In The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age, Phil Eastman defines Temperance as "actively demonstrating moderation and self-control in life and leadership." He asserts that discipline and control, with a dash of humility thrown in, are essential in a temperate individual/leader.
In a very real sense, Phil's words about temperance define a people and a culture that are very close to me. You see, I am the descendent of Japanese immigrants who came to the United States in the early 1900s and settled in the Seattle area. They worked hard to earn a living in a new country, but their American dream was cut short when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. Under the terms of the Order, some 120,000 people of Japanese descent living in the United States were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in internment camps. More than two- thirds of those interned were natural born American citizens, and half of those citizens were children.
My grandparents, along with my mother and her brothers who were all born in the U.S., were transported by train from Auburn, Washington, to the Pinedale assembly center near Fresno, California. The blinds on the train windows were tightly drawn, purportedly for their own protection. A short time later, they were transferred to Tule Lake, California, and ultimately to Minidoka, an internment camp in the barren desert of Southwest Idaho.
It was during the time of internment that certain words and phrases became a mantra to those facing an uncertain future in a country that was fearful because of the way they looked. A country that they pledged their allegiance to every day while under armed guard.
Shikata ga nai - It can't be helped, but you must keep going
My Uncle Tak enlisted in the Army and served in the U.S. and abroad. He would visit my Mom and her family in the internment camp while on leave from the military. He told us of a time that he was charged with guarding the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco against attack by the Japanese. Ironically, he was issued a fake wooden rifle, because he looked like the enemy, and therefore could not be trusted with a real weapon. Nevertheless, he diligently performed his duties and completed his military service with distinction. He is gone now, but what a gracious and honorable man he was. In spite of all that he had seen and all that he had experienced, his response to most any crisis, setback or adversity was - "shikata ga nai" as he shook his head and cast his eyes downward in reflection.
Chisai desu ga, tsuyoi desu - Small but strong
My Mother is less than five feet tall on a good perm day. On a crisp fall morning in 1966, my Father was killed in a farming accident and, in that instant, Mom became a widow with five children in her care. Her life was once again turned upside down. She transitioned from the wife of a farmer and a stay-at-home mom, to a full-time, dependable worker at various agricultural, manufacturing and technology companies. She never dated nor remarried, but focused her efforts on providing a wonderful life for her five children. My siblings and I learned discipline and self-control by observing Mom's quiet, yet firm determination. For example, although she did not have the opportunity to obtain an advanced education herself, there was an unspoken expectation that her children would. In every way we tried to show our deep gratitude for her sacrifice and devotion to us. My Mom is one of the best examples of a temperate leader that I know. Today we are all college graduates, and we continue to honor Mom and benefit from her example as she approaches her 85th birthday.
Giri - Menboku - Oyakoko. Duty - Honor - Love for family
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) of the United States Army was an all Japanese- American combat unit during World War II. The families of many of its soldiers were being held in one of ten internment camps across the interior of the U.S. The motto of the 442nd RCT was "Go for Broke." Young men enlisted in the military from the camps while facing prejudice both as civilians and as enlisted men. For some it was a matter of proving their loyalty at any cost. They thought that by proving their loyalty, the situation would be made easier for their families, and things would change. For others, it was just a matter of their civic duty as an American.
The 442nd became the most highly decorated regiment in the history of the United States armed forces, including 21 Medal of Honor recipients. It also had the sad distinction of having the highest combat casualty rate of any regiment. In a famous battle called the Rescue of the Lost Battalion, the 442nd was ordered to rescue 275 men of the Texas Battalion who were trapped on a steep ridge in the forest east of Biffontaine, France. In the end, the 442nd lost over 800 men in the successful rescue of 214 of the original 275 Texans. President Truman, in an unprecedented ceremony at the White House commented, "You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice and you won. You have made the Constitution stand for what it really means; the welfare of all the people, all the time."
Enryo - Humility and graciousness
One of the soldiers awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor was a second lieutenant in the 442nd RCT. He returned home after the war wearing his uniform and medals but minus a hand that was taken away by a German grenade. He tried to enter a barber shop, but was turned away because "we don't cut Jap hair." He walked out of the shop and went into politics. In 1959, that same soldier (Daniel Inouye) became the first U.S. congressman from the new state of Hawaii and in 1962 was elected a
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| June 21, 2000: President Bill Clinton presents Daniel Inouye with the Medal of Honor at a ceremony in the White House |
Senator of the United States. At a ceremony hosted by President Clinton in 2000, Senator Daniel Inouye downplayed the acts of heroism by the 442nd stating simply - "We are not supermen. We are just your neighbors."
Gaman- Enduring adversity with patience and dignity
U.S. Army Historian Eric Saul recalls a conversation he had had with a former internee and now successful businessman named Wally - "His family was sent from Los Angeles to the Santa Anita racetrack, which was an Assembly Center for the Japanese Americans. There, they were put in a horse stall. Before the war, they had a flower shop, they had their own home in Los Angeles, and they were a middle-class family. Now, they were living for weeks in a horse stall that hadn't been cleaned when they moved in, and it stunk of horse manure. Wally's father said to him, 'Remember, a lot of good things grow in horse manure.' It did."
Kodomo no tame ni - For the sake of the children
I think it is safe to say that all immigrants come to this country with dreams of a better life - a richer life for themselves and their families. Such was the case for my grandfather and others who arrived in the United States in 1905. These immigrants married, settled into working-class lives, and started families. Prejudice was rampant at the time, so they often congregated in places like Little Tokyo or Japantown. They were not allowed to own land or become citizens, so those who could afford it purchased land and put it in the name of their American born children. They wanted to make sure that their children never forgot who they were, so they sent them to the American school by day and the Japanese school by night.
With Executive Order 9066, most had no more than two weeks to liquidate businesses, sell assets and say goodbye to friends and neighbors. Their bank accounts were frozen, they were forced to dispose of property for pennies on the dollar (if they were lucky), and their crops were left unharvested. With only two suitcases to hold all of their possessions, they gathered their families and left for an uncertain future, never knowing if they would see their home or friends again. They became a generation without a country. Japan was no longer home, but they were not allowed to become American citizens. As barbed-wire fences and tar-paper barracks greeted them, they said to their children "shikata ga nai" (it can't be helped). They sent their older sons off to war, telling them to fight for their country and to bring honor to their family. With quiet dignity, they watched with pride as their younger children pledged their allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. They impressed upon them the value of hard work and gaman (internal fortitude). With enryo (humility) and oyakoko (love for family), they sacrificed the prime of their lives so that their children could build better lives after the war.
Densho is a Japanese term meaning "to pass on to the next generation," or to leave a legacy. The legacy that has been passed on to me has been left by two temperate generations: the first generation (Issei - my grandparents) exhibiting discipline, self-control and stoicism while facing extreme adversity and uncertainty; and the second generation (Nisei - my parents), with uncompromised courage, valor and humility - helping to define America at its best.
These two generations make up the foundation of who I am (Sansei - third generation) and what I stand for. My ability to be a temperate leader/manager, and to pass this legacy on to the next generation (Yonsei - my daughter), is forever framed against this backdrop of cultural history.
Thank You Very Much
Domo Arigato Gozaimasu
Temperance of character that allows a leader to moderate his or her behavior and demonstrate self-control is a powerful and compelling leadership tool.
Philip H. Eastman II
