from the research of Seligman and Czikszentmihalyi on positive psychology and “flow.” Tying the points of work environment and happiness together, he commented, “I would learn that research from the field of the science of happiness would confirm that the combination of physical synchrony with other humans and being part of something bigger than oneself leads to a greater sense of happiness…” (2010, p. 80)

Zappos.com’s lessons are definitely coming from a for-profit perspective. However, reading this story consistently made me think that education, and other not-for-profit initiatives, would do well to adopt these very same perspectives. Organization culture, risk taking and happiness are central to success in any endeavor.

Habsburg Tour - 2011

Diane and I had a wonderful opportunity to take a whirlwind Habsburg Tour during the recent Eid break. We flew to Vienna, then took the train to Prague and Budapest, and back to Vienna for a return to Qatar. We didn't realize it but we were actually taking a tour of the three great Habsburg Empire capitals. These three cities were profoundly influenced by the Habsburg dynasty of almost 700 years that covered much of central and eastern Europe. What is also fascinating is that all three cities are somewhat influenced by the Arab world (or, Ottoman as the history books would say) in architecture, art, and other culture. While the Habsburgs were certainly not egalitarian in their leadership, they made a great deal of difference through their advocacy for education and art.

This picture above is only a teaser for the many other pictures that are in my Habsburg Picassa album (https://picasaweb.google.com/101052781277666677040/HapsburgTour11#) so be sure to check out the others...

Armstrong - 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life

TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) honored Karen Armstrong in 2007 with $100,000 to help her advance her ideas of compassion. Informed by her deep conviction that the world’s religions have more in common than independent truth, she chose to strike out to create an inter-faith human dialogue on what it means to be compassionate and how, as modern beings, we can learn to observe compassion throughout our dealings with each other and the earth itself.

Her latest book, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life (2011), tells the story of receiving the TED award and using the money granted to her to begin a series of meetings among religious leaders that would ultimately lead to the “Charter for Compassion.” The drafting process included notable leaders of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism and relied on each tradition’s version of the “golden rule” to formulate a call “upon all men and women 1) to restore compassion to the center of morality and religion; 2) to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate; 3) to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures; 4) to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity; and 5) to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings – even those regarded as enemies.” (p. 7) The charter was launched and began with sixty locations around the world adopting the charter on November 12, 2009. More have followed since 2009 and, perhaps, the charter will begin to have the transforming impact that the authors’ sought as more people hear of the charter throughout the world.

Armstrong started her life as a Catholic Nun but grew to relish understanding the world’s many religions. While she references many diverse faith perspectives throughout her book, I was most attracted to her references to Islam. She has made a commitment in her speaking (I saw her at Georgetown in Qatar last spring) and writing to provide alternative, and in her estimation more accurate, characterizations of all religions but she has focused much of her energy on Islam. One of the Arab world contrasts she posed was between muruwah (courage and endurance) and hilm (mercy). The tribal and difficult life circumstances of many in the Arab world long ago required muruwah and a relentless commitment to protecting and avenging any aggression, or wrong perpetrated, against one’s family/tribe. By contrast, the Qur’an advocated for patience, forbearing, and merciful conduct that protected the disadvantaged, orphan, widow and destitute. This example was used to demonstrate the first step toward compassion – learning about it.

One of the examples she used to demonstrate humankind’s struggle for empathy was the ancient Greek festival of Dionysus. During the annual festival, all citizens were more or less required to attend public plays during which old myths were reflected in contemporary examples, resulting in a public meditation on key issues of values and ethics. These plays were intended to put suffering onstage so that the audience could begin to empathize with the plight of the “other.” (p. 93) Thus, Dionysus’ role as the god of transformation was formulated as first a journey into self, then beginning to understand others, and eventually being able to see themselves in the circumstance of others. This example was used in the fourth chapter that focused on empathy.

The seventh step, “how little we know,” encouraged curiosity in understanding others as a way to increase compassion. As she explained, so often we have our own pre-determined view of others and, instead of allowing ourselves to absorb new information and insight, we judge others in order to substantiate our own bias. She bemoaned that there is a certain mystery about others’ ways of thinking and living that is turned to sacrilege as we attempt to “pluck out” the point we wish to use to serve our own agenda. (p. 127)

There are many jewels throughout Armstrong’s book. It is short, easy and engaging to read, and hopefully will be read by many.

An Autobiography - Gandhi

My friend, Sabirsha, gave me several gifts when Diane and I visited with him in the Kerala region of India in February, 2011. One of those gifts was An Autobiography, by M.K. Gandhi. First published in the Gujarati language in two volumes in 1927 and 1929, the English version was published in 2009. Though a translation, these were Gandhi’s own reflections on his search for truth. He concluded his reflections far before the end of his life because, as he noted, his life became so public after 1921 that numerous sources could be consulted to learn about his experiences after that date.

An Autobiography is an evolutionary story of Gandhi’s discovery of the essentials of life. The concept of satyagraha, or the voluntary simplicity and denial of self in service to others, was not something that came easily. Indeed, as so many other spiritual luminaries over the ages, Gandhi struggled, questioned, and perfected his spiritual calling through many trials and tribulations. Ultimately, his journey, recognizing many flaws along the way, served to break the bonds of discrimination against Indians in South Africa and moved on to confront the mistreatment of “untouchables” in India. Eventually, as we know from history, Dr. Martin Luther King’s non-violent resistance, the “Velvet Revolution” of the Czech Republic, and perhaps even moments of the “Arab Spring” of 2011 are derived from Gandhi’s philosophy of first showing respect to others and then challenging injustice through non-participation in systems of oppression and exploitation.

There is so much deep wisdom in Gandhi’s reflections that it is impossible to do justice in one blog post. One point that fascinated me most is that satygraha, serving others, embraced those with whom he disagreed. When Gandhi began to realize the depth of the abuse of Indians and other people of color in South Africa, he was asked how he could not be angry with the perpetrators. His reply, “I am only sorry for their ignorance and their narrowness. I know that they sincerely believe that what they are doing today is right and proper. I have no reason therefore to be angry with them.” (p. 176) Such a view made way for a compassion that allowed Gandhi, and others who worked with him, to serve and bring justice to even those who opposed him. As an example, during the closing months of WWII, Gandhi actively recruited Indians to serve the British war cause against Germany, even when the record clearly demonstrated long-standing abuse of Indians by their colonizer. Gandhi sincerely believed that, although he disagreed with many of Britain’s actions, it had attempted to bring prosperity to India and therefore deserved the loyalty of British subjects who would defend her against other enemies. His point was that, even though he disagreed with Great Britain on very important issues, he was first committed to understanding their needs and viewpoint and by so doing agree with them as much as possible.

Once the commitment to understand, respect, and serve was established, Gandhi had an unswerving dedication to the causes he undertook to resolve. Through refusing to ride first class on trains when others of his culture were excluded, by creating voluntary living communities, by establishing natural fiber weaving groups and advocating work stoppages, Gandhi demonstrated in all he did that he would always observe “Ek Tek” – keep the pledge. The solidarity he reflected and fostered in others had a power that broke down many conventions that others assumed to be fair and right, or too difficult to challenge. The point was not to tear down the unjust systems but it was, through Ek Tek, not to participate with the oppressor.

These to core concepts – agreeing/engaging as much as possible with those who oppose you and staying true to your pledge – are found in many leadership texts. They are likely universal principles that help when negotiating the more difficult landscapes of leadership – a gift from one of the most often recognized great leaders when you ask “Who do you look up to when you think of great leadership?”

America's message to the Middle East

I usually avoid overt political comment but my experience watching President Obama's Thursday, 19 May, 2011, speech directed to the Middle East was a bit of an awakening. I viewed it while winding down from my daily workout in the Clubhouse. There were two TVs going - one on sports and the other on CNN. As the time for the broadcast approached, I asked my friend, Raymond, to turn up the sound so that I could hear better. I also thought that some of the other dozen or so people from various cultural and national backgrounds might be interested. I watched and listened carefully while the rest of the room went on about their workouts, talking, laughing, and attending to each other - hmmh? What's the message?

President Obama's remarks addressed a broad spectrum of issues in the Middle East and northern Africa - revolutions, economics, unstable governments and their treatment of their citizens, and finally the Israel and Palestine question. Unfortunately, as I've grown to understand this area of the world, the question of Israel and Palestine should have been at the beginning, not the end. The reason that people didn't listen was because the West has repeatedly been unwilling to recognize this fact. While President Obama is the first U.S.A. President to ever utter the words "return to pre-1967 territorial lines," Isreal's response of "no way," coupled with the other issues of access to Jerusalem and the right of Palestinians to return to their homeland, loom as dark clouds on the horizon.

Countries in the Middle East and northern Africa are struggling to birth new governments. If they end up being democracies, they quite possibly will be Islamic republics. How will the U.S.A. respond if this comes to fruition? What I hope is that Americans will understand that the vast majority of Muslims are reasonable people and there is nothing wrong with a government declaring a state religion. Afterall, what have Italy, France, Great Britain, and many other countries done and quite comfortably as well? The declaration of a specific religion does not mean that those of other religions cannot worship - I attend a Christian fellowship in Qatar and it is not, and never has been, a problem. But the U.S.A. has to understand the risk that, should it not find a way to deal with the Isreal versus Palestine question, it opens the door for Islamic conservatives to wield greater power in these new Islamic-influenced governments, thus resulting in governments that will be difficult for the U.S.A. to embrace.

Sadly enough, President Obama's hands are tied by the politics of America; he offered a moderate position designed not to alienate pro-Israeli supporters too much. Considering Israel's immediate response, imagine what would have happened had Presidennt Obama asked for more. And how will the American public come to understand that the history of U.S.A. and other western interventions on Isreal's behalf, all the time ignoring the occupation of land and choking it out of existence, is at the core of it all? I am saddened that Obama's options are so limited and I am saddened that those in the gym on Thursday evening had grown so skeptical that they didn't even take the time to listen.

Gladwell - What the dog saw

“He held it in the air as if he were holding a Tiffany vase,” (Gladwell, 2011, xx) – quote and clue to the bottom line of Malcom Gladwell’s latest book, What the dog saw (2011). His others (the Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers) were written as books while What the dog saw is a collection of articles he published in the New Yorker. The chapters were written separately without the intention to publish them together, yet they are woven together in ways that reflect Gladwell’s customary and unique insight.

The purpose of the title, What the dog saw, remained a mystery through six chapters, eventually emerging to make the point that bad dogs are not really as bad as we think. “Bad dogs” are really only victims of bad masters, or non-masters as the case may be. Cesar Millan, the trainer profiled in the story, was the one who exasperated owners called when their dogs were so far gone that they feared having to get rid of them. What Cesar did upon encountering these animals was to separate them from their owners, establish boundaries for what was expected of them, and then he began to teach them the comfort of expectation while freeing them to be good, obedient, and loving animals. Gladwell didn’t only describe Cesar’s discipline in dog training but also his dance (figurative) of symmetry, expression, and balance. Thus, “what the dog saw” was a metaphor for how relationships with dogs, as well as humans, need to be artistic, purposeful, and authentic. Working with dogs requires a frame of discipline that establishes the human as the master, the one in control, both in terms of setting expectation but also in providing loving reward when the dog behaves in reasonable and affectionate ways – just like the “man’s best friend” view that we visualize but fail to actualize when the balance of discipline is absent.

The other chapters convey many stories about how perceptions cloud our vision of reality. Whether it was “Million Dollar Murray,” a story of how solving the problem of homelessness in America may be simpler than we think, or the story of how Enron was a mystery rather than a puzzle, Gladwell nudges his readers to examine the quality of their thinking so that more accurate judgments are possible. In a very contemporary example, Gladwell proposed that the decade-long mystery of finding Osama bin Laden was no mystery at all. Osama bin Laden was “hiding” in the open, obscured only by missing pieces of information that would eventually solve the puzzle of his whereabouts. Gladwell’s point is that mysteries are situations where there is no real answer and to continue to seek more information is useless. On the other hand, puzzles are solved by identifying the right information that fits the gap in the knowledge-base; the need is not more information but higher quality information and the discernment to recognize it.

“He held it in the air as if he were holding a Tiffany vase” reflects the fascination for simple things that teach lessons for life. Simple things that most of the rest of us miss! In this particular collection of stories, Gladwell identifies people who have profoundly impacted our lives but who are people of minor genius. They are minor because they don’t inhabit the upper echelons of organizations but, instead, inhabit the middle places. They are the ones who actually do the work. They are free of the restraint of high-level leaders who are encumbered by the need to protect their positions and privilege. The middle people are the people who create and market things like the “Dial-O-Matic” vegetable slicer, or who challenge our idea of mustard with “Pardon me. Would you have any Grey Poupon?“ or they coin a phrase like “Does she or doesn’t she?” in order to take hair-coloring from the salon into everyone’s bathroom. Imagination, creativity, and initiative come from seeing things in a different way – a way that others neglected to take the time to see.

Amit Sood's Training your brain...

Carla Paonessa, a LeaderShape Board member and co-Lead in years past, recommended Amit Sood's (2009) Train your brain, engage your heart, transform your life on several occassions. I finally got it and read it over the last several weeks. Carla has attended training programs by Dr. Sood at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and was instrumental in inviting him to speak to the LeaderShape Lead training in 2011.

Train your brain... proposes that the reason much in our lives doesn't go well is 1) our inability to pay attention and ) frequent misinterpretation of our experiences. On the first assumption, inability to pay attention, he uses the analogy of a computer that has too many active programs up and running, thus resulting in diffuse and partial attention (I've commented on CPA or "continuous partial attention" in a previous blog post). The freightening part of this inattention is that Sood cites research indicating that, when our minds flow to distractions that are negative and stressful, it forms a habit of going there, thus resulting in an overworked and over-stressed world that we create in the way we think. The second assumption, misinterpretation of our experiences, encourages the reconsideration of life's events within a principle-based or altruistic perspective rather than what is for many of us more of an ego-centered, competitive, "first-class on the Titanic" approach. The principle-based approach focuses on cultivating a habit of interpreting what we encounter throughout our days in a spirit of gratitude, compassion, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Attention and refined interpretation - sounds easy enough! Writing this post reminds me how far I drifted from these two simple points just in the couple of weeks I've been away from the book. One has to ask if the approach is faulty in some way or is it my practice and discipline? Unfortunately, the likelihood is that the problem is my practice. Turning to what could refine my practice of sharper attention and refined understanding of what is going on around me, Sood suggests that the focus should be on reducing the number of thoughts and improving the quality of my thinking about them. In a four-quadrant model (p. 168), he proposes that a) few thoughts with a negative focus results in depression and apathy, b) few thoughts with a positive focus results in attention, mindful and heartful awakening, c) many thoughts with a negative focus results in anxiety and anger, and d) many thoughts with a positive focus result in excitement, energy, and animation. You can choose for yourself where you would like to be but my preference is for "b" a good part of the time and "d" some of the time.

If a few thoughts with a positive focus is the goal, what does it take? Sood proposes that the best way to live this kind of life is to seek, and then commit to, finding meaning and purpose in all that we do. This is not a new revelation as this admonition can be found in most of the world's religious writings and it can also be found in the writings of contemporary sages such as Parker Palmer, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Otto Scharmer, and others. Fewer and more positive thoughts (and actions) are the result of more reflection, attentive care in all our encounters, and maintaining a higher purpose, even when there are obstacles and distractions. Pursuing higher purpose is not easy because deeply grounded and passionate commitments are often at odds with those around us. It appears to be the path in pursuing these passions that makes it all worthwhile because if it is only the end on which we are focused, we will surely faulter in the pursuit of what we value most...