By
By
Leadership and the Pine Tree | AbstractThis assignment looks into the qualities of the Pine Tree, from personal experience and intuition and from ancient teachings and tries to relate it to the qualities a leader must possess in order to be successful in life
Mayukh Biswas | B14033 |

Leadership and the Pine Tree | AbstractThis assignment looks into the qualities of the Pine Tree, from personal experience and intuition and from ancient teachings and tries to relate it to the qualities a leader must possess in order to be successful in life
Mayukh Biswas | B14033 |

“Letting go gives us freedom,
And freedom is the only condition for happiness”
- Thich Nhat Hanh
We spend each and every day of our life in the mad rush towards success. Yet we are not satisfied with our life. There always seems to be something missing. As Thich Nhat Hanh correctly points out, happiness can only be attained by gaining freedom. And freedom comes only when we let go of everything, including our thoughts.
“A person’s mind is so powerful, it can invent, create, experience and destroy things with thoughts alone”
A person who desires freedom has to realize the fact that it is not him who controls his thoughts, but his thoughts who control him. Our thoughts are in command and we unknowingly have become its slaves. This fact can be related to our everyday lives. For instance, I have an assignment to write for the subject “Zen and the Executive Mind”. I freshen up after an entire day attending classes and then sit to write my assignment. I know I have to hurry up, because the deadline is tomorrow and the assignment has to be 2000-3000 words long. But as soon as I start writing the first line, I start thinking about the argument I got into with a friend earlier in the day. I start wondering about the consequences of this argument. Suddenly, I snap out of this thought realizing there is a lot of writing to be done. I start writing again, however soon my thoughts drift outside the window, and I begin to think about the partying with friends, about the trip I am planning with friends after college etc.
We never really bother to find out the reason as to why these thoughts intrude our concentration without permission. This happens primarily due to the fact, that the thoughts know that our mind is not really steady. It is not our mind who is in control. It is therefore we meditate which leads us to having a disciplined mind. Zen is a Japanese school of thought which promotes the use of meditation and intuition, something that we are in control of, rather than ritual worship and study of scriptures wherein we are not in control.
The typical Chinese garden has a mix of elements that balances the yin-yang equation. This philosophy is essentially Taoist in nature. In Tao philosophy, the Zen garden is regarded as the place where you can be one with the nature and ultimately achieve enlightenment. A Zen garden is a mix of various items each having its own symbolic value. The key elements of the Zen garden are Rocks which can hold multiple symbolic value based upon its shape, colour and texture like the sky, the earth or even the animal, Sand which generally represents the flow of water and Plants which are associated to different meanings based upon the type of plant used. One of these plants that form a part of the Zen garden is the Pine Tree.
As part of the Zen garden, the Pine stands symbolic for its masculine dignity and rigidity. In general, the Pine Tree is an evergreen tree. Once known as the “sweetest of woods”, the pine currently symbolizes the virtues of Honesty, Communication, Creativity, Inspiring, Trustworthy, Longevity, Steadfastness, Self-discipline and Endurance. As per popular tree lore goes, the Pine Tree has great mystical properties and helps in the alleviation of guilt, as a purifying agent and as a fertility charm. This mysticism is not only limited to Zen teachings. The Pine Tree was the sacred tree of Mithra. It is believed to be an element that balances the emotions and awakens the divine spark. Also, the Pine Tree was sacred to Poseidon, who is attributed to making the essence of the Pine Tree as a cleansing and protective agent against all forms of negative magic. As we delve deeper into the subject of the Pine Tree, we find a multitude of similarities between a leader and the Pine Tree. The next section details out a comparative study between the traits of a leader and that of the Pine Tree. Honesty and Truthfulness
Like the rings inside the trunk of the Pine Tree, integrity runs deep inside the veins of the Pine Tree. Integrity is the act of being honest, of being truthful and of being able to make great sacrifices for the welfare of others. A Pine Tree is truthful to its core. It stands resolute, never flinching from its morals. The Pine Tree only gets harder as it ages, signifying that it cements its position as a leader forever. The position that the Pine Tree has taken is visible from a distance. The Pine Tree stands tall and firm, because it is aware of its roles and responsibilities. If by any chance, the Pine Tree is not able to do justice to the responsibilities given to it, it accepts its failure standing tall and resolute as ever. It does not shy away knowing that it has failed, instead it carries on its duty as if nothing has happened. As a leader, it is imperative that we learn this quality of being honest and truthful. There will be many instances in your role as a leader when things do not go according to the plan that you have in mind. However, that does not give you the right to put the blame on others. A leader must learn to accept his/her own faults. Failure does not mean the end of things, instead it is a stepping stone for success. As a leader it is also your responsibility to carry on no matter what adversities that have resulted in you not being able to fulfil your duties. Taking these actions improves the level of trust that your team members share with you. Only then can there be an environment where the business can rise, very much like the tall branches of the Pine Tree.
Perseverance
For the Pine Tree, it is not easy growing up to its fully grown stature. It faces a multitude of challenges which starts even before the seed is planted. For a Pine Tree to grow, a perfectly healthy and strong pine tree has to be planted into the ground. Any error in selecting the seedling will result in certain death of the Pine Tree at a later date. Next, the seedling has to be placed in an area which contains the right kind of soil and the right amount of competition nearby. The growth stage of the Pine Tree is fun either. The growth of the tree does not occur in big spurts but in little quantities every day. And through all this, it has to face the turmoil of the nature elements that are always looking to topple it. And in this turmoil, if there is any incident, say the branches break, the tree does not just give up and die. Instead the tree goes into a survival mode wherein it takes advantage of the energy of the surroundings and starts building itself anew. Again, this is one trait which a leader can identify themselves with. The perfect selection of the seedling refers to the member selection of the team where our leader would be working. Without the right mix of people, it would spell doom for the leader even before they started. Next, the selection of the right ground refers to the selection of the industry by the leader in such a field where his/her competitive advantage lies. It also refers to selecting a business which decreases vulnerability from more established competition. Also, a leader should not be demotivated by short term advances, much like the growth in the Pine Tree. It is said that little droplets combined fill up an ocean. The little progress being made every single day is still progress and when you finally look up to see your progress, you will be amazed to see how far you have come. Also, a leader must know, that his/her adversaries lie everywhere and are always on the lookout of how to strike you down. Sometimes, the attempt made by them might be futile and sometimes they might succeed. However, a leader cannot just accept that he/she has lost, roll over and die. Instead, a leader has to persevere, face these challenges head on and utilize every resource available to them, to get out of the mess that has befallen them. Again, only then can there be an environment where the business can rise, very much like the tall branches of the Pine Tree.
Communication
One of the most important functions on which the life of the Pine Tree is dependent upon is communication. The Pine Tree has an elaborate communication system developed between its different parts. Say, for example, the Pine Tree has an extensive system of veins running throughout its entire structure which transport the water taken by the roots to the very top most branch of the tree. The Pine Tree also uses this communication channel as a medium to communicate to the various parts of the Tree about the common goal that they all hope to achieve. If this elaborate communication system did not exist, the top most part would never have been able to survive without water. It would have withered away and died. Also, since the Pine Tree is resolute in its stance and has a fixed set of its roles and responsibilities, it need to delegate the other tasks to the other stakeholders, say, bacteria in the soil which gives it the nutrients to prosper. Without proper communication taking place in this regard, the Pine Tree will slowly stop functioning and its branches would start falling off one by one. Similar to the Pine Tree is the leader, who has to develop a proper channel of communication between his/her team members. It is imperative that this communication channel reach every nook and cranny of the business else it becomes increasingly challenging to delegate roles and responsibilities to people as the business grows larger and larger. The communication network needs to be developed for outside communication as well, in the case it is decided to outsource the roles and responsibilities. With proper motivation for the team in the form of a communication channel, it helps the team to be focused on their work and working towards the common goal. Again, only then can there be an environment where the business can rise, very much like the tall branches of the Pine Tree.

Selfless Nature
Even on a day when the scorching sun is blazing down upon the earth, shriveling up everything in its path, the Pine Tree stands resolute, never giving into nature. It knows apart from the responsibilities stated above, it also has the responsibility to provide a cool and soothing shade to any traveler passing by and wanting to rest. Even on a day, when the sky has burst and a torrential outburst of rain occurs, the Pine Tree stands resolute, again not giving into the forces of nature. It knows that it has the responsibility of protecting the earth around itself, who very lovingly nourished the Pine Tree with all the nutrients that it needed while growing up. It holds on to the soil with its tenacious roots. It is essential for a leader to exhibit these qualities of selflessness. Much like the Pine Tree provides shade for those coming below its leaves, a leader has to take up the responsibility to be the guardian for those who are subordinates to him/her. There will be many a situation when the rights of these people will be threatened, very much like the situation where the Earth around the Pine Tree is exposed to the torrential rains and runs the risk of being wiped out by it. The leader must be considerate enough to understand the problems of those who serve beneath him/her and be a champion for their cause. If the leader does not do so, it would spell certain doom for those people.
The Pine Tree, the grand old man who stands in the open. The grand old man who keeps his head held high even when it faces adversities so extreme that challenge its very existence. The ancients were wise people and when any youngling came up to them and asked for their advice and guidance, they would choose to show, rather than lecture them on it. When any youngling seeking advice on how a person should act in this world would come up to them, they would take them on a journey up the mountains and show them the Pine Tree standing firm and resolute, no matter what may come. When the ancients urged their students to “stand like a pine”, they were not wrong in doing so. After all, it is the Pine Tree who stands resolute on its position even after a great tragedy has befallen it. It is the Pine Tree who starts facing adversities even before it is sown and yet perseveres on facing one challenge after another and growing taller day by day. It is the Pine Tree who has the wisdom enough to set up a communication channel that allows it to communicate to each and every part of its body about the common goal that they are working for. It is the Pine Tree, who selflessly protects those it feels responsible for no matter what nature might throw at it. The ancients share the wisdom of the Pine Tree, which tells us that no matter what may be the travails in life, everyone should aim to be the Pine Tree, who remains rooted loyally to its family, friends and ideals. No matter what adversities might come your way, be like the Pine Tree, unafraid of acting openly and honestly. And in the examination of life, when your character is being truly tested, never give up. Always be constant as the Pine is green. Only then like the Pine, shall we grow towards heaven.