Column

After I gave a speech for a major telecommunications company, a woman walked up to me with tears in her eyes. “Robin, there was a man who actually lived your message. He died a few months ago. He was my dad.” She paused, and looked down at the floor.

“Five thousand people showed up at his funeral,” she said. “The whole town was there.” Was your dad a well known businessperson?” I asked. “No,” she replied. “A popular politician?” I wondered. “No,” she whispered. “Was your father some kind of a local celebrity?” “No Robin, he wasn’t at all.” “Then why did five thousand people come to your dad’s funeral?” I had to ask.

Another long pause. “They came because my father was a man who always had a smile on his face. He was the kind of person who was always the first to help someone. He always treated people well and was unfailingly polite. He walked the earth ever so lightly. Five thousand people showed up at my dad’s funeral because he was good.”

Whatever happened to valuing being good? Reality TV shows exhibit the worst of human behaviour. We see music superstars who swear every five seconds. We read about corporate leaders who fill their pockets to buy bigger boats while shareholders lose their life savings. Greed isn’t good. Some people laugh at the notion of being nice and decent and noble. “That’s a sign of weakness,” I hear. Nope. It’s a sign of strength. Soft is hard.

It’s easy to put yourself first. It’s easy to get angry when someone disagrees with you. It’s easy to complain or condemn or take the path of least resistance. What takes guts is to stand for something higher, to behave greater and to be of service to others. Like Mandela. Like Gandhi. Like King.

Sorry for ranting but this is a big topic for me. I’ll be the first to tell you I’m far from perfect. But I’ll tell you one thing -- I do my best to be good. That quest keeps me up at night. And I hold myself to a standard far higher then anyone could ever expect for me. Do I always get it right? No. Do I always model my message? No. I try each day, but I slip sometimes.

I’m not saying that treating people with respect means you don’t hold them to high standards and expect excellence from them. It doesn’t mean you don’t set boundaries and get tough when you have to. Showing leadership isn’t about being liked by all. It’s about doing what’s right. And what’s good.

—Robin Sharma is the author of The Greatness Guide (Jaico)