The ancient Japanese framework and philosophy of the Godai 五大 (the five elements) remain relevant in today’s leadership landscape. Going through each one individually and truly getting a sense of how they can help you is time well spent and can be quite rewarding.
What is the Godai 五大?
The Godai 五大 framework is broken down into the following 5 elements and what they symbolize in the lives of those who choose to use them to provide guidance on leading and living:
- Earth (地 Chi): Stability & Integrity.
- Water (水 Mizu): Flow & Resilience.
- Fire (火 Ka): Decisive Action.
- Wind (風 Kaze): Atmosphere & Compassion.
- Void (空 Sora): Ego-less Legacy.
Continuing our exploration of the Godai 五大, we dig deeper into the meaning of 風 (kaze) or wind. This is the energy of pervasiveness, something that you cannot see or touch, but can feel the impact. It can be thought of as the culture of the group or organization that you are a part of. Yin energy is what is prevalent here and can be thought of as leading from the side or behind. It is subtle most of the time, like a small correction you offer a team member or colleague, or a quiet word of encouragement spoken when needed most.
It is in this energy that we learn to use peripheral awareness and radical respect for others to foster a culture that energizes rather than saps others. It is in this space that we learn to pick up cues from others, recognize when it is appropriate to close the gap between us, and show compassion and gentle guidance. It is important to realize that this isn’t pity, it is having the strength to be available for others. Think of it this way, we have already talked about how the element 水 (mizu) or Water is about learning to deal with resistance in a healthy way. 風 (kaze) gives you the energy to sense that there is resistance present and be able to show compassion to listen to the resistance that they are experiencing.
Additionally, 風 gives you the nudge to know when it is time to maintain the boundaries you have set and to respect and trust the other person to act appropriately. Maintaining a healthy respect fosters a predictable, safe environment that encourages growth in others. It is critical to realize, however, that respect is the physical manifestation of compassion. Without respect, compassion can feel invasive. Without compassion, respect feels cold and robotic. There is a healthy balance between the two that needs to be nutured and when they are in unison with each other, it doesn’t matter what type of wind blows your way, you will be ready to face it head on.
The Zanshin 残心 Anchor
Let’s provide a brief explanation of what Zanshin 残心 is. You can think of it like this: continued alertness; unrelaxed alertness; remaining on one’s guard; being prepared for a counterstroke. Basically, being ready for anything to happen at any moment, without letting down one’s mental guard, it lingers in the air like a faint wind.
Here is a simple exercise to help cultivate a mindset of supporting and nurturing a healthy atmosphere. Identify a ‘dead spot’ in your organizational culture where you see an opportunity to improve things. It could be how others are greeted at the start of the day or a meeting, or how people leave the work area at the end of the day.
Whatever you have recognized is an opportunity to practice enhancing your sphere of influence. Design an experiment to improve upon the outcomes that you are currently seeing from the ‘dead spot’ you identified. Track your progress and see what the results are; you might be surprised at how you can influence the way the wind blows.
Many leaders are great at “Fire” (command) and “Earth” (rules), but they lose people because they lack “Wind”. Politeness is a weapon of retention. When someone feels truly seen (compassion) and valued (respect), they don’t quit.
Steve Beauchamp 