What makes a great leader?
In the West, we often look to models like Stephen Coveyâs 7 Habits of Highly Effective People â habits like âBegin with the end in mindâ and âSeek first to understand, then to be understood.â
But did you know that Buddhism has its own 7-point leadership guide, developed over 2,500 years ago?
Itâs called the Sappurisa-dhamma â the âDhamma of the True Person.â And honestly, it feels like ancient wisdom made for todayâs workplace.
Letâs walk through it â side by side with Covey â and see what both worlds have to say.
A noble leader sees beyond surface-level events. They ask, What caused this?
Coveyâs Habit: Be Proactive.
Donât just react â understand the root, and take mindful action.
Donât just do things. Think ahead. What results will follow?
Coveyâs Habit: Begin with the End in Mind.
Start with a clear vision of what youâre working toward.
Wise leaders reflect. They know their strengths and blind spots.
Coveyâs Habit: Sharpen the Saw.
Renew yourself â mentally, emotionally, spiritually â through self-awareness and growth.
They know whatâs âenough.â Not too much. Not too little.
Coveyâs Habit: Put First Things First.
Donât overcommit. Focus on what truly matters.
They manage time wisely. Right action, right moment.
Coveyâs Habit: Think Win-Win and Synergize.
Both require good timing, patience, and reading the room.
A noble leader understands their environment â the people, the culture, the unspoken dynamics.
Coveyâs Habit: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.
Leaders who listen well lead well.
They understand individual strengths and personalities. They put the right people in the right place.
Coveyâs Habit: Synergize.
The best teams thrive on complementary talents.
Whether itâs the Eastâs Sappurisa-dhamma or the Westâs 7 Habits, the core message is the same:
Great leadership starts with inner clarity and deep understanding of others.
But thereâs a soft beauty in the Buddhist version. It doesnât frame leadership as achievement. It frames it as knowing â knowing causes, results, yourself, time, others â and acting from wisdom, not ego.
The world doesnât need more loud voices. It needs wise ones.
If youâre leading a team, a classroom, a business â or just leading your own life â the Sappurisa-dhamma reminds us to:
Slow down.
Reflect more.
Listen deeper.
Act with care.
Success follows those who see clearly.
Leadership isnât about control.
Itâs about insight â into the self, the moment, and the people around us.
The Buddha called this the path of the âtrue person.â
Stephen Covey called it effectiveness.
You might just call it clarity in action.