How can mavericks be better? As I sat around the group of monks, some bearded and some bald, carousing in the Sun Palace—our monk lounge area—I began to shuffle my cards and prepare my last question of the merry evening. I was anointed master of ceremonies for my guru’s 70th Jayanti (birthday), and had to coordinate the evening with speeches, gifts, storytelling and questions. We always made sure to ask my guru the deepest questions after a glass of wine because he would go from reticent to loquacious.
“Seeing as how we are accomplished,” I started out, “prepared, well-developed, sharp and educated under a system of discipline and routine, how then are we to be better?”
Everyone put down their glasses and leaned in closer to my guru so they could grab each and every syllable he spoke aloud and put them in their robes for later.
How can mavericks be better? “We are to never get angry, frustrated or disturbed with one another anymore. Cease to have disagreements, allow others to be wrong, and remember your training.”
My guru did not speak much, but when he did everyone listened. That night, the monks were humbly reminded that even though we contained great power within us and as an organisation, we were still falling prey to our emotions.
And so I remind even the accomplished ones, the mavericks, leaders of thought and action, the independent-minded, keep your emotions in check, never walk into anger or frustration without intelligence, and allow others to be wrong.
Strong minded individuals need to not only have intelligence, but also compassion. We may see another way to move forward or excel, and we might even be able to have a solution that the team needs—but it will fall on deaf ears and be ill-received if eloquence and grace is not added to passion. Be patient knowing that everyone can have a good idea, and remember that the synergy of your energy and power combined with an entire team turns a maverick into an empire.