Albert Einstein – A Role Model for Our Times

“We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility.” — Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was an icon of the twentieth century, but the way he conducted his life serves as a model for thoughtfulness, even morality in the twenty-first century.  Anyone looking to examine models of leadership to glean attributes of that skill is well served by looking at Albert and how he lived his life.

Albert Einstein was a most intriguing individual.  While well noted for his contributions to science, such as the Special Theory of Relativity, the General Theory of Relativity, and the famous equation E=mc², it is many of the lesser known aspects and qualities of Albert that can capture one’s attention.  The world of Physics is at the end of the day, made of human beings, and as a science it is susceptible to the same fallibilities as humans.  For instance, it is tempting when one is part of any human organization to follow the notion of “to get along you must go along”. Albert on the other hand was a ballsy and independent thinking dude and would challenge fallibilities all of his life.

When he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for the Special Theory of Relativity that he submitted in 1905, he elected to share the prize with his former wife Mileva.  Physics in the last century, and especially so in the first half of that century, was almost exclusively a man’s world.  For Albert to share a prize with his former wife meant giving recognition to a woman.  Albert caught all kinds of grief for his decision, yet he was steadfast.  He wasn’t close with Mileva especially, as they had a rather acrimonious marriage, but he knew it was the right thing to do since Mileva, an outstanding mathematician, was responsible for much of the mathematics for the Special Theory of Relativity.

Albert was consistent in his support of arguing against injustices, especially of the institutional kind.  Whether it was in support of women in the sciences, joining the NAACP to register his dismay of the cancer of racism, or registering alarms at the rise of dangerous nationalism that followed in the wake of World War II, Albert was not willing to give in to those around him that were more interested in seeing a famous Einstein in lockstep with the establishment.

Albert Einstein enjoyed music, sailing, looking at pretty girls, and of course exploring the various rabbit holes that led to the ushering in of Quantum Physics.  But he was also mindful of a duty to be outspoken against injustices of various kinds.  While aware that he had a high intellect, he knew that he did not have a monopoly on truth.  As a result, he made sure he had people in his life that would entertain opinions contrary to his own.  Maybe some of those opinions irked him, but he also recognized the danger of being smug thinking that he knew so much more than others.

As you go forward with your career, your business, your life, it is important to indeed get along with others, for at the end of the day, we do need one another.  To think critically does not mean to think different from others for the sake of thinking different, but rather to note when you believe something is amiss and to act on it.  You may discover later on that you were not right, and that is okay because you can then make adjustments accordingly.  But either way, your life will be infinitely better for it.

With our next post, we continue exploring the factors that contribute to our success and happiness…