An important aspect of Buddhism is personal development. In order to escape the cycle of birth and rebirth, one must continuously make improvements. The Buddha said, “If a man should conquer in battle a thousand and thousand more, and another should conquer himself, his would be the greater victory, because the greatest of victories is the victory over oneself.” The Buddhist leader places the burden of development on himself or herself, not only one’s own development, but the development of others. Much can be found in Buddhist teaching concerning self improvement and bringing out the best in others. Inherent in Buddhism is a very positive orientation towards human nature and a mastery of one’s destiny. The Buddhist Law of Causality states that nothing exists in its own right, but rather everything has a cause. A mastery of one’s self, and the management of others, require understanding this causality and acting upon it. Mindfulness and self-discipline are important aspects of personal development, especially as found in the Zen school of Buddhism.
At the same time, a Buddhist approach to the development of others has a strong orientation towards self-determination. As the Buddha said: “Only a man himself can be master of himself: who else outside could be his master? When the Master and servant are one, then there is true help and self possession.” The development of others should have the goal of producing an individual who needs no supervision, a person who has internalized the mission and goals of the organization, and who is capable of self-management, or being his own master. The ideal Buddhist organization is one in which less emphasis is placed on command and control, and greater emphasis is placed on developing the abilities of individuals to manage themselves.