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.
We will wrap up our introduction of the Godai 五大 today by exploring the final element 空 (sora). The type of energy within this element is that of Infinite Potential; it provides you with the opportunity to remove your own ego so that others around you are able to grow. This is a fundamental need for any leader who wishes to foster a Kaizen 改善 mindset within themselves and those that they lead.
Yin energy is the prevailing flow within 空 Sora, and it is the source from which all 4 other elements, 地 Chi, 水 Mizu, 火 Ka, & 風 Kaze, arise. It is from this element that silence allows you to hear your own breath; the stillness that allows you to find your own movement and flow through the world. In this element, we have the potential to find Anshin 安心 or peace of mind. You could also think of 安心 as peace of mind; feeling a sense of relief, security, safety, or assurance. It is having confidence that you are in the right place doing the right things at the right time. It is much like the feeling of security after finishing a difficult task, or the mental “rest” found in a stable relationship or career.
When I think about being in a place of total peace of mind, the idea of integrity comes to mind. Being able to sit with my thoughts and have a feeling that my words and actions are in alignment with each other. 誠 Makoto is a kanji that perfectly illustrates this principle in my mind. When you translate 誠, it isn’t simply thought of as one word ‘integrity’ like some people like to think, rather it means to ‘turn your words into action’. Truly, I believe we can only achieve the idea of Anshin 安心 when we feel at ease with how we honor the words we speak to ourselves and others.
The Void Ritual
Take a few moments after you are finished reading this article and identify one area in your life when your ego gets in the way of progress and growth for you or those that you lead. For example, maybe you are over-correcting when you are mentoring and teaching others so that you can show off the knowledge you have, or maybe you ignore the signs that there are pieces of you that just can’t seem to avoid taking everything personally. Whatever it is, I encourage you to sit with this for some time, don’t try to rush the process. Find a way to create space and step back and allow yourself to see what is truly happening in front of you.
Steve Beauchamp 