Leadership / Management

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Twenty Five hundred years ago Prince Siddharta Gautama, in what is now called Lumbini in Nepal, gave up his royal heritage to become Shakyamuni, the historic Buddha. He introduced his initial followers to the concept of Impermanence. A very simple concept on the surface, he was referring to everything in our lives always being in a state of flux. Hidden in its simplicity though, are very deep and complex issues that affect our entire universe. Nothing is permanent or fixed in place, even for a nanosecond. Modern science has validated this teaching from the vast expanses of the universe, as we know it, to smallest measureable particle we can indentify.

The Buddha based this concept on what has been translated to mean Dependent Arising. Arising, in this instance, meant anything that is created, built, born or started in some way. If it arises, it has a life cycle and then it falls, thus it is impermanent.

Relate this teaching to business, as well as our everyday lives. People have ideas. They turn them into actions. Organizations are created. Improvements and refinements are made. Products go through their life cycle. Successful business owners know this cycle exists and the longer term successful businesses prepare for the end of that cycle way ahead of time. They prepare for a rebirth of sorts. Businesses that fail do not practice this. They go along; day to day, thinking nothing is changing and everything is great. They look up, only to find they have been left behind.

Sometime a product life cycle is very long and the impermanence is in the process. The concept is the same, though. Successful businesses are constantly assessing their ability to compete in the same marketplace (which is impermanent in its own right) by practicing continuous improvement in their processes and people.

Try relating this simple truth to yourself, both at work and otherwise. If you are older, you know your body, mind, and attitudes are much different than they were years ago. If you’re married, you know that you are not the same person, now as when you first married and neither is your spouse.

If you are an "old timer" in the workplace you have seen the change over the years and adapted. If you are brand new at your job, accept the fact that your workplace will change and you need to change with it.

Psychologists tell us that one of our biggest fears is “change”, yet we live it minute by minute, and day by day. Accept it as an unchangeable truth and not only live with it but contribute to it. You will rest easier for doing so.

For more information about Ken Chapman and Associates’ Leadership Development Programs, contact Ken Chapman at 205.366.0265 or kchapman@leaderscode.com.

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