Lisa Gibson - Leadership Lessons Learned From Muammar Gaddafi

Introduction

Throughoutthe last 25 years I have been on an amazing journey. It was a journey thatbegan on that fateful day, December 21, 1988, when my brother was murderedalong with 269 other people in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 overLockerbie, Scotland. It turned my life upside down as it catapulted me on apath, for the first 25 years of my adult life that I would not have chosen formyself. It has been incredible, while also being difficult and often a lonelypath. For me, that chapter of my life is coming to close on the 25thanniversary on December 21, 2013. I have learned a tremendous amount aboutleadership during this season. A study of leadership would be incompletewithout an understanding of what not to do in leadership.

MuammarGaddafis life collided with mine on December 21, 1988, when he killed mybrother. He became the archenemy in my story. But instead of taking on my enemyin the typical way that happens in so many stories, I took a much differentapproach. I made a choice that I refused to become like him. Instead, I choseto take a path that was the antithesis of his journey. What better way to endthis season than show what I have learned about leadership by chroniclingGaddafis life? So, this book is about what I have learned in how not to leadfrom watching his life.

Ina world that most often seems to honor powerful people, many of whom abuse,oppress and take advantage of people to achieve their purposes, I wanted tocommunicate a different message. I wanted to show the dark side of leaders.Throughout history, we chronicle stories of powerful people who have been madefamous for their bad deeds. There isnt a person who doesnt know of Hitler,Saddam Hussein, and countless others. Yet, none of them left a positive legacy.

Thisbook is an attempt to share some of my journey and how it drastically differs fromthe likes of Gaddafi. To some my path has been seen as absurd or nave. Yet, Iknow in my heart that it is the right path and the only path that can trulychange the world we live in.

Onmy journey, I have traveled around the world sharing my story and teachingconflict resolution in war-torn nations such as Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq andSudan. I have become a leader by being a servant. I have been given theopportunity to speak into the lives of leaders of many nations, simply becauseI chose to follow the path of good rather than evil. I realized that the onlyway to overcome evil, is with good. When people see that kind of good they aredrawn to it. Time and again, people tell me that my story is compelling,inspiring, and even convicting, but in a gentle way. They see that the path Iam on, is the truth path of leadership. My role models are the likes of Jesus,Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa. These are all trueservant leaders who modeled the truth path of leadership through the simplicityof their lives and service and by the message that they communicated. Lovetriumphs over evil. They each, in their own way, knew what it was to live, loveand make a difference. They made a difference, leaving this earth better offthan when they came. They didnt store up riches on earth, but in heaven. Theyalso suffered. They didnt take the easy path, but often took the moredifficult path, because they saw that more fruit would be reaped there. Theywere not cowardly, but courageous. They were true world changers even thoughmany of them did not hold positions of great power or prestige.

Iwas honored this year to receive the distinction of joining all of these rolemodels above in being chosen as an Exemplar of Love and Forgiveness inGovernance by the Fetzer Institute and School for Conflict Resolution at GeorgeMason University. It was a tremendous honor to receive such an accolade and tobe chosen to join this select class of people, who take the road less traveledand respond in love and forgiveness. In this life, if you follow the road lesstraveled, you may not be rewarded with accolades and that cannot be yourmotivation. You must be motivated by truth and righteousness, because the pathisnt easy and there are obstacles along the way that will attempt to hinder youfrom achieving your objective. Often the only kudos you will receive when youchoose the true path of leadership, is an internal sense of peace. This peacewill be your guiding compass when the world turns on you or criticizes you foryour path. People will condemn you and chastise you because they have chosen tofollow the easy path. Their path is the path many leaders in the world havefollowed and still follow. The path that is self-centered, not love-centered.Many who have followed the truth path, havent lived to reap the rewards.Instead, some paid the price with their lives. Many didnt even receive muchrecognition until they died.

Mostof the internal fortitude for pursuing this direction must come from deepwithin and from a spiritual connection. Some have described my journey as themoral high ground. I can think of no better call to a world that has seen somany low points and so much immoral and unjust behavior among many worldleaders. Maybe it is time for a new generation of leaders, those who pursuerighteousness, justice, peace and service as the highest call. These ideas andprinciples are not ones that often receive much press or coverage in televisionshows or movies. Yet, in the end, they are the ones that truly impact theworld.

Myhope is that as you read this book, it will be a teaching tool andencouragement on the true path and attributes of leaders that we should allstrive for. I also hope that you will see that not only can you make adifference in this world, you have an obligation to. The most direct route tothe true path of leadership, is to walk in the opposite direction of those whohave abused their leadership and left destruction in their wake. There is muchwe can learn from history and stories of bad leaders that give light into howeasy it is for leaders to get off track and end up causing evil to the peoplethey are called to serve.

Ratherthan bending into this destructive leadership, I choose to stand against it andI hope you will too. He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it ashe who helps to perpetrate it. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, He whoaccepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. Letus never again follow the path of evil, but instead lead a course as leaders inthe direction of virtue.