CHAPTER 6Discover Your Innate Wisdom
If you were asked to name a leader who exemplifies innate wisdom, Genghis Khan probably wouldn't be on the top of your list. He wouldn't even make your list. However, even history's tough guys couldn't have made their marks on the world if they weren't tapped into their innate wisdom. The mythology of Genghis Khan concludes he was a ruthless, brutish figure. However, he was far more complex than that. After winning a battle and suppressing existing rulers, the khan turned from a savage conqueror into a seemingly benevolent overlord. Religious freedom, meritocracy, women's rights, education and learning, and abolishing torture were all fixtures of his empire.1
Leaders today can learn a lesson from the Mongol paradox of tough and tender. The CEO who fights a shareholder activist trying to steal and plunder her company. A single parent who has two jobs while raising three kids. Without real mental toughness, neither the CEO nor the single dad could survive. But toughness alone is just half of the battle. The other half is mental tenderness. Without mental tenderness, the single dad will exhaust himself and neglect to nurture himself and his family; the CEO will spend too much time fighting, alienate ...
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