What advice would you give instructors in the area of leadership, since they are leaders in their schools and communities?
Tony Robbins answers…
You don’t work on leadership, but your spiritual intent, and that’s not a religious reference. The roots determine whether a plant lives or die, likewise with leadership. When you recognize a great leader, his or her outer persona is merely a reflection of the inner self, in terms of their beliefs and spiritual intent.
All of us start with a fundamental, or egocentric, look at life. This is rampant in the martial arts industry because we attract people who want to conquer and overcome. Egocentric doesn’t mean that you are filled with ego. It means you focus on yourself more than on others. Every human being is wired at birth to fulfill his or her needs first.
Eventually, most of us grow from egocentrism to ethnocentrism. That means that to survive, we can’t just whine and cry and expect to be satisfied first. We must take care of other people. Ethnocentrism means “our central group.” Maybe, it’s your family or the kids on the street. We know either can give us pain or pleasure, so we must take care of them. By necessity, most people become ethnocentric. They care about their group or their little dojo and martial arts approach, as opposed to any other.
The level above that is world-centric, and very few people reach it. World-centric is caring about everyone. You care about others, regardless of how different they may be, not because they can give you pain or pleasure, but because you feel connected to it all. The highest level is spirit-centric: you “feel”: the tree, the butterfly, the lizard and the dog. You are one with everything.
If you are egocentric, then as the head of your dojo, very little power will move towards you because power moves to those who are serving at the highest level. If you are ethnocentric, then you will receive much more power than simply serving yourself. If you are world-centric, then you will experience power; a flow of ideas; and a higher level of physical energy, emotion and spirit because spirit moves the most towards whomever serves the most. If you are spirit-centric, then, not only will you be a great martial artist, but also you will have no difficulty attracting people; they will come to you.
You don’t have to work on your leadership skills as much as your spiritual intent. If your intent is high, then you will seek masters of leadership. That’s what I’ve done throughout my life, and that is why I have those skills, as well. More important than skill is the power that will move towards you when you make the decision to serve.
Listen to the Free Tony Robbins Teleconference: Leadership from the Inside Out
Tony Robbins has long been a favorite of martial arts professionals and enthusiasts. He has contributed to the growth of martial arts and the industry in many ways. In this free NAPMA teleconference, he presents his perspective on leadership, stating, surprisingly, “You don’t have to work on your leadership skills as much as you do your spiritual intent. If your intent is high, you will seek out masters in the area of leadership.” Visit NAPMA.com/TonyRobbins for more information.
