ANCHORING DECISION-MAKING WITH A COMMUNITY WORLDVIEW: FOR AN UNCERTAIN CHANGING FUTURE

“People must help one another. It is natural law.” Jean De La Fontaine

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The book series I wrote about value-based business leadership in China was written for days like this. In many ways, the book series is a deep personal story about my life and how I found positive meaning in human relationships and organizational leadership practice. Looking back, my journey made me who I am today. I never conceived of writing a book about me and my leadership thinking at this point in my life.
My leadership discussion focus is on China for various personal and professional reasons, but my approach to leadership is based on universal relationship and leadership values that apply to all human beings in all relationship contexts. The book series places that emphasis on the detailed application of the universal relationship and leadership values in the unique Chinese cultural context I experienced over about 20 years.

Given that we all have values in support of what we think, and values that are behind the decisions we make and action we take, I to came to terms with what I actually believed. It was so freeing. Instead of being tossed around by disquieting expectations and pressures from others, I needed to determine what fundamentally motivated me and would serve as a stable anchor for decision-making in a rapidly changing world. Universal values would give me and others stability, ability to relate to and lead others, adapt better to changing times, and give me peace and confidence.

This short paper describes how and why I came to believe what I do to be most effective in relationships and organizational leadership roles. I am still learning at my age. It has not been an easy journey for me, because I had to reframe much of my thinking and beliefs to be where I am today. All without much support from anyone. That meant taking relationship risks with people I loved and cared about deeply. I feared rejection and at times lost the will to live. I came through.

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