To lead your self?

For A Leader — John O’Donohue May you have the grace and wisdom To act kindly, learningTo distinguish between what isPersonal and what is not. May you be hospitable to criticism. May you never put yourself at the centre of things. May you act not from arrogance but out of service. May you work on yourself,Building up and refining the ways of your mind. May those who work for you knowYou see and respect them. May you learn to cultivate the art of presenceIn order to engage with those who meet you. When someone fails or disappoints you,May the graciousness with which you engageBe their stairway to renewal and refinement. May you treasure the gifts of the mindThrough reading and creative thinkingSo that you continue as a servant of the frontierWhere the new will draw its enrichment from the old,And you never become functionary. May you know the wisdom of deep listening,The healing of wholesome words,The encouragement of the appreciative gaze,The decorum of held dignity,The springtime…