How a Leader Engages with an Adversary

A beautiful example of personal leadership practiced by Democratic representative Elijah Cummings in an exchange with President Donald Trump.

Elijah Cummings, a Democratic leader in the US Congress, passed away this week. Baltimore Sun's eulogy for Cummings recounts the one time he met with President Trump. They were both working on plans to lower drug prices when Cummings said to Trump:

Mr. President, you’re now 70-something, I’m 60-something. Very soon you and I will be dancing with the angels. The thing that you and I need to do is figure out what we can do — what present can we bring to generations unborn?

In this very pithy statement I find Cummings so beautifully expressing all 5 Pillars of the Inner Mastery, Outer Impact method I have developed and teach at Columbia and Mentora Institute.

He grounded Trump and himself in a very noble, uplifting Purpose (Pillar 1).

He hit the pause button on their debate so he could, as best possible, get both people centered, ready to operate with Wisdom (Pillar 2).

He affiliated with Trump by referring to how they will be dancing together soon, to bring in that moment between them a shared humanity I call Love (Pillar 3).

He practiced Growth (Pillar 4) by seeing the possibility for him and Trump to break away from their fractious political relationship and do good collaborative work together.

And he suggested to Trump that their true self transcended their physical differences, a beautiful way to express Self-Realization (Pillar 5).

Whether or not his politics is our politics, to this man who could practice such powerful grace and teach us all this lesson in how to bring out the best in ourselves and our adversaries, let us tip our hats. And visualize him in this moment dancing with the angels.

This article has been adapted from the original version published in the Inc Magazine.


Leading in the Flow of Work
How to tap into the right intentions, words, and actions when you need them.
Three Faiths, One Lesson
Preserving your core when much is getting lost.
Reflections on the Holy Land
Finding solace in the face of adversity — a journey through Israel's heart and history.
Hero or Villain? My Vote on George Washington
How to understand history — and understand our place in history.
Learning leadership from the inside out
The anatomy of great leadership is not about mastering predetermined behaviors, but building resonance in a team by taking people to their Inner Core.
Aligning Behavior with Values
How thought experiments can help us approach interactions from a place of deep care and thoughtfulness.
The Power of Thought Experiments
How a simple thought experiment can lead us to make discoveries about human nature — and about our true nature.
The Powerful Difference Between Outer Success and Inner Success
Inner and outer success do not have to compete with each other, once we learn to search for success in the right place.
The greeting that could help get us through this
The perfect remote greeting may arguably be among the oldest to have existed. There's more to 'Namaste' than its no-contact benefits.
How can I become a more empathetic leader? Practice, practice, practice
In order to design effective and sustainable soft-skill trainings, with results that truly stick, we need to fundamentally change what we teach and how we teach.
How (not) to judge the Dalai Lama
Let's use this moment of pain and confusion to deepen our understanding of life, human nature, and the disciplined pursuit of truth.
Lessons in Leadership: How George Washington Surrendered His Ambitions (and Won Big)
Great leaders recognize that they do not have full control of the results they are striving for.
Small Actions Make Great Leaders
Learn to pursue leadership as a set of small, integrated steps, with each step becoming a big leap in expanding your behavioral repertoire.
Relying on Intuition in Difficult Times
How do you make the right decisions when your old playbook is obsolete and no expert can guide you to a perfect answer?
How to Develop Your Inner Life and Transmit It to Others
Some people’s life story leaves a deep and lasting impression on us, quietly illuminating our own path. Jacques Lusseyran’s is one such story for me.
The Possibilities and Perils of Empathic Leadership
Empathy is the virtue-du-jour in management circles in 2021. And yet, empathy comes with its struggles, and must be practiced with wisdom.
The Perils of Organizational Purpose
Never has the call to purpose been stronger in big business. And yet, we are also discovering that purpose is laden with perils.
What Anne Frank’s Diary Can Teach Us about Living in the Eye of a Storm – and Finding Our True Self
We can learn so much about our own selves from the diary of a thirteen-year-old.
What Death Has to Teach Us
Regardless of our different beliefs, death can teach us how to maximize our potential in life and leadership.
How a Silent Stand at the Olympics Upended Three Lives, Challenged the Status Quo, Improved Our World, and Built a Lifelong Bond
This silent stand can teach us valuable lessons about life and leadership.
An Open Letter to America
America has always had a special place in the world, as a nation that encouraged you to keep growing. Now we must help America do the same.
How Would Lincoln Guide Our Nation Today?
Abraham Lincoln invited the American people to do a powerful reflection in 1863 - and we can do the same today.
The Bet, 2020
Hitendra’s adaptation of the story “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov draws out its timeless lesson for our age.
Change Your Mindset, Transform Your Life
Six mindsets that are particularly important for us to cultivate in today’s rapidly changing world.
How a Leader Engages with an Adversary
A beautiful example of personal leadership practiced by Democratic representative Elijah Cummings in an exchange with President Donald Trump.
What India Has Taught Me
Ruminations on what India has taught Hitendra about kinship, tolerance, and self-realization.
What Martin Luther King Can Teach You about Your Your Core Ethical Beliefs
Martin Luther King teaches us about finding your own truth in the cacophony of ideas.
How I Succeeded by Failing in 2018
Progress towards a goal can be measured in different, unexpected ways.
Making Your New Year’s Resolution Stick
A powerful technique that will help you eliminate a bad habit once and for all.
Steve Jobs's Secret to Greatness: Yogananda
How Yogananda’s teachings inspired Steve Jobs’ aspiration to “make a dent in the universe”.
Why Everyone Resents Me
A short anecdote on the importance of the small things in work and life.
How to Give an Extemporaneous Speech
Four tips to give an effective and stirring extempore speech, inspired by an impromptu 60-min address by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Nelson Mandela and the Evolution of Great Leaders
How Mandela’s ‘outer’ journey from prisoner to president walks hand in hand with his ‘inner’ journey as a leader and human being.
How Lincoln Became America's Greatest President
What made Abraham Lincoln great weren’t simply his strengths, but rather how he came to harness those strengths for the right purpose.
The Wrath of a Great Leader
Incidents from the life of Martin Luther King, to show how anger can be channeled towards a positive purpose.

— JOIN —

Intersections

Receive inspirational newsletters every month and an update on podcast episodes every other Tuesday.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
© 2024 Hitendra Wadhwa. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Contacttt