Fundamental beliefs

History has shown that leaders with clearly defined core principles and morals will perform better during time of adversity, will stand up better to undue pressure, and will be more at peace with themselves and their role in this world. Acquiring those core principles is not something that necessarily happens by itself; it’s something we have to work on for many years, and perhaps some would say the process continues our whole life.

About a third of first year HBS classes are about leadership, ethics, and the role of government and business in society. The classes purposefully bring to surface fundamental questions about people, culture, and society, and directly challenge some of our most basic and core beliefs. Former military people tend to be more comfortable in these cases because military personnel have had more time in their life to develop their own core values, and have also had more opportunity to exercise and refine those beliefs in real world settings.

I find that many of my classmates seek me out to inquire what some of my core beliefs are and why I believe them. This is not so much because I necessarily have any “right” answers, but simply because I have an answer, and I can articulate my rationale in a coherent and thoughtful manner. HBS students are often hungry for people who have clear ideals and values because many are still seeking to understand what they themselves believe.

What makes things difficult for some students is that they are trying to answer most of these classroom questions without first asking the most fundamental of questions. They are trying to pick out the material for the new roof without first deciding on the foundation of the house. To first build a strong foundation, you will need to establish the cornerstones. Once those cornerstones are in place, the rest of the foundation can be filled in. Look over the following four questions and see if you have an immediate or clear answer:

1. What are inalienable human rights, and where do they come from?
2. What should be the role of government?
3. What and when is something worth fighting for?
4. What does it mean to be fair?

If you had an immediate answer to one of these questions, you have either studied the subject to great deal in the past, or you have not looked deeply enough into the question. These are some of the most fundamental questions societies are faced with, yet few can clearly articulate their own core beliefs to others. My advice is to consider these questions so that people can ask you “why” ten times over to each answer until you finally get your fundamental beliefs. If you are getting frustrated with the “why” question, it may be a sign you don’t know the answer yourself.

Most of us simply do not have this foundation built. Some may argue that not all people even need such a foundation to be successful. However, I do believe these are questions that people who wish to be the future leaders of world should eventually be able to answer.

One of the things I’ve learned at HBS is that people’s core beliefs are as varied and diverse as the cultures they represent. We may not agree with each other on some issues, but by at least understanding the fundamentals of why other people feel the way they do, reasonable people from opposite parts of the spectrum can at least agree on reasonable terms; an outcome rarely seen in many modern governments.

I therefore encourage you to post your own answers through comments below. I would be interested in reading them, and you might be surprised how differently everyone thinks about such fundamental questions.