Greetings!
Yes, it is the twelfth anniversary of 911 today. For the last twelve years, stepped-up security has become the norm throughout. Fear and suspicion have increased over trust and building relationships. Whole nations penalized because of the actions of a few. Do you think this is so? I say that cultures which were once known for building good character in their people have fallen into decay, and external authoritarian control mechanisms have insidiously been tightening their tentacles and filling every available nook and cranny in society. If ever a time was when character-centric leaders needed to make their presence felt, it is now.  The science fiction short story collection "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov was made into a film with the same name in 2004. In the film, robots serve humans in many spheres, and have been programmed based on the "Three Laws" never to cause or allow harm to any human by either action or inaction on their part. A supercomputer, VIKI (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) determines that humans are too self-destructive and formulates its own "Zeroth Law", permitting newer-model robots to kill humans if that meant the preservation of most of humanity. VIKI is eventually destroyed and the day is saved through the efforts of both Sonny the robot and Spooner the detective with a robotic arm (Will Smith). That will suffice for now, you could look it up on your own if you like. In this, my parody of the film title, I will describe what I mean by "I, Leader" using analogies to "I, Robot". "I, Leader", too, ought to be manifesting in his behaviour these Three Laws: 1. "I, Leader" must inspire my constituents towards ennobling goals, especially through the cultivation of good habits, both in myself and in them. 2. "I, Leader" will consciously and deliberately act according to universal, non-negotiable principles when serving my constituents. 3. "I, Leader" commit to continuously growing in wisdom, knowledge and understanding myself so that I may serve my constituents better, even as they grow themselves. If you and I commit to these Three Laws, we will all be well on our way towards attaining unto all that we were meant to do and to be, inspiring our people to be their best also. In ways that would far transcend anything Sonny and his compatriots could have done. Have a great week of Being and Serving ahead! |
