This piece was first shared by Keith Labbett, Managing Partner Toronto in the latest edition of his Osprey Executive Search Executive Talent newsletter

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste…

These words, taken from the Desiderata — a one-hundred-year-old poem by Max Ehrmann — seem more relevant than ever as we navigate our careers and social interactions in today’s world. Even before the current wave of disruption under the new U.S. President - whether you believe him a cause, a symptom or even a cure - the world has appeared chaotic, at least from the perspective of the media.

As a business leader, and perhaps even from a life perspective, it’s worth taking a step back to focus on the common decency of most people, the shared desires we all have, and how to stay on course amid the noise and the haste.

It seems the media and our politicians aim to keep people on edge, often creating division in society for their own gain. All sides of the political spectrum advocate for their agendas, movements, and even revolutions, aiming to gain power and influence. Once in power, they often employ various tactics to engage the public while managing personal and institutional responsibilities.

I believe that many of those on their soapboxes have little genuine belief in, or accountability for their claims, especially when it comes to their own conduct. Despite this, many of us are still willing to draw lines and even confront one another based on others’ claims. Often, the best-case scenario is that this creates tension without discourse and at worst, division and violent conflict. From my interactions with my many international partners, I know that, as Canadians, we have it relatively good compared to other places, with negligible near-term threats of war or violent revolution; but with a growing division, that doesn’t mean things couldn’t be better.

On a professional basis, we are hammered with the noise, haste and feed jealousy of who’s getting what vs concentrating our efforts on building a better organization, industry, economy and society that ultimately benefits all.

There are many disheartening things happening to those trying to make positive change i.e. those who felt they were helping the world by driving a Tesla only to realize they were funding an individual’s space program and a political regime they likely despise. As individuals it is impossible to hold back this wave of conflict, but if we all try to enjoy and better our own vocations and achievements, perhaps we can leave the conflict only in the airwave’s vs. internalizing and acting on them. We must understand that this current wave of conflict is nothing new. People have been excelling in times of hectic and even violent change for as long as we have been around. We know that throughout history the more cohesive and supportive individuals are the better a society has thrived.

The Latin meaning of Desiderata being (desired things) as the poem relates to one’s wellbeing vs. that of material things. Its gentle yet strong words I believe all can strive to follow:

Speak the truth

Listen to the other(s) story

Avoid loud aggressive people whenever possible

Avoid jealousy

Be true to your achievements and desires

Love

Understand your stage of life

Be strong in tough times, do not let your mind trick you into thinking them worse

Do not over or under value your value to the universe.

Keep peace with yourself

As leaders in our professional lives, many — if not all — of the principles outlined in this poem are relevant. If we adhere to them, we are sure to build stronger, more cohesive organizations that benefit everyone involved — and likely benefit ourselves as well.

I would invite you all to read, reread and share the Desiderata with your network, most of us could use some heartening words as we head into Valentine’s Day.

“With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”