Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: May Khadem, Lessons in Leadership, bahai-library.com.
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Lessons in las respuestas son excedentemente más
complejas y requieren un cambio comple-
Leadership to de pensamiento, orientación y compor-
tamiento que nos incluyen. Este ensayo
es sobre un viaje personal de aprendizaje
MAY KHADEM acerca del liderazgo el cual revela suposi-
ciones falsas ampliamente compartidas
Abstract que han llevado a muchos fuera de rumbo
As individual health professionals and al atender los desafíos en la lucha contra
institutions struggle to address health la ceguera.
disparities worldwide, it becomes in-
creasingly apparent that the answers are Despite the trillions of dollars spent
exceedingly complex and require a com- on addressing health challenges in the
plete change in thinking, orientation, and world over the past several decades,
behavior that includes ourselves. This pa- the problems of extreme poverty,
per is about a personal journey of learn- hunger, disease, and social injustice
ing about leadership that reveals widely remain dire. The world has failed to
shared false assumptions that have led address the well-recognized major
many off course in addressing the chal-
global issues of our time—climate
lenges in the fight against blindness as
change, pollution, economic failure,
well as other public health concerns.
extreme inequality, homelessness, and
Résumé violence, among many others.
Au fur et à mesure que les professionnels According to the World Economic
de la santé et les institutions s’efforcent Forum’s 2015 “Survey on the Global
de remédier aux inégalités en matière de Agenda,” a surprising eighty-six per-
santé dans le monde, il devient de plus en cent of respondents perceived a global
plus clair que les réponses sont extrême- crisis in leadership. The most distrust-
ment complexes et exigent un change- ed were religious leaders, followed by
ment radical de nos façons de penser, de leaders in government, business, and
nos orientations et de nos comportements. non-governmental agencies (14–16).
Le présent document décrit un chemine- Even heads of charitable organiza-
ment personnel d’apprentissage du lead-
tions were suspect, with only half of
ership qui dévoile de fausses hypothèses
the respondents showing confidence
largement répandues qui ont mené bien
in them. Among the key ingredients
des gens à faire fausse route en tentant de
relever les défis qui se posent dans la lutte identified for successful leadership
contre la cécité. were morality, prioritization of social
justice, empathy, collaboration, cour-
Resumen age, a global perspective, long-term
A medida que individuos profesionales de planning, and good communication
la salud e instituciones luchan por atender skills (14–16). Ironically, when the
disparidades de salud alrededor del mun- World Health Organization (WHO)
do, se vuelve cada vez más aparente que evaluated its initiative “Health for All
56 The Journal of Bahá’í Studies 28.4 2018

by the Year 2000,”1 a global plan to solution seemed very simple to me—
provide primary healthcare to all the go to these countries, find the blind
world’s citizens, the initiative itself people, and cure them!
was deemed a failure—not because of Well, I have since learned that all
lack of resources or know-how, but is not so simple. In fact, respond-
for lack of “moral leadership” (WHO, ing to such a problem is exceedingly
“Report” 7). complicated. As it turns out, it is not
When I started my career as a sufficient that individuals be treated;
young ophthalmologist, I was very rather, whole systems must simulta-
idealistic. I knew there was a lot of un- neously be transformed. And to treat
necessary blindness in the world, and I problems at a systemic level, one needs
wanted to be part of the solution. At unity of vision and purpose. In short,
the time—in the early 1990s—it was the key to bringing about a solution is
estimated that there were 45 million leadership. To support this argument,
blind people and another 200 million I would like to share my journey of
with low vision (WHO, “Vision 2020” learning about leadership over more
3). These numbers have not changed than thirty years of work, spanning
significantly over the past few decades thirteen projects in ten different
(WHO, “Blindness: Vision 2020”). countries.
Most visual impairment—almost
eighty percent—is avoidable; that is, it EMBARKING ON A JOURNEY
is either curable or preventable (WHO,
“Blindness and Vision Impairment”). I started my career working for the
“What an opportunity,” I thought. I International Eye Foundation in a
presumed that surely those dedicated project funded by USAID2 in the Ca-
to the fight against blindness should ribbean island nation of Grenada, a
be able to address its leading causes tiny country less than ten by twenty
worldwide. Since half of blindness miles with a population of 100,000.
was due to cataracts and a simple op- After the United States invaded the
eration could restore sight, at least this country in the mid-1980s, the lo-
particular cause could be easily treat- cal infrastructure had to be rebuilt.
ed. The global blindness prevention The project in which I was involved
community had knowledge and skills, sought to create and make sustainable
and all that was needed was to mobi- a national eye care system from the
lize these resources. Since most of the ground up. Almost ninety percent of
people blinded by cataracts lived in 2 United States Agency for Inter-
poor and middle-income countries, the national Development, an independent
1 For more details, please see the World agency of the US federal government that
Health Organization’s “Declaration of is primarily responsible for administer-
Alma-Ata.” International Conference on ing civilian foreign aid and development
Primary Health Care, 1978. assistance.
Lessons in Leadership 57

blindness and visual impairment in the While the inhabitants accepted it, they
world occurs in low and middle-in- understandably resented it. We had
come countries where fewer resources never before witnessed such distrust
are available, and Grenada was such of foreigners, sometimes even man-
a country (WHO, “Vision 2020” 3). ifested as open hostility. It surprised
There, I learned that it is possible to us, but it also forced us to re-examine
transform an entire healthcare system our assumptions. We learned our first
and make it sustainable. Grenada went important lesson there.
from being a country with no modern
eye care to one in which comprehen- Lesson 1: Charity is not a long-term
sive eye services became available— solution. It has a role in times of cri-
and are still functioning to this day. sis and for disaster relief, but to use it
At the time, I wasn’t really sure what long-term is harmful. It disempowers
the essential prerequisites for success local resources, creates dependency,
were, but the experience changed the and strips people of their dignity.
course of my life.
When I returned to the United I have come to believe that in many
States almost three years later, I joined cases, sustained charity is like giv-
an ophthalmology practice in Chica- ing sugar to a diabetic who is having
go, but my heart was still taken with a hypoglycemic episode. It may be
health development in areas of need. life-saving in the short term, but it
And so, for the next two years, togeth- exacerbates the illness if continued
er with some colleagues, I made short long-term. When we reflected on our
visits to the Turks and Caicos Islands learning with other like-minded col-
and to Guyana to offer services where leagues, we realized that we shared
resources were lacking. many experiences. We tried to imag-
Turks and Caicos was particularly ine what a Bahá’í-inspired effort might
underserved: eye care, and eye sur- look like. How would the approach
gery in particular, were only available to health development be different if
intermittently through the Interna- it were informed by the vision of the
tional Eye Foundation (the sponsor of oneness of humanity and the imper-
my work in Grenada),3 which would ative of social justice? In 1991, we
recruit ophthalmologists to travel had the opportunity to make a trip
there for surgery every six months to Albania just after the government
or so. This method of ministering to had transitioned from a dictatorship
eye care in Turks and Caicos had been that had kept it isolated from the rest
going on for years; the country was of the world for over fifty years. We
totally dependent on foreign charity. assembled a group of three physicians
3 Details regarding the work of this in different specialties (a pediatrician,
foundation can be found on its website: a dermatologist, and an ophthal-
www.iefusa.org. mologist), together with a teacher, a
58 The Journal of Bahá’í Studies 28.4 2018

nutritionist, and a businessman, and in this space did: a combination of
went on a fact-finding mission to Al- charity and technical assistance. At
bania, hoping to find opportunities for the time, “capacity-building” was the
service where we might experiment new buzzword among organizations
with a different model. Meanwhile, working in development. It sounded
one of the colleagues we were con- great, but in reality, it was reduced to
sulting with had been a volunteer in “technical transfer of knowledge,”—
Honduras at Hospital Bayan, also a still an improvement over the tradi-
Bahá’í-inspired initiative, and encour- tional model, whereby visiting experts
aged us to collaborate more closely would provide all the care.
with that institution. We had also been One of Health for Humanity’s ini-
encouraged by then-member of the tiatives had developed into a ten-year
Universal House of Justice Dr. David project5 to help develop eye services
Ruhe to collaborate with the Bahá’í in Albania, which, due to its fifty-year
community in Guyana in their efforts isolation, still had services and in-
to provide health services for the Am- stitutions pre-dating World War II.
erindian population in the Rupununi Through this project, we got busy
region of Guyana. As these oppor- providing training by sending volun-
tunities developed into projects, the teers to Albania to offer it locally and
need to formalize our efforts resulted by sending the local ophthalmologists
in the founding in 1992 of Health for abroad for more specialized versions.
Humanity, a Bahá’í-inspired health de- We equipped six eye centers (Tirana,
velopment organization. Vlorë, Peshkopi, Shkodër, Korçë, and
We began by applying for grants Elbasan) so that the entire country
and undertook efforts to address a would have access to eye care services.
variety of health concerns, including We also helped to develop a resident
the leading causes of blindness. Based training program at the University
on our past experiences and through Eye Hospital in Tirana.
study of others’ learnings,4 we ap- Throughout the project, we noticed
preciated the fact that we had to focus problems: some equipment ended
on building local capacity rather than up in places we did not intend, some
creating dependency on charity. The went missing, and local decision-mak-
problem was that we really did not ing favored nepotism and short-term
know how to go about doing this. We agendas. If we were to bring about
did what most organizations working meaningful transformation, some-
4 In particular, we read messages on thing was missing. It seemed to us an
social and economic development written ethical framework that all could agree
by the Universal House of Justice in 1983 to might protect the project from
and 1993, as well as guidance from the Of- 5 Funded mostly by the Open Society
fice of Social and Economic Development Institute (www.opensocietyfoundations.
at the Bahá’í World Centre. org), as well as a number of smaller donors.
Lessons in Leadership 59

these problems, but at the time, we did our program. Although several proj-
not know how to achieve this. This is ects received this training, we had to
when we learned our next important face the fact that we did not have an
lesson. effective way to measure its impact or
a means whereby we could incorporate
Lesson 2: “Capacity-building” is not it in a systematic way. Our work in this
just technical transfer of knowledge. arena was thus a bit haphazard. We re-
ally did not have a deep insight into its
Halfway through the project, we came transformative power until ten years
across the work of Dr. Eloy Anello later, when we did an evaluation of the
and the training in “moral leadership” Albania Eye Project at its termination,
he developed at Nur University, which reviewing the work at the six eye cen-
he had founded in rural Bolivia.6 The ters and interviewing doctors, nurses,
training he had instigated was struc- residents, and patients to understand
tured to help participants explore the changes that had occurred.
their assumptions about leadership, The first thing we noticed was that
human nature, and dysfunctional ways the doctors we had trained had become
of thinking that interfere with mean- quite prosperous, with beautiful homes
ingful progress. Once participants de- and luxurious lifestyles. Eye services
velop these insights, they are assisted were available throughout the coun-
in embracing those particular ethical try, and the ophthalmologists were
principles that will become a founda- well-trained. Albanians could receive
tion for their work. We all felt this quality eye care at centers accessible
conceptual framework might help us. to them, and the cataract surgery rate
Consequently, with the help of Dr. had increased more than twentyfold.
Anello (and of his colleagues),7 we Some patients were even coming from
began to introduce this training into nearby Kosovo and Macedonia for
the Albania Eye Project and into a treatment. Naturally, we deemed all
new project we had just undertaken to this to be a propitious result.
combat river blindness in Cameroon. But we also learned about anoth-
The participants’ response to this er outcome that was, instead, very
training was very enthusiastic, even disturbing. Those receiving this care
quite moving. As a result, we became were the same people who used to get
convinced that this framework for it in nearby countries, such as Greece
training would be a helpful addition to or Italy. In other words, those who
6 For details, please visit www.nur.edu. could afford the services were the ones
7 We are greatly indebted to Charles who had access. However, the people
Howard and John Kepner for their dedi- who could not afford to pay—the very
cated assistance with this training for the populace we were most concerned
staff in Chicago and for projects in Alba- about—were still not receiving care.
nia, Cameroon, Mongolia, and Argentina. The problem of avoidable blindness,
60 The Journal of Bahá’í Studies 28.4 2018

while perhaps somewhat less urgent, its incorporation into the nursing
was still very much a problem! school curriculum.
Then, in the course of interview- We were so excited to learn about
ing the staff we had worked with, the training’s impact that we re-in-
we had a breakthrough. At the end terviewed the attending doctors and
of every interview, we would ask if residents. One former resident told us:
they wished to share anything we had
not specifically asked about. The head The training completely changed
nurse told us: the way we worked. Before, we
didn’t even know each other’s
The leadership training changed names and everyone was competi-
my life; it was the best part of the tive and private with information.
project . . . You gave the nurses After, we saw that it is better
value. It helped us to appreci- for us to help each other and to
ate ourselves . . . After that, I share information. We were much
changed my style of communica- happier after and learned more.
tion with those under me. They (Health for Humanity)
saw a difference in me and they
liked it. It changed them too. However, a senior doctor summed up
They work differently now. Since the sentiments of his colleagues by
I changed my behavior with my saying, “It was like a good movie. It
subordinates, they changed their was great at the time, but when it was
behavior with each other and over, it was over” (Health for Humani-
with the patients. It was a new ty). Since the nurses, the ones with the
experience . . . . The way we orga- least agency in the healthcare hierar-
nize our work changed complete- chy, were most impacted by the train-
ly . . . . We never used to prepare ing, and the senior doctors the least,
the patients for surgery. We never we concluded that the impact was in-
said anything to them. We talk to versely proportional to the degree of
patients now. We explain every- agency people had. The residents felt
thing and answer their questions. the impact, though to a lesser degree
We have a new relationship with than the nurses. The senior doctors
each other and with the patients. only recalled a pleasant memory, but it
Even the doctors are happier. We did not change their behavior.
have a new vision now . . . and it What we had witnessed seemed
is growing as we learn more . . . to be a powerful way to mobilize the
(Health for Humanity) talents of the entire workforce. We
came to believe that if this kind of
He told us he had provided the moral training were intimately woven into
leadership training for his staff and he all aspects of medical and surgical
even took the initiative of arranging training, it could help create a shared
Lessons in Leadership 61

ethical/moral framework that all Health for Humanity. The survey was
would be more likely to honor. Clear- sent out to 147 individuals. Of these,
ly, without such a framework to guide sixty-one responded, a 41% return.
decision-making, healthcare workers’ The survey results showed that of the
technical skills and knowledge would total respondents, 93% felt that moral
not necessarily benefit their communi- values were essential to their success;
ty. In some instances, they might even 83% said effective leadership is a sig-
cause harm if used for personal gain nificant challenge for them; 66% stated
at the expense of patients’ welfare. that technical training failed to deliver
And so it was that we encountered the the desired results; 54% were having
next lesson in this organic process of significant problems with honesty
learning about building capacity. and trustworthiness; and 32% said
their projects were struggling or not
Lesson 3: True capacity-building has effective at all. Almost all stated that
an indispensable spiritual dimension. some equipment or funds were divert-
ed to unintended uses in their projects.
Throughout this period, Health for When asked to rate the ingredients for
Humanity was collaborating with success, 74% rated moral values and eth-
WHO and with the International ical behavior as the most important and
Agency for the Prevention of Blind- surgical skill and academic knowledge
ness (IAPB)8 and sharing learning as the least important! When asked to
with other non-governmental orga- prioritize ingredients for success, the
nizations working in this area. We top three were strong core values, ser-
met annually and reviewed progress vice orientation, and honesty. These
toward the goal of an initiative called respondents were the global leaders in
“Vision 2020: The Right to Sight,” their field and, to our amazement, they
a global plan for the elimination of were forthrightly acknowledging that
avoidable blindness by the year 2020.9 moral values are indispensable to success
We were curious about the expe- in addressing public health challenges!
rience of other organizations, so we Clearly, what we were experiencing
sent out a survey to the institutional was shared among other organizations
members of IAPB. At the time, IAPB working in health development, and
had ninety-four institutional members, very likely was common in interna-
eighty of which were non-governmen- tional development in general. When
tal organizations, including our own we shared the survey results with the
8 A multilateral organization that IAPB member institutions, we were
collaborates with WHO to oversee and invited to offer the leadership training
coordinate efforts to eliminate avoidable to these organizations at the agency’s
blindness. next quadrennial General Assembly,
9 https://www.who.int/blindness/ in Argentina in 2008. The anecdotal
partnerships/vision2020/en/. stories we heard, together with the
62 The Journal of Bahá’í Studies 28.4 2018

survey results and the unexpected in- resistance we felt made us question
terest from member organizations and whether change, let alone transforma-
from multilateral agencies, convinced tion, was even possible. However, we
us that there is a great need for this reminded ourselves that it was a pro-
kind of training. We now had the ob- cess, perhaps slow in the beginning,
jective evidence. but gradually transformative as people
found their voice and began to claim
Lesson 4: There is growing consensus their agency.
among leaders in health development We saw evidence of this change
that without the moral/ethical di- two years later when one of the doc-
mension, development efforts will not tors from Mongolia shared the follow-
succeed. ing comments in her presentation at
the 2008 IAPB General Assembly:
Meanwhile, just as the Albania project
ended, Health for Humanity received This training was totally different
funding to carry out a more modest from others, as we had had only
project to train cataract surgeons in technical assistance from different
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. We were in- NGOs. We always talked about
creasingly convinced that values-based academic knowledge [and] clini-
training had to be intimately inte- cal and surgical training, but the
grated into the project so we tried to importance of changing attitudes
weave it into all activities. We used the and behaviors in order to achieve
materials developed by Dr. Anello and something had not been consid-
translated the manual into Mongolian. ered. So, the training made many
At the time, Mongolia’s healthcare people think about who we are,
system had a deeply entrenched au- what we are doing, and where we
thoritarian style of leadership. One want to be . . . I think the most
person made all the decisions, and ev- important impact of the training
eryone else deferred. Nevertheless, we was that people started to express
were able to convince the director of their views. Before, it was rare to
the eye department that the training hear anyone share what they truly
would be helpful to everyone, includ- felt in the larger group. There was
ing her. She gave her blessing and a fear to talk about the real situa-
even participated, but it was not easy tion. But after the training, we felt
for her. like we got new eyes to see things
After decades—maybe even cen- around us. Now at the different
turies—of passivity when it came meetings, those who participated
to expressing individual opinions or in the trainings are not afraid to
problem-solving, it was very hard to express how they really feel . . .
engage the doctors, and very hard Now, we make decisions through
for the boss to share authority. The consultation within the group
Lessons in Leadership 63

and try to include all the doctors training in our development efforts.
. . . After the second training, ten However, we were still experiment-
ophthalmologists from different ing. We had not yet standardized the
hospitals in Ulaanbaatar decided training. But we had learned that a
to meet regularly to solve prob- spiritual framework, when combined
lems and make decisions . . . . with the capacity for consultation, be-
comes a powerful force for change and
We were thrilled. They had learned transformation.
about consultation! This one capaci-
ty was by far the most vital tool for Lesson 6: The outcome of a spir-
learning and problem-solving. Now itual framework applied through
they were unstoppable, and we had consultation is measurable systemic
learned another lesson regarding the transformation.
training program.
When work is informed by spiritu-
Lesson 5: Consultation is the most al principles and learning is applied
powerful means for continuous learn- through consultation, the resulting
ing and improvement. change is apparent in both quantifi-
able material outcomes and in qualita-
Our greatest confirmation about the tive transformation of relationships.
power of consultation in this organic The resulting ripple effects can be
process came from Mongolia’s State far-reaching.
Secretary for Health, Byambaagiin As the Mongolia project was wind-
Batsereedene. “I remember how bad ing down, we were recruited to assist
the conditions used to be, and now the with leadership training for WHO’s
eye department is a modern depart- Good Governance for Medicines Pro-
ment with high quality services,” she gramme, an initiative to fight corrup-
said. “However, it is not just the tech- tion in the pharmaceutical sector.10 Dr.
nical improvement that is noticeable,” Anello was already involved in this
she continued. “There is something project, and the invitation gave me the
else I have not seen before. The doctors opportunity to work more closely with
treat the patients differently . . . . The him over the next year and a half. We
ophthalmologists . . .changed . . . . They collaborated on rewriting and expand-
have a very good relationship with the ing the training manual he had devel-
patients and with each other and have oped. We worked together to develop
now become a model department, not training materials first for represen-
only for the hospital, but for all of tatives of Ministries of Health from
Mongolia. I want to see this spread.” 10 An interesting overview of this
There was no longer any doubt. If program can be found at www.who.int/
we wanted to have a lasting impact, healthsystems/topics/financing/heal-
we had to incorporate this kind of threport/25GGM.pdf.
64 The Journal of Bahá’í Studies 28.4 2018

the Eastern Mediterranean region that has set the global standard for
convening in Jordan, and later for rep- high-quality affordable eye care, Ara-
resentatives from all over the world vind Eye Hospital in India.12
convening in Geneva. Aravind sees more patients, does
During this period, Dr. Anello ex- more surgery, and trains more oph-
pressed the desire to expand on the thalmologists than any other hospital
work we had been doing and to collab- in the world. All patients receive state-
orate with me and with author Juanita of-the-art eye care, regardless of their
(Joan) Hernandez on publishing his ability to pay. Most of the care is ei-
book in English. Unfortunately, his ther entirely free or subsidized. Even
health did not permit it at the time, so, the hospital has a very solid prof-
but Transformative Leadership: Devel- it margin. Harvard Business School
oping the Hidden Dimension was pub- spread the hospital’s fame through a
lished some five years later, in 2014. A case study it published in 1993 (Ran-
companion workbook Transformative gan). Since then, numerous articles
Leadership: Mastering the Hidden Di- have been written about the miracle
mension, was published in 2017. The of Aravind—a hospital that has been
book has also been translated into and instrumental in dramatically reducing
published in Chinese. the prevalence of blindness in India.
In 2010, my family had the privi- I had the privilege of spending a
lege of moving to China—a country month there in order to learn how the
with the greatest burden of blindness hospital achieves these amazing out-
in the world. While modern eye care comes, and I was pleased to see that
is available in the big cities, it is al- the magic is not just the efficiency and
most nonexistent in the rural areas. standardization that so many focus on
We formed another NGO in China in their reports about the institution.
called “Vision in Practice” (or “Aikai” There is something else crucial going
in Chinese).11 Under the auspices of on.
this organization, we were fortunate When a patient enters the hospital,
to obtain the assistance of a hospital regardless of who that patient is or
11 Vision in Practice was founded in how the patient is dressed, he or she
2011 in partnership with Jeff Parker, an is greeted with a deferential bow and
American journalist who co-founded a accompanied to receive care. On every
journal for ophthalmologists in China floor of the hospital there are signs
called Ophthalmology World Report. with quotations from the founder, Dr.
Through his work, he had become familiar Venkataswamy, about service: “Work is
with the Aravind model and had already worship”; “I pray to be a better instru-
started to help Chinese ophthalmologists ment, a receptacle for the divine force”;
obtain surgical training there. Together, “When we take care of our patients,
we were able to expand these training 12 For details, please visit www.ara-
opportunities. vind.org/.
Lessons in Leadership 65

it is ourselves we are helping. It is first, but when everyone else was com-
ourselves we are healing”; “If work is promising and putting pressure on me,
approached from a spiritual perspec- it was stressful. But I remembered our
tive, then it becomes divine work”; and training and the importance of values.
many similar axioms. On every floor I knew what I had to do.”
there is a prayer room, and arching An example of the effect of utiliz-
over the door are symbols of all the ing the tool of consultation in con-
world religions. In other words, the junction with the virtue of humility
hospital has managed to institution- and cooperation at the institutional
alize a spiritual framework, and, what level can be found in one of the rural
is more important, they have provided hospitals we worked with to raise the
ample evidence that it works. standard of eye care which required
Partnering with this amazing insti- a painful process of putting the pa-
tution was a great opportunity. With tient’s needs first by re-examining as-
Aravind’s help, we were able to send sumptions about the doctor-patient re-
some eighty Chinese ophthalmolo- lationship. Raising the capacity of all
gists for surgical training in India. We the staff members meant that a spirit
helped six hospitals to be mentored by of collaboration and mutual aid had
Aravind, and we worked intensively to replace the competitive environ-
with two of them to transform their ment. These were difficult changes.
services. However, within two years, a surgical
A good example of our efforts’ im- training center was established, all pa-
pact on an individual level was demon- tients began receiving comprehensive
strated by one of our associates who eye services—including surgery if
worked closely with us on the eye needed—regardless of their ability
projects in China. After our work to- to pay, and the surgical volume more
gether ended, she started working for than doubled. The staff told us that
a financial institution. She told us that they now have guidelines to help them
her job was very stressful and pres- with difficult decisions. They have
sured her to compromise her princi- changed many of their policies that
ples. When she refused to do this, she were oppressive or self-serving, such
was isolated and even mocked. Those as arbitrary rules unrelated to patient
around her were enjoying all kinds of care, accepting gifts for favors, prior-
“perks” while she stayed on the side- itizing wealthy patients, and the like.
lines, just carrying out her responsi- The chief surgeon told us:
bilities. However, within a year, her We see things so differently now.
entire team was fired and the depart- When we live by the moral values, we
ment restructured because of its ques- feel more confident. As a result of the
tionable practices. She was one of only training, we feel the strength to over-
two people who survived the upheaval. come any kind of problem. We learned
She told us, “Being honest was easy at how to work as real doctors, how to
66 The Journal of Bahá’í Studies 28.4 2018

create a team that is service-aimed, necessity for humankind at every lev-
how to encourage each other to keep el to exhibit and maintain virtuous
learning and believe in ourselves. leadership and guidance. For while
When we improve, it makes us happy. service to humankind is the hallmark
Even when it’s difficult, we can make of the Bahá’í teachings, everyone is, at
wiser choices than before. (Personal some level, both a servant and a lead-
Correspondence) er, a student and a teacher. Nowhere
is this dual function more evident than
Lesson 7: True leadership is servitude. in the guidance of the current Five
Year plans of the Universal House of
So far, we have talked about lessons Justice in which a culture of learning
learned about leadership, but not is characterized by a process where
much about the substance of the everyone is striving to understand
training. The training we employ is the nature of true servitude, while
inspired by the Bahá’í teachings. The simultaneously accompanying and
term “leadership” is probably not the tutoring others: “The first quality for
best description. Searching the Bahá’í leadership, both among individuals
Writings to gain a deeper understand- and Assemblies, is the capacity to use
ing of what leadership means in a the energy and competence that exists
spiritual context, one will find count- in the rank and file of its followers”
less allusions to two somewhat anti- (Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Building
thetical discourses. On the one hand, Momentum 16).
there are plentiful passages referring Of course, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, whose
to the desire for leadership as a char- very title, meaning “Servant of Bahá”
acteristic of those who are attracted (Bahá’u’lláh), embodies service, exem-
to the desire for power. For example, plifies perfectly the synthesis of lead-
Bahá’u’lláh notes how religious lead- ership and servitude. On the one hand
ers of the past have misled their fol- He forthrightly asserts His station as
lowers by the desire to retain their po- Center of the Covenant and head of
sitions: “Leaders of religion, in every the Bahá’í Faith. And yet He describes
age, have hindered their people from this leadership position in terms of a
attaining the shores of eternal salva- servitude to Bahá’u’lláh:
tion, inasmuch as they held the reins
of authority in their mighty grasp. My name is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, my
Some for the lust of leadership, oth- identity is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, my qual-
ers through want of knowledge and ification is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, my re-
understanding, have been the cause of ality is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, my praise
the deprivation of the people” (Kitáb- is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Thraldom to the
i-Íqán 15). Blessed Perfection is my glorious
On the other hand, there are quite and refulgent diadem; and servi-
as many passages discussing the tude to all the human race is my
Lessons in Leadership 67

perpetual religion . . . No name, found within their own spiritual her-
no title, no mention, no com- itage, they can recognize the flaws
mendation hath he nor will ever in their thinking. They come to real-
have except ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This is ize that the greatest challenge they
my longing. This is my supreme face is their own personal journey of
apex. This is my greatest yearn- transformation. They come to realize
ing. This is my eternal life. This how indispensable service is in that
is my everlasting glory! (Tablets journey. They are then ready to em-
429) brace spiritually informed guidelines
with which to construct a conceptual
In fact, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá equates servitude framework for their work. Then, when
with leadership: making difficult decisions or in times
of crisis, that principle-based frame-
This is not servitude but sover- work can guide them to make the right
eignty, and this is not service but choices, instead of resorting to previ-
chieftainship and greatness! This ous self-serving habits of thinking.
is the garment of everlasting glo- My own most important learning
ry with which thou hast clothed from this entire journey is that at the
thyself, and this is the rose of heart of servitude is a spiritual jour-
eternal exaltation with which ney of personal and collective trans-
thou hast adorned thy head. It formation, for it is only through ser-
is said in the New Testament: vice that we can transform ourselves,
“Whosoever will be chief among our communities, and ultimately our
you, let him be your servant.” world.
(Tablets 510)

What we are talking about, then, is
transformative servitude—a process of WORKS CITED
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