Best Of Zen

Do. Be. Do. Be. Do.

If money were no object, would you still work where you do now?  Is it your calling? Or is it just a job, a stepping stone in a career?

The final law cited in Chopra's Seven Spiritual Laws of Success acknowledges the power of calling--living a life of purpose or dharma.  In the last chapter, Chopra challenges us to know ourselves, to harness our unique talents in service to humanity.

Dharma is also the seventh and final attribute summarized in the 7 Measures of Success: the importance of aligning an association's work--its products and services--around its mission. 

The authors note that remarkable associations not only speak passionately about fulfilling their mission, they constantly test their ideas for products against that mission. "To find the right mix of products and services that align with their missions, remarkable associations willingly engage in experimentation.  They doggedly protect their core purpose and related activities while investigating new initiatives."

So while the 7 Measures of Success describe what differentiates good and great associations, I believe Chopra's seven spiritual laws animate them.  For one, I can only try to follow the recommended practice in both of these remarkable little books. 

Do less. Be more.  Evolve.  Find your passion and act on it.  And, as Frank Sinatra crooned, "Do. Be. Do. Be. Do."

Detachment

At the heart of the 7 Measures of Success, and Jim Collins' work, is a commitment to analysis and objective feedback. 

Both the study authors and Collins believe that the single most important attribute of organizations that make the leap from good to great is the reliance on data to shape decisions:  "If it's one thing that sets remarkable associations apart from their counterparts, it's 'Data, data, data.' They gather information, analyze it, and then use it to become even better."

Chopra arrives at the same end through different means. The sixth of his Seven Spiritual Laws of Success is detachment.  By letting go of results, by allowing yourself and those around you to be as they are, detachment gives you that objective space to find the answer.  He also describes detachment as acceptance of uncertainty.

"You can look at every problem you have in your life as an opportunity for some greater benefit," Chopra writes.  "You can stay alert to opportunities by being grounded in the wisdom of uncertainty.  When your preparedness meets opportunity, the solution will spontaneously appear."

Data, data, data.  Detachment, detachment, detachment.

Clarity

Intention and desire are the fifth of Deepak Chopra's Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.  If you know where you are going and can define success with clarity, you can live in the moment and find the way of least effort to achieve your goals.

Seems straightforward enough, but how many of us have that kind of clarity?  Do you know what would really make you happy?   In Stumbling On Happiness, Daniel Gilbert talks about our psychological immune system that makes us resilient in the face of trauma, but more than a little delusional when it comes to knowing our intentions and desires.

Living with intention, purpose, frees us from distraction and keeps us focused on what matters.

In the 7 Measures of Success, intention is expressed through the attribute of dialog and engagement, how we as an association of members, stakeholders, and employees describe in great detail what success looks like, continuously refining the means we use to achieve it. 

Effective leaders bring clarity to mission-driven organizations. Think big, but narrow your focus on what really matters.

Do less.

The fourth Spiritual Law of Success is "The Law of Least Effort."  Do less, and accomplish more.   "Least effort is expended when your actions are motivated by love," Deepak Chopra writes. "When you seek power and control over other people, you waste energy."

Acceptance is the first step toward harnessing the law of least effort, neither blaming others nor being defensive.  Together, we are not defenseless, but the law of least effort requires that we abandon being defensive.

The 7 Measures of Success identifies alliance building as one of the attributes of remarkable associations.  "Secure in who they are and what they bring to the table, these associations communicate clear expectations for each specific partnership and do not hesitate to walk away if a win-win situation does not materialize."

"The Law of Least Effort " is an inherent guide alliance building.  Forcing a fit, overcoming resistance to make it work, should set off alarms.  Complimentary missions and goals, trusted relationships, are the norm, not the exception.

Do less. Be more.

Cause and Effect

The third Spiritual Law of Success is karma, conscious choice-making.  Karma is more than a spirit of "what goes around, comes around." Deepak Chopra says that karma reflects the simultaneous nature of cause and effect.  By becoming fully conscious of the consequences of our actions, we can determine our own destiny.

In the 7 Measures of Success, one of the seven attributes of remarkable associations is organizational adaptability.  When confronted with a crisis, the great associations quickly assessed the situation and took action.  According to the study, the other associations tended to continue what they were already doing, working harder, and hoping the extra effort would resolve the crisis.

The truly remarkable associations also know what not to change, and are never diverted from their mission and core purpose. They weigh the consequences of their actions, but if they are comfortable with the fit, quickly adapt and change.

What are your criteria for success?  What will get you where you need to go?

Generosity

The second of Deepak Chopra's Seven Spiritual Laws of Success is the law of giving--a willingness to give what we seek.  Without the capacity to give away what we want from others, we are trapped in the refrain of Mary Chapin Carpenter's song, It Don't Bring You:

I should've known that luck's a waste of time
'Cause it don't bring you love if you don't love
And it don't bring you time if you ain't got time
And it don't bring you strength, baby, if you ain't strong
And it don't bring you kindness if you ain't kind

In the 7 Measures of Success, one of the seven attributes that distinguishes great associations is a member-oriented mindset, a customer service culture.  Many who hear about this finding laugh because it seems like such a no brainer.  The report stresses, however, this attitude of service goes far beyond how we answer the telephone or respond to inquiries.

"Remarkable associations build their structures, processes, and interactions--their entire culture--around assessing and fulfilling members' needs and expectations." 

The more you give away, the more you get.  By serving, members serve the larger mission.  Conscious of who we are and what we do, employees do more than anyone could ask.

Be the culture. Silently wish everyone you encounter happiness, joy, and laughter, and experience what you give away.

Idea Brokers

The first of  Deepak Chopra's Spiritual Laws of Success is the law of pure potentiality or consciousness. Through a twice-daily practice of silent meditation, suspending judgment to be present in the moment, you can become increasingly open to all the possibilities presented to you throughout the day. 

In the 7 Measures of Success, one of the seven attributes that distinguishes great associations is having a CEO who is a broker of ideas, a leader who withholds judgment to explore possibilities. 

Yet, in a world of problem-solvers, it is difficult to create the space for exploration and true innovation.  The most effective are designers, disciplined in remaining open to input.

The association leader needs to acquire the discipline of remaining open to new ideas, to be the designer loathe to close off exploration. Be the idea broker. Suspend judgment.

Be more.

7 Spiritual Laws of Success

Best-selling author Deepak Chopra offers an important perspective on the attainment of success.  "Once we understand our true nature and learn to live in harmony with natural law, a sense of well-being, good health, fulfilling relationships, energy and enthusiasm for life, and material abundance spring forth easily and effortlessly." 

Grounded in a deep appreciation of a life well-lived, Chopra's slim guide distills the wisdom of the ages and offers up a way of living that will guarantee success.  In contrast to the 7 Measures of Success, a research-based book on what differentiates the management practices of great associations, the 7 Spiritual Laws of Success identifies the source of the energy and power of leaders of great associations.

The seven spiritual laws are:

• potentiality - be more
• giving - best wishes
• cause and effect - choices
• least effort - harmony
• intention - clarity
• detachment - possibilities
• purpose - flow

7 Measures of Success

Published by ASAE and the Center for Association Leadership, 7 Measures for Success is the result of a four-year study based on Good to Great author Jim Collin's work and informal mentorship.

"The power of the Center's research lies not just in what the team found but equally in what it did not find," Collins writes in the foreword.  The member-driven vs. staff driven conundrum is debunked as are other myths about board size, board selection, reserve ratios, and whether the best CEOs come from industry or the ranks of association managers.

The factors that do predict which associations make the quantum leap from good to great are both simple and profound. Do what counts, the study says.  Count what you do. The seven measures are grouped as three commitments:

Commitment to Purpose

• Service Culture
• Mission-driven Work

Commitment to Analysis and Feedback

• Data-driven Decisions
• Dialog and Engagement
• CEO as Idea Broker

Commitment to Action

• Adaptability
• Alliances

7 x 7

Recently, the American Society of Association Executives and Center for Association Leadership published a report on a four-year research project entitled the 7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don't.

At the same time this book was released, a friend gave me a copy of Deepak Chopra's Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.  Although I had never read this best selling author's work, I can see why he has a following.

Reading these books in tandem raised some interesting comparisons for me, so over the next ten days, I will work through them, 7 x 7, in this space, and see where it goes.