6. BALANCE AND CONTRAST

All life and great art are both manifestations of Balance and Contrast. In Eastern philosophy, this is yin and yang, the female and the male principle. Everywhere, we see opposites that are, at one level, contrasts, but, at another level, balancing forces which counterpoint one another. One cannot exist without its reversed reflection. There is darkness and light, truth and falsehood, good and bad, up and down, left and right. These opposites dance like a pair of quarreling lovers.

The photographer revels in the use of Balance and Contrast. His most versatile tool is light and shadow, the contrast of black and white. He sashays the grays in between to highlight the difference. The photographer balances his composition by deliberately off-balancing it. He contrasts shapes, textures, moods and colors. The desired effect is natural asymmetry which blends rather than distracts, like a Zen garden.

The leader or manager needs both yin and yang in the work place. There is task versus people, substance versus process, pressure versus nurture, strict versus tolerant, directional versus empowering, precise versus ambiguous, authoritative versus participatory, logical, versus creative, and so forth. There is indeed a time and season for everything depending on the situation, the competency level of the people and the resources of the organization. The leader must be flexible, versatile and malleable.

7. SIMPLICITY AND PURITY

Less is more. That is the classical formula for timeless art. The more an artist complicates and clutters his art, the more confusing and incomprehensible it becomes. Purity and Simplicity in art provide visual clarity and elegance. They strip art to its very core. The message given is clear. The emotion evoked is raw. The thought aroused is clean.

The photographer isolates a vignette from life by focusing the camera’s eye on one central figure. The background is stark and bare. The elements of the photograph are few and spaced out. Monochromes and monoshapes are preferred. Lines are minimized. Texture is consistent. The impact on the viewer is tranquility, peace and contemplation.

The leader or manager must have a good grasp of the logic of his business and the industry it is in. He must be able to pinpoint the few critical variables that most determine success or failure. From this, he is able to craft a singular strategy that will make all the difference. Structures must be simple, systems straightforward, signals clear. The leader who is simple and pure has no complex motives, just a desire to serve.

8. EMPATHY AND COMPASSION

The artist who understands humanity and empathizes with the many moods and foibles, the joy and pain of people can express himself captivatingly. As he begins to have compassion and intimately identifies with his subject, he can render it in a very profound and deeply significant way. Empathy and Compassion jump out of the art work and capture the heart of the beholder who then becomes one with the art.

The photographer must be able to engage his viewer by choosing subjects with high human interest. He can win his audience by humor or horror, love or loneliness. A frown, a smile, a warm kiss or painful grimace are good ingredients. Even inanimate objects can be humanized by the skillful interplay or visual images.

The leader or manager learns early on in the game that people are his most valuable resource. His job is to motivate his entire team to reach their full potential. He must have high personal and social skills. This means that he must first have self mastery to gain confidence in order to win the trust of his people. He must be able to inspire by understanding their needs, awakening their minds and touching their hearts.

9. TRUTH

Art is Truth. It is true when it freely expresses the artist. It is true when the beholder resonates with the art in a personally meaningful way. It does not copy nor reproduce the truth of others. Truth is being faithful to one’s self and being one with the One. Truth is original creation.

The photographer as artist does not contrive nor artificially concoct his art. He captures the Truth by allowing his subject matter to project itself. He coaxes rather than dictates. He cajoles rather than interferes. He is not a blind imitator. He shoots with eyes that see beneath the obvious.

The leader or manager who espouses Truth is transparent in his words and deeds. He is open to new ideas and freely shares his own. He accepts criticism to improve himself. He does not give false promises nor false praises. He deals openly, honestly and selflessly. He follows a strict code of ethics and espouses high moral standards.

10. UNIVERSALITY

Great art appeals to a great number. It resonates with the many who find virtue and value in the art. It appeals to the sensitivities and the sensibilities of all humanity through all time. It knows no limits because it transcends the here and now and lives in the place of the immortal.

The consummate photographer knows the psyche of both his subject and his viewers. He can render the subject in such a manner that viewers discover a multiplicity of meanings. Each pondering of the photograph peels a new layer of insight. Mere photographic gimmickry can never attain Universality because this principle belongs solely to the soul in touch with the Universal Soul.

The great leader accomplishes great feats because his noble cause finds a multitude of followers. He can feel the pulse of his organization. He can translate their aspirations into a grand vision. The great leader is the embodiment of his people. He personifies all that is good, true and wonderful. He is, at o once, the exemplary exception while, at the same time, the Everyday Man