Café a la Fikr Leadership Summit

Saturday, 23rd June 2012

Dr. Syed Saud Ashraf

* * * * * * * * *

“The matter belongs wholly to God;

he places leadership wherever He wishes” Prophet Muhammad (s)

Contextual Basis for Islamic Stewardship

Emotional Intelligence

Cultivating Compassionate Leadership

Correlation

Credits

“khalifa or khulafa” => stewardship

“amanah” => trust

“dhu-l-qarnayn” => non-prophetic leader

Divine Mandate

نه ◌ عن ذي القرنين ويسألونك ذكراقل سأتلو عليكم م نا له في الأرض وآتيناه من كل شيء سببا ﴿۸٤﴾فأتبع سببا ﴿۸٥﴾ حتى إذا بلغ مغرب الشمس وجدها نا مك

ا أن تتخذ فيهم حسنا ﴿۸٦﴾ قال ا أن تعذب وإم تغرب في عين حمئة ووجد عندها قوما ◌ قلنا يا ذا القرنين إما من آمن وعمل صالحا فله جزاء به عذابا نكرا ﴿۸۷﴾ وأم به ثم يرد إلى ربه فيعذ ا من ظلم فسوف نعذ أم

الحسنى ◌ وسنقول له من أمرنا يسرا ﴿۸۸﴾ ثم أتبع سببا ﴿۸۹﴾ حتى إذا بلغ مطلع الشمس وجدها تطلع على لك وقد أحطنا بما لديه خبرا ﴿۹۱﴾ ثم أتبع سببا ﴿۹۲﴾حتى إذا بلغ بين ن دونها سترا ﴿۹۰﴾كذ قوم لم نجعل لهم مين وجد من دونهما قوما لا يكادون يفقهون قولا ﴿۹۳﴾ قالوا يا ذا القرنين إن يأجوج ومأجوج مفسدون في السدة ني فيه ربي خير فأعينوني بقو ا ﴿۹٤﴾ قال ما مك الأرض فهل نجعل لك خرجا على أن تجعل بيننا وبينهم سددفين قال انفخوا ◌ حتى إذا جعله أجعل بينكم وبينهم ردما ﴿۹٥﴾ آتوني زبر الحديد ◌ حتى إذا ساوى بين الصن ذا رحمة م ـ نارا قال آتوني أفرغ عليه قطرا ﴿۹٦﴾ فما اسطاعوا أن يظهروه وما استطاعوا له نقبا ﴿۹۷﴾قال ه

اء ◌ وكان وعد ربي حقا ﴿۹۸﴾ وتركنا بعضهم يومئذ يموج في بي ◌ فإذا جاء وعد ربي جعله دك رور فجمعناهم جمعا ﴿۹۹﴾ بعض ◌ونفخ في الص

(Surah al-Kahf, V.83-99)

Dhul Qarnayn

They ask thee concerning Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, "I will rehearse to you something of his story.“ Verily We established his power on earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends. One (such) way he followed: Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! [you have authority] either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness.“ He said: "Whoever does wrong, him shall we punish; then shall he be sent back to his Lord; and He will punish him with a punishment unheard-of (before). "But whoever believes, and works righteousness, he shall have a goodly reward, and easy will be his task as We order it by our Command.“ Then followed he (another) way, Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection against the sun. (He left them) as they were: We completely understood what was before him. Then followed he (another) way: Until, when he reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word. They said: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! the Ya-juj and Ma-juj (people) do great mischief on earth: shall we then render you tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them? He said: "(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them: "Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead.“ Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it. He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust; and the promise of my Lord is true.“ On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another: the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together.

القرنين ذي 2 elements: symbolism of 2 horns نا established (Divine Governance) مك means, knowledge سببا

“knowledge of the right means for the achievement of a particular end” (M. Asad)

صالحا◌عمل ” “istihsan/maslahah ظلم لك civilizational awareness and toleranceكذ tribute خير ن بيرحمة م ر

Reflection

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Amygdala – Pre-frontal Cortex

Open Loop System – Limbic Mirroring

Contagion

Resonance v Dissonance Empathy

Personal & Social Competence

Daniel Goleman

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

(Daniel Goleman)

Prior Prophets Muhammad (s) “Merciful Leadership”: S.21:107, S.3:159 Key Characteristics: Trust-Honest/Reliable-Competent: al-amin, as-sadiq, S.12:55 Non-judgmental: S.88:22 Concerned: S.9:128 Consultative: S.42:38 Principled: Hudaibiyyah Resolve/Forbearance: Sun-Moon Statement of the Prophet

Umar “Rabanna hablana min…..”:

Leadership at all levels –plural request!

Prophetic Style Compassionate Leadership

Compassionate Leadership

Character Morally

Responsible

Competence Vision-Knowledge

Skills

Compassion Graceful-Empower

Compassionate Leadership

Safi, “Leading with Compassion”

Compassionate Leadership

Task-Centered Community-Centered

• Focus on Rules • Control • Direct • Criticize • Judge • Seek Compliance

Care for People Empower Inspire Appreciate Develop Seek Commitment

Safi, “Leading with Compassion”

Compassionate Leadership

PASSION (Ego-Centered)

DEVOTION (Conviction / God-conscious)

COMPASSION (Community-Centered)

SELF-EVALUATION

SELF-DISCIPLINE

SELF-REALIZATION

Cycle of Growth

Safi, “Leading with Compassion”

Perception is Reality

Stimulus Ideas Emotions Actions

-------------- CONSIDER -------------------

Stimulus Positive Ideas Hope Positive Actions

- OR -

Stimulus Negative Ideas Fear Negative Actions

Compassionate Leadership

Adaptive (“role”/“contingency theory”)

Flexing (“matching style”: Abu Bakr & Umar)

Functional v. “Mutlaq” (“project execution v. inspirational”)

Knowing your Behavioral and Leadership Style and Strengths: Visionary-Coaching-Affiliative-Democratic-Pacesetting-Commanding

“Leadership is essentially a social exchange process.” (Badawi)

“Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically” (K. Davis, excerpt from Badawi)

General Leadership

Purposive

Initiative

Process - Journey

Mercy-Centric

Ihsan-Oriented

An Effective Muslim - - Leader

Am I a Compassionate Leader?

What Type of a Leader am I?

What Type of a Follower are You?

Self-Assessment

The Harun Method

ضلوايا هارون ما منعك إذ رأيتهم قال

أمري◌أفعصيت ألا تتبعن ◌ قال يا ابن أم لا تأخذ بلحيتي ولا برأسي

قت بين إني خشيت أن تقول فر قوليبني إسرائيل ولم ترقب

[Moses] said, ‘O Aaron! What has prevented thee, when you did see that they

had gone astray – from following me? Have you then disobeyed my commandment?

[Aaron] said, ‘O my mother’s son! Seize me not by my beard, nor by my head! Behold, I was afraid lest [on your return] you say, ‘You have caused a

split/division among the children of Israel, and have paid no heed/respect to my bidding/word

The Muslim Paradigm of Societal Leadership

قوا ه جميعا ولا تفر ◌ واعتصموا بحبل اللـ

ه عليكم إذ كنتم أعداء فألف بين قلوبكم فأصبحتم بنعمته واذكروا إخوانانعمت اللـ نهاوكنتم ن النار فأنقذكم م ◌ على شفا حفرة م

ه لكم آياته لعلكم لك يبين اللـ تهتدون كذ

And hold fast, all together, by the Rope of Allah, And do not be divided.

And remember with gratitude God’s Favor upon you, For you were enemies and He brought your hearts together,

So that by His Grace, you became brethren. And you were on the brink of the pit of fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does God make His signs clear to you: that you may be guided!

A Command & A Challenge

Thank You

Café a la Fikr

Leadership Summit 2012

ه لنت لهم ن اللـ وا من ◌ فبما رحمة م ولو كنت فظا غليظ القلب لانفضفإذا عزمت ◌ فاعف عنهم واستغفر لهم وشاورهم في الأمر ◌ حولك

ه ل على اللـ لين ◌ فتوك ه يحب المتوك إن اللـ

It is part of the Mercy of Allah that thou dost deal gently with them Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee: so pass over (Their faults), and ask for (Allah's) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hast Taken a decision put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). [S.3 V.159]

إني حفيظ عليم ◌ قال اجعلني على خزائن الأرض (Joseph) said: "Set me over the store-houses of the land: I will indeed guard them, as one that knows (their importance).“ [S.12 V.55]

لست عليهم بمصيطر Thou art not one to manage (men's) affairs. [S88 V.22]

ن أنفسكم عزيز عليه ما عنتم حريص عليكم لقد جاءكم رسول محيم بالمؤمنين رءوف ر

Now hath come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful. [S.9 V.128]

ا رزقناهم ينفقون لاة وأمرهم شورى بينهم ومم والذين استجابوا لربهم وأقاموا الص

Those who hearken to their Lord, and establish regular Prayer; who (conduct) their affairs by mutual Consultation; who spend out of what We bestow on them for Sustenance; [S.42V.38]