Learning Leadership from the Dalai Lama: Insights from Leeds School of Business

Nikki Bechtold, a graduating senior business major at CU Boulder, recently returned from a life-changing trip to India as part of the Dalai Lama Fellows program. The program, designed to cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and compassion in emerging social change makers, provided Bechtold with the opportunity to meet with the Dalai Lama and engage in conversations about compassionate leadership.

During the trip, Bechtold and her fellow students had the chance to ask the Dalai Lama questions about leadership, compassion, and connection. The Dalai Lama emphasized the importance of compassion, humility, and recognizing our shared human experience. He spoke about the impact of maternal affection and the need to nurture a sense of compassion and warm-heartedness throughout our lives.

For Bechtold, who lost her mother in high school, the Dalai Lama’s words on maternal affection struck a chord. She reflected on the timing of the trip, leaving on the anniversary of her mother’s death during a snowstorm, and felt a sense of purpose in being there.

One of the questions the students asked the Dalai Lama was how to employ compassion as a leader when feeling angry or frustrated. The Dalai Lama’s response focused on focusing on our commonalities rather than our differences, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a sense of affection and connection with others.

Bechtold left the trip with a newfound understanding of compassion and its role in leadership. As she looks towards her future career, she plans to incorporate these insights into her leadership style, remembering the lessons she learned from the Dalai Lama in India. The experience was described as transformational by Vijay Khatri, the Dean of the Leeds School of Business, who was inspired by the young social innovators working to address global challenges with compassion and creativity.