Back to the future
Updated: 2007-09-07 10:09
Indeed, these Young Global Leaders are themselves indicative of precisely the kind of change we are witnessing in China and throughout the globe. They personify the increasingly complex, nuanced, networked and multipolar world order. Even more importantly, these leaders share common values - in this case, the belief that by coming together with other individuals from all parts of the globe and by committing themselves to improving their knowledge, judgment and skills, they are uniquely positioned to act as collaborative agents to improve the state of the world - together.
It is this belief - that a (relatively) small community of committed individuals from nearly 100 countries can actually change the status quo - that is the lifeblood of the organization I represent. They are not only a preview of what effective collective leadership in the 21st century might actually look like, but a live snapshot of what it actually is.
Yet these leaders are not infallible. And so I end where I begin - with two very important leadership lessons from Chinese history. The first is from the historian Bo Yang and others, who argued that Emperor Taizong was able to achieve the heights of greatness that he did because he accepted criticism that others would find difficult to accept and because he tried hard not to abuse his absolute power. Bo Yang's words serve as good advice to leaders everywhere and speak to the importance of openness, humility, flexibility, collaboration and learning.
The second is the story of Li Bai, also known as China's "Poet Immortal", and one of the most famous poets of the Tang period. Li is best known for his lyrical style and extravagant imagery brought about by an openness to the world and a life of traveling and, yes, his love of wine.
Legend has it that Li Bai drowned tragically, attempting to embrace the moon's reflection in a river. His is a lesson that, no matter how gifted an individual is, regardless of the extent of one's genius, acting alone can be detrimental. Rather, by acting together, by taking the ingenious, creative spirit that Li Bai and his contemporaries represented and applying it to our interconnected and interdependent world, can we make a difference.
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