“The discipline of desire…”

 

 

 

In my business, its extremely common to get email updates on performance issues/budgets/forecasts regularly…. certainly, daily and occasionally, even hourly!  Early this week, one of my key leaders (way to go David!!) sent an early morning forecast update (NOT filled with good news) that included a reference to John Locke to make a point.  On a dark, early February morning in Bakersfield California let’s just say I was not expecting a quote from one of the “fathers of the enlightenment!”  I won’t go into too much detail, but John Locke, a moral and political philosopher lived at the end of the 17^th century, was a contemporary and “pal” of Sir Isaac Newton and had a great deal of influence on the thinking of the “Founding Fathers” of our country.  

 

While not the quote referenced in the early morning email, the note reminded me of one of my favorite John Locke quotes:

 

“The Discipline of desire is the background of character”

 

I have written often in this blog about the idea of the “character” of leaders; specifically commenting on authenticity and integrity ( vs charisma and affectation) as the “foundation” of successful leaders.  ( see: https://fylegacy.blogspot.com/2009/06/authenticity-foundation-of-leadership.html)  While these ideas deeply ring true, Locke’s “nudge” about the “discipline of desire” caught my attention this week and is worth exploring.

 

In today’s landscape of political or business leaders and their impromptu tweets, salacious social media posts, or headline grabbing prognostications, Locke’s concept of “discipline” seems a touch old fashioned or out of step.  

 

Discipline: noun, the ability to control yourself, or other people, even in difficult situations. 

 

In a fast-changing world that in my view is full of “difficult situations,” the ability to “control yourself” is the starting spot.  For me, the past six months have really put this to the test; months that combined challenging business issues exacerbated by intense weather pressures.  I found myself in mid-January absolutely at my wits end and faced an unusual “test” during a leadership mtg that I called and lead.  I had pulled together a group of top leaders to do a “deep dive” into current performance and to rebuild the “big-rocks” that should be our focus for the back half of our fiscal year.  The meeting was intense as everyone started seeing the business trends and challenges in the same stark light that I perceived.  

 

I could tell that my patience and energy were at a low point, after months or very tough business results and weeks of “bomb-cyclone” rains, so instead of hanging around grabbing some pizza with the team, I quietly headed back to my apartment.  This act was out of character for me ( I love to hang with the team!!) but at that moment, in that situation, I knew that if I hung around that night I might have said something, or shared something that I would regret….I was frustrated and tired and thought he best plan was to “control” my situation and head back to the apartment in Bakersfield.  A close friend called a couple of hours later trying to find out “where I went” and I shared that I was down, tired, and needed to crash… nothing dramatic, just needed a break.  

 

While that low point in mid-January is in the rear-view mirror today, I think back to is as a good reminder of the need for leaders to stay in control…to be focused on the “discipline of desire” … as a way certainly to build character personally but as a method of positive impact for their teams.  Think about challenging moments yourselves that you may be facing today, or in the days to come, and find ways to keep your self-awareness high and stay in-control and disciplined as you navigate the “difficult times” ahead.