Doug Cartland's Four-Minute Leadership Advisory
Doug Cartland, Inc.
12/17/2013

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There are world leaders that pitch disdain at the United Nations because they fear a universal consensus potentially usurps their own nationalism. In other words, they want to control their own international destinies and not hand their futures over to a decision-making body that does not have as their primary concern the interest of their particular nation.

 

It's a delicate balance, this assuring a nation's autonomy, but making them play well with fellow nations at the same time.

 

Still, I think that anyone who derides the United Nations as a worthless enterprise is foolish and short-sited. It's an imperfect organization, but it would be because it's run by imperfect human beings. The purpose it serves, however, serves us all.

 

The idea of having a big table where all the players can come to talk simply makes sense.

 

And then if there can be some agreed upon rules that all need to adhere to and are held accountable for, all the better. To wit, no one attacks another nation from a motive of empire building, and the only time a weapon is picked up is to defend.

 

Of course, that's the rub. That's what strong nationalists hate-these agreed upon rules. But nationalists need to get their head out of-ok I'll tone it down-the sand. We deal in a big world with lots of diverse players. Players we have to understand, engage, negotiate with and hold mutually accountable.

 

Friction is usually born of misunderstanding. Wars are generally caused by it. Any tool that can reduce the amount of friction (misunderstanding) is a worthwhile tool.

 

All of this hit home again to me when I recently read Kofi Annan's 2012 book, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace. Annan was the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. He, jointly with the United Nations, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for bringing new life to the organization.

 

Some of his stories will make your hair stand up-or fall out depending.

 

Scoff all you want at the purpose and success level of the United Nations, but the effort it takes to try to get people communicating after centuries of distrust and imbedded traditions of prejudice and hate, is simply astonishing.

 

It's hard enough to get two people with hard feelings talking at work...imagine the scope of the effort at the UN.

 

I'm grateful that mostly sincere people are taking the challenge on.

 

Wow.

 

As an aside...a nice leadership principle Annan exampled in his book:

 

When Annan dove into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict he said, "Whatever the divisions of the UN membership, I resolved as Secretary-General I should be an active agent of peace. I realized this depended in large part on whether all the players in the region had confidence in me personally, regardless of their views of the organization itself." (Italics his.)

 

Indeed, who you are is more important than the business you work for.

 

Life and business is all about the building of relationships, person to person not business to business. And a business with a poor reputation, earned or not, changes that reputation only by the reputation of the individuals that work for it...particularly the leader.

 

Annan chipped away at monumental tasks by right principles. It's a long-view effort that takes time and an absurd amount of patience.

 

Still, they are worthy tasks...done a worthy way.

 

Note: There will be no Leadership Advisory for the next two weeks because of the holidays. Enjoy them, be safe and I'll see you in January!

 

Peace.
I'd love to hear from you. Reply to this email and let me know your thoughts. 

 

Doug

 

Doug Cartland, President
Doug Cartland, Inc.

 

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