Dalai Lama in Brisbane

I'm going to see the Dalai Lama this afternoon. He's giving a talk in Brisbane and my yoga teacher, Kate Pell, had some tickets for front row seats. So we got four and Param, Prahlad, and I are going to see him and hear him speak.

Interesting that he is also speaking to Business Leaders, as you can see from the image above.

According to his website: "Starting with the Sydney Business Luncheon at the Wentworth Sofitel Hotel, where Ray Martin will host the proceedings, the Dalai Lama will address an audience that includes the who's who in business in Australia as he delivers ‘Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders’."

Srila Prabhupada wanted to speak to the leaders of society, and many times he spoke with political leaders. As I shared previously here, 51 of the top 100 economic entities in the world are now corporations, displacing nation-states. So business leadership is well on its way to eclipsing political leadership as the primary influential force shaping human society.

So speaking to business leaders is a good idea if you want to influence that. It's something that His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami was very good at, and it's also a strategy adopted by Dr John C. Maxwell, Christian pastor and founder of Maximum Impact. (Check out a video promo (wmv, 63MB) that explains the program).

As one critic said when a few of us went to meet Dr Maxwell - "Why are they going to non-devotees to hear about leadership?"

My reply: "That is the not the question. The question is - Why are they not coming to you?"

Honestly asking that question and answering it will empower you to become the change, rather than just being a complainer. Don't run other people down. Try building yourself up, and let that speak for itself.