Today’s quote from the Dalai Lama speaks directly to something I believe is becoming more important in the age of AI, not less:

“𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴, 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴.”

For a long time, in certain cultures, compassion was seen—especially in business—as something soft. Or even weak.
Something to leave at the door of your job, your ambition, your performance.

But this quote reframes compassion as what it really is:
 🧭 A human strength.
 🧩 A trust-builder.
 💞 The foundation of real connection.

In a world moving rapidly toward efficiency, automation, and now usage of AI, it’s easy to start thinking that transaction is enough. That if the result is delivered, the connection doesn’t matter.

But humans don’t build trust through transactions alone.
We build trust by sensing and feeling the other person’s doubts, fears, pain and by having the courage to share our own.

That’s what AI ca...

One of the things I love about timeless wisdom is how often it challenges what we used to believe about ourselves—and life.

Today’s quote is from the Dalai Lama:
“𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩.”
And in his words:
“𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴, 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭.”

For a long time, I saw this differently.
When I was younger (😉), I had a very different view of compassion:
- I thought compassion was too soft, not something that mattered in the real world.
- I believed it belonged only in our personal lives—not in business, leadership, or performance.
- I associated it with weakness, or something only "sensitive" people talked about.
- I thought you either felt it or you didn’t—and if you didn’t, that was just the way you were wired.

Looking back, that view came from inexperience, and maybe even a fear of feeling too much.

Now I see compassion very differently. Through my own experiences—moments of pain, challenge, and also connection—I’ve come to understand that co...

Introduction

In leadership, as in life, we often face a critical dilemma: should we stand firmly by our principles, or should we adapt to the reality of the situation?

A recent example of this tension played out on the global stage between NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Rutte publicly advised Zelensky to rebuild his relationship with the U.S., emphasizing that America’s support is essential for Ukraine’s survival. For some, this seemed like a strategic and necessary move; for others, it felt like a compromise of values.

But this isn’t just a political issue—it’s a human issue. Every one of us faces moments where our values clash with practicality. How do we navigate this balance in our careers, relationships, and daily lives? And more importantly, how can we do it in a way that doesn’t compromise our moral compass?

The Dilemma: Principles vs. Pragmatism

Zelensky, as a leader, represents moral conviction. He is fighting for his country...