About Leadership 
The role of a great leader is not to give greatness to human beings, but to extract the greatness
they already have inside them. (J. Buchan)



 
If we agree on the quote above this to be the goal of leadership, then we need to come up with a
system that aims towards this goal. Schools teach knowledge, but if knowledge would be the
solution, then why do we seem to face a shortage of leadership and leaders. If knowledge alone
is they key then how come that we admire history’s most outstanding people such as Henry Ford,
Thomas Edison or even Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg? All of them either had none
or limited education or decided within their college career that the common educational system
will not get them to their goal of being outstanding. All of them have become leaders in their
industries. 


I would suggest that there are five reasons for the lack of leadership or why people do not evolve
into leaders:



1) Knowledge/Skills - Wisdom
Even though schools teach a vast amount of information and knowledge, they not necessary
teach how to apply the knowledge. Applied knowledge could be described as wisdom and as
such, is not taught in school. Wisdom is also the applied knowledge of how to resolve any kind
of conflict. Conflict resolution might also not be taught in schools.

2) lack of practice/opportunity
The lack of effective leadership lessons or practical and result-driven kind of leadership
programs. Even though some universities (and by now even high schools and elementary
schools) have recognized the void and try to offer leadership programs. Yet those programs
might not produce the expected results mainly because again the lessons are a composition of
organized knowledge only, missing besides the importance of practical application and real-life
experience the probably most important point: overcoming and managing fear as a limiting
factor, which is listed as point #3). An effective leadership program must address fear,
hesitations, shame, self-doubt, and self-manipulation to produce results and to transform the
person into an effective leader. Such a program must include more than role-playing but rather
real-life implications. 



3) Lack of Confidence / self-manipulation 

“Leaders are not made, they are born” - so the saying. I absolutely disagree and think this
statement to be false. Leadership is a combination of knowledge and experience that eventually
leads to the foresight and wise decisions. There is no magic to this since knowledge can be
attained by anyone, and experience comes from nothing more than “doing.” As such, it can be
learned by anyone as well. The second important part of leadership is confidence, courage,
overcoming fear, learning how to self-motivate and to overcome self-sabotaging. This explains
why role-playing scenarios can only produce limited results. An effective leadership program
must be experienced in real-life scenarios and then immediately analyzed, coached, and guided
by an experienced mentor. The mentor must inform the mentee not only about missing
knowledge and skills but also address the mentee’s emotional state. The experienced mentor
analyzes the mentees emotional state and demonstrates to the mentee any internal and external
conflict that might be present. Internal conflict would be self-doubt, lack of confidence, distrust,
pessimism, laziness, self-pity, impatience, etc. while external conflict would be arrogance,
inconsiderateness, emotional coldness, aggression, egoism, ruthlessness, etc.



Confidence can be gained and learned through accomplishment(s) and that too is no magic but
just following the task until fulfilled to satisfaction. Once that is reached the person will gain a
certain amount of knowledge and skill of his or her capability that ultimately will lead to
confidence. Especially true if the task is repeatedly performed over and over again.     



Therefore, for example, public speaking can be learned - it is, after all, just a combination of the
practice of delivering the speech and learning how to present the information. 
Conclusion: Confidence through accomplishments. Knowledge, skill, and experience are either
being taught in schools, university or specialized program or can be attained through training and
practice. The critical factor that produces leadership and leaders is how to manage inner and
outer conflict.



4) Cost and affordability

The fourth factor why leadership and leadership skills are not as commonly available is the cost.
Schools that deliver on knowledge are plentiful, and because this knowledge is widely available,
the “price for knowledge” is reasonably low. Advanced and specialized knowledge offered by an
institution such as universities is due to its nature more expensive.



Specialized programs that incorporate practical application and produce acceptable results like
MBA programs are available but rather costly and unaffordable for many. 



Mentorship programs that go into depths and address next to knowledge and skills more personal
qualities of the mentee might only be available for high paying for corporate executives and are
associated with very high costs. And yet might not deliver at it’s fullest potential to one missing
factor that will be listed as point #5.



Conclusion: In order to offer an effective leadership program, it must be affordable. 




5) An embodiment of leadership/equilibrium



 The last factor of leadership is must be connected with resolving inner and out conflict. This is
in controversy, not an intellectual process only but rather must include next to the mind, the body
and even the soul. At first, this might be a surprise for the intellect driven western world, but
Asian cultures know this for centuries if not millennia. Every thought creates a bodily response
in the body. A simple but easily comprehensible example would be the feeling that a person
experiences during the experience of “love at first sight.” Simply put brain recognized another
person has beautiful, heartwarming and fabulous, while the body’s physical response to it is
feeling of butterflies in the stomach area. 



EVERY thought and feeling produces a bodily response. Why do people eat out of stress? Why
do people get prematurely grey hair? Why do people get migraines and headaches while under
stress? Why do people under stress self-destruct by biting their nails? Why do people develop
stomach ulcers? Why do people get stomach cramps or diarrhea before a test or exam? The list of
physical reactions can be extended for pages, but the point is made. 



Conclusion: An effective leadership program needs to address the body and can not be an
intellectual program only.



Summary:
If we want to produce leaders, we need to put a system into place that instills confidence, trains
real-life scenarios, and real-life practical applications. Such a system must teach how to resolve
any kind of conflict, whether it be internal or external conflict. The system must be affordable.



Why is this not more known to the public?




Unnoticed and un-utilized by the majority of the world, traditional (Japanese) martial art offers
such a system within its training structure. The great benefits are unnoticed by most since
traditionally martial arts have only been handed down within the culture and society of it’s
creators. 



One can argue that there are two kinds of weapons that society as such can use: destructive
weapons and constructive weapons.



Examples of destructive weapons that a society can use to protect itself would be such as guns,
tanks, or even the atomic bomb.



An example of constructive weapons that a society can use to protect itself would be a system
that teaches its citizens to be more focused, more committed, more determined, more disciplined,
more productive and healthier - a system that optimizes the potential that rests within its
citizens. 



The Martial Arts are known to most only to teach punching and kicking, while the educational
values and deeper benefits are mostly unrecognized and un-utilized by not only the public but
also to many of its practitioners. This might be done on purpose - why would a society want to
share any weapon, whether it be destructive or constructive with a rival society. This might
explain why traditional martial arts where only passed down from father to son and over time
passed down only within the very same society and culture. Foreigners were only taught the
superficial: “kicking and punching.”



What martial arts truly can offer:

The martial art student undergoes through the training small steps of accomplishments that lead
to a higher level of confidence. Confidence allows vision since the lack of confidence shuts down
our dreams, desires, and visions.



The meditative and spiritual aspect of traditional martial arts combined with the physical
exercises (body) teaches harmony and helps to balance internal and external conflict, leading to
peace and wisdom. Resolving internal conflict automatically leads to resolving external conflict.
If nothing or nobody can upset you anymore, then the external conflict can not arise. This shall
not be confused that external danger or external aggression by a third party does no longer exist.
However, the student is no longer internally in conflict with the external source.



Traditional martial arts are a very cost-effective way to health, self-improvement, self-
development, self-cultivation. 


The physical, mental, and spiritual growth, works towards the goal of optimize the potential of
its practitioners. 



The student of martial arts will not only improve his or her focus, concentration, stamina,
determination, and commitment but also learn to self-motivate, self-develop, and self-cultivate. 



In order for a student to advance a great deal of time is spent between the student (mentee) and
the Sensei (mentor). The Sensei will (have to) address all inner and outer conflict within the
student. 



This must be done to make sure peace and harmony are maintained within the dojo (the place all
students train) but also to help the student to progress and to develop.



Martial Arts techniques that lack confidence, commitment, focus, heart, or anything alike expose
the student’s inner conflict and will lead to ineffectiveness of the technique (body). 



Any technique that is driven by external conflict will create destructive power inappropriate to
the situation and will be exposed as well. 



Therefore the student is permanently forced to address his/her inner conflict until the student has
balanced himself/herself and found stability, evenness, and consistency - the state of
equilibrium. 



External conflict is monitored and improved through two factors. The first factor is that martial
arts are trained within a group. Throughout the training and time, the group develops into a
cohesive unit, where teamwork, team spirit, empathy, and a very highly advanced level of
communication is developed.



The highly advanced level of communication should be addressed in short before moving on to
the second point. 
Let us imagine a clip out of any military movie. The squat team ready for the assault silently
communicates with just a few hand gestures to the point that every team member immediately
knows what needs to be done. Sure any CEO, executive, or leader would be happy if this kind of
communication could be transferred into the board room or employees meetings. How great
would it be if a workgroup or team could silently communicate and immediately everyone would
know what needs to be done. Hours could be slashed off meetings, professional developments,
and staff training. 



Yet this kind of communication exists within the military. One can argue that it is possible since
the need for communication within military assaults is limited, but that would be too simple. A
great deal of this silent communication is caused by a) the team members have to spend much
time together training side by side. This does not only ensure that every team member knows
exactly the very same step by step approach but also b) knows every team members “moves” and
way of thinking. Lastly, c) every team member has not only gone through the same intellectual
process but made the very same physical experience - leading back to the importance of the
body. 



The second factor is the Sempais and the Sensei

A sempai is a peer that is more advanced in experience (and most of the time age). A sempai is
not at the level of the Sensei yet but has progressed on the way and in the art that he or she has
enough knowledge and experience that he or she can be entrusted by the Sensei with some
leadership duties. These small leadership duties server two reasons. For one the Sempai helps to
expose and address the students external conflict by sharing his or her own experience, but
secondly, these small leadership duties serve for the Sampai as practical exercises for more
advanced leadership roles and duties. While both the Sempai and the student are under the
watchful eye of the Sensei, both are exposed to mentorship - either as a mentee or a mentor.
Beginner students learn how to listen (mentee) wile at the same time already tasked with simple
leadership roles they need to fulfill and deliver upon with any student that comes after them. The
student that comes after is a Kohai. Let us clarify with an example. A Sempai might be tasked by
the Sensei to teach a particular white belt student specific techniques or forms. This very same
student learns to follow the Sempai and learns how to be a mentee. However, at the same time,
this mentee is thrown right back into taking on leadership by teaching, for example, any beginner
student after him or her how to tie a white belt. 



Every student is exposed to the constant interchange of being mentee on one side while being a
mentor on the other side to lower-ranking peers. 



These leadership tasks are determined by either the senior Sempai or the Sensei himself. Tasks
that the Sensei determines are many times a combined lesson for both: the mentee as well as the
mentor. 
For example, the Sensei might gives the order of cleaning the restroom in two ways.


Version 1) The Sensei tells the Sempai to have the Kohai clean the bathroom.



Version 2) The Sensei tells the Sempai to show the Kohai how to clean the bathroom.



What is the difference? In the first version, the Kohai is cleaning the bathroom while the Sempai
is watching. 



In the second version, the Sempai is cleaning the bathroom while the Kohai is watching.  



In the first version, the Sensei might recognizes that the Sempai might can clean the bathroom
very thoroughly but has a hard time to delegate the very same task. This can be because the
Sempai might need to improve communication skills, might is embarrassed to ask for help and
instead takes it on to do the job himself. In this scenario, most likely, the Sensei addresses the
Sempai’s own internal conflict while the Kohai learns to follow instructions and learns
fellowship and the value of precise explanations and orders.



In the second version, the Sensei addresses the Sempai’s external conflict. For example, the
Sempai has turned arrogant and has become “too good” to clean the bathroom. What a humbling
experience for the Sempai not only to clean the bathroom but also to clean it under the eyes of a
junior. The lesson for the junior is two-fold. The junior learns that no-one is ever too good for
any type of work, and second he learns from the Sempai through observation the correct way of
cleaning the bathroom as expected by the Sensei. 



Note by the author: it might be that education “industry” has unfortunately made the mistake of
believing that observation, fellowship, and apprenticeship can be solely substituted through
books and an intellectual approach. 



Solution: 
Martial Arts are relatively easy to implement. Any clean and open space room can serve as a
venue. The student needs no other equipment rather a karate uniform called Karate-gi. 



Martial Arts are very affordable and open for any gender, any age, and any social status.



Martial Arts are a hands-on, practical approach to fellowship and leadership. 




Martial Arts develop the mind, body, and soul of the student and server well to improve physical
and mental health 



Martial arts offer a very developed and holistic method of self-improvement, self-development
and serve very well as confidence builder and teacher of discipline, commitment, and
determination.



Martial arts are a perfect way of creating leaders and teaching leadership lessons. Traditional
Martial Arts belong in schools, universities, and businesses due to their great benefits. 



Martial Arts must be part of education since education must always be complete addressing
mind, body, and soul.