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 If you haven’t seen the movie ‘Invictus’ yet, I can highly recommend it. Apart from a truly astonishing performance by Morgan Freeman as Mandela, this movie beautifully depicts the unmatched, absolutely unique leadership style of Nelson Mandela.
Mandela spent twenty seven years in a tiny prison cell on Robben Island for opposing apartheid. And despite the hardships of this terrible experience, when he was eventually released and elected as South Africa’s first black president, he preached forgiveness and reconciliation. Imagine that! Almost 30 years in a tiny cell and he came out ready to forgive the people who put him there. It takes someone with huge morality and little ego to behave as Mandela did, choosing humanity and unity above hate, anger and revenge. This is a man who led by example.
As someone who was born in South African and spent many decades of my life there, I marvel at the incredible spirit this man has. Through the media (or what they allowed us to know) I became aware of some of the atrocities that he and his family and his colleagues suffered. I remember the feelings of sorrow and shame I felt. And the repulsion for the regime that was doing this to the black people. I have always stood in awe at the incredible inner strength, wisdom and humanity Mandela has, to be able to be better than his captors and behave with such dignity.
So what can leaders around the world learn from this great leader?
It was never about him. It was about a vision of unity and humanity.
It was not about him. It was about the future of millions who made up the ‘the rainbow nation’ of South Africa.
It was not about him. It was about going out of his comfort zone to understand the pain and dreams of others and speak to them in a way that resonated with this.
It was not about him. It was about a passion for a greater purpose from which millions could benefit.
It was not about him. It was about replacing judgment and prejudice with tolerance and respect.
Mandela describes how he spent the years in prison reading the literature and poetry of his aggressors so that he could understand them better. One of his favorite poems, that inspired him through those many years, is “Invictus.” The final words of this poem could be an anthem for leaders around the globe:
I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul.
Leaders who are the ‘captain of their soul and the master of their fate’ are leaders, who like Mandela, have the wisdom and inner strength to rise above their egos and lead with true humility.
 Leadership Alignment Vision
Would you agree with me when I suggest that leadership alignment is a great goal to aspire towards but one that is probably very difficult to attain? Think about it. Let’s say that the CEO is surrounded by a team of 7 executive leaders. The absolute ideal would be that they all feel a great sense of common purpose, that they all agree on the best way to achieve this, that they all speak to their teams and departments with one voice, that they all promote one vision and that they are all great role models of one set of company values.
Let’s Get Real About Leadership Alignment!
Just as misalignment in our bodies can cause us pain and discomfort physically, mentally and emotionally, so leadership misalignment causes pain to people working in the company. It splits the energy, the focus, the culture, the spirit and the power of the company. But then I believe that smart leaders know this. It seems, though, that the power of the ego appears to be stronger than the power of their ability to do something fundamentally different about alignment. Am I being too harsh?
Let me say that I am certainly not advocating that companies should have leaders who are clones of each other. I am, however, advocating that while each leader will have a different style of leadership, they will still all send the same messages to employees; they will all follow the same roadmap, albeit executed in their own unique way. I am suggesting that no matter who their leader is, employees listening to them and watching them in different parts of the business will all be getting the same sense of purpose and the same message about where they are going, how they intend to get there and what’s in it for them to fully commit.
Why is this So Difficult to Achieve?
 Here’s my perception of what gets in the way of this true leadership alignment. I would love to hear if you agree or disagree?
As human beings we all have our own personal insights, perceptions, ideas, goals and dreams, for ourselves and for the company. Leadership alignment is about genuinely sharing these and crafting common goals and dreams that will build the business. This means that true alignment is based on authentic, open and honest relationships. Leadership teams like to believe that they are behaving in this way, but truth be told, too often they are not. They sit in meetings, nod their heads at appropriate moments, say what they believe others want to hear and what will keep them safe in their positions– and then go out and speak and behave according to their own goals and personal agendas.
Have You Seen This Happen?
If I am correct about this, then the challenge becomes one of identifying, recruiting and developing leaders who have the spirit and maturity to:
- Confidently and openly share their personal agendas and business insights.
- Work honestly towards integrating their personal agendas with the corporate goals.
- Release those personal agendas that do not fit with their leadership role and the goals of the business.
I would really like to hear if you believe this is possible and if you have actually experienced this or seen this happen.
 Oh No! Not that Topic, Again!
How do you feel about the topic of the left brain-right brain and its benefit to the performance of leaders and teams? Here is why I am asking. It seems to me that this extremely effective concept, that has enhanced the performance of leaders and teams around the world, is seriously misunderstood. Some leaders believe that it is a psychological concept; others believe that it is too soft and fluffy; and others have called it esoteric.
It is none of these things. It is actually a physiological concept based on the fact that the two sides of our brain think in different ways. This is the good news because when we combine the information from both sides, we will make great decisions that include fact and figures, intuition and creativity. The less good news is that the vast majority of us have a biological preference for the one side over the other. This means we will hear only what we want to hear and will make decisions that do not include all the critical information. It is not that we cannot use both of pour brains but simply that we do not enjoy the way one of our brains functions.
You’ve seen this in your own lives I am sure. Perhaps you are married to someone who has the opposite preference to you. For example, you may prefer to think with your left brain and your wife thinks with the right brain. You could be looking at the exact same  thing and be seeing something different!
So even if we don’t use this terminology of left brain and right brain which seems to put some business people off, we cannot avoid the fact that every one of us has a preferred way of thinking. That is why executive and management teams should consist of people with different thinking abilities – those who think visually, intuitively and creatively and those who are detail-oriented, logical and rational. (Dare I say, left brainers and right brainers?) The visualizers can help others see the corporate vision and the detail people can plan the roadmap to get there.
Sounds so basic doesn’t it? But human nature is such a strange thing. Left brain people enjoy interacting with left brain people. And right brain people enjoy other right brain people. They say things like, ‘we really understand each other; it’s so easy to talk to him; she really gets me.’ And before we know it we have recruited people who think exactly like we do. Bad idea! If someone really irritates you, ask yourself why and you will discover it’s because they think differently to the way you do and then remind yourself that you need them on your team. And you need them in your life.
Use the chart below to discover if you are left brain or right brain oriented. Then find someone close to you who is the opposite and build a strong relationship with them. Together you will communicate in whole brain ways, explore all possible aspects of your challenges and make great things happen. Separately you will be functioning in a half-brained way.
Left Brain Characteristics
I get to know people through shring facts
Focus on facts and solutions
Pragmatic and cautious
Perform tasks in a proven and accepted way
Like to know exactly what is expected of me
Prefer a clear step-by-step process
Tend to overlook giving recognition to others
Need many facts before arriving at a decision and acting
Believe caring and showing empathetic people are too soft in business
Solve problems by focusing on the way the task is being implemented |
Right Brain Characteristics
I get to know people through sharing feelings
Focus on feelings and the bigger picture
Creative and open to taking risks
Look for a new and original way of doing things
Like to be constantly surprised and challenged
Prefer to experiment as I go along
Give recognition easily and spontaneously
Action orientated, quick and spontaneous in arriving at a decision
Believe analytic and logical people are cold and uncaring
Solve problems by focusing on relationships and teamwork |
Based on the above questions, do you think this fits your presetnleadership style? What changes would you make?
To learn more about using the Whole Brain in leadership please contact me.
The Leadership Mystery of 2010
 I have joined several excellent Leadership Groups in Linkedin and it has been a fascinating journey for me. Reading the questions and comments of others, as well as the responses to my comments, what has ‘hit me on the side of the head’ is that although there are some truly well articulated ideas about what leadership is – there is absolutely nothing new! Great authors like Hamel and Prahalad, Peter Senge, Rowan Gibson, Kouzes and Posner, Stephen Covey and Jim Collins, amongst many others, have said everything we are saying in these online groups today.
Nothing new? So What Does That Mean?
And yet, every one of us, including myself, who keep the conversation going, thinks we see the light. Each one of us thinks we have a new pearl of wisdom that can enlighten others about what leadership really is. But truth be told, none of us have come up with anything that is radically different. Don’t get me wrong about these groups. I know that people are posing critical questions and the collective dialogue is causing some of us to re-frame our previous notions about leadership. I have learned a great deal from participating in these groups. Still I am struck by the fact that the leadership groups are now examining what it takes to be a true leader, because of the fact that this is a radically changing environment. Yet, with all these bright minds we have not come up with anything radically new, in fact we are falling back into comfort zones.
Ground Zero
 This astonishes me because I think that as a result of everything that has happened in the past year, it is critical for us to realize that we are at ground zero on the issue of leadership. And ground zero always requires a transformed approach, not a tweaking of the old approaches.
I have always thought that in times of declining growth we need to go beyond our comfort zones and seek a new way that addresses the new realities. I would think that this is a time for us to go beyond what we already know and find a way to discover what we don’t know.
I am confused – as you may have noticed – and would love your thoughts about this:
- What are your beliefs about the idea that the basics of great leadership do not change, irrespective of a radically changed environment?
- If you believe we need to rethink leadership, how do we get past our traditional ingrained ideas?
I happen to think that the new way is Spirited Economics™, an approach where leaders use employee spirit as a quantifiable financial asset. What do you see new about this?
The Spirit and Pain of Africa
The Differences Are Amazing
So here I am visiting family in Johannesburg, South Africa. The contrast between Dallas, Texas, where I now live, and Johannesburg as it is today, is incredible. Let’s start with the way people live. People in Johannesburg are prisoners in their own homes. High brick walls surround every home and on the top of these walls there is electrified wiring. In addition to the regular burglar alarm system in each home, every community hires a security company that uses armed mercenaries, wearing bullet proof vests, to patrol the community, for which the home-owners pay a monthly fee. It is inadvisable to rely in the police for any help because they are inept and corrupt.
A large number of the millions of unemployed have turned to crime in order to feed themselves and their families, so this means that you have to be very vigilant at all times. The first thing you do when you get into your car is lock all the doors, close the windows and be sure to hide your purse from view because this would be inviting a possible attack. Returning home and driving into the garage requires special vigilance. Criminals often watch and wait for people to drive up to their garages and then sneak in as the garage door opens. So before you open the garage you look to the left and the right checking for possible hidden attackers; and then you close the garage door behind you as quickly as possible.
The roads here are not maintained. There are potholes everywhere. It is very easy to puncture your tire if you are not quick enough to avoid the gashes in the road. Then there are beggars literally at every light, each flaunting some terrible physical deformity. After watching Slumdog Millionaire, I wonder how many of those with blind holes on their faces and deformed limbs were deliberately mutilated so that they could earn more as beggars?
The average life expectancy is 50 years because of Aids and there are thousands upon thousands of orphaned children whose parents have died of Aids related diseases. In the past year alone, 750,000 people died of Aids.
The Spirit in Johannesburg
This having been said, Johannesburg has a spirit and a magic all its own. Those who do not do crime are involved in entrepreneurial street activities, selling all kinds of goods hoping to eke out enough money to put food on the table that evening. And despite their terrible hardships they are cheerful and interactive, laughing and singing. One sign held by a beggar caught my eye. It said, ‘I do not want to do crime. Please help me feed my family.’
Being in Johannesburg and visiting with friends and family is like living in two worlds. There are the scary scenes you see when you go out of the high walls into the city and then there is life going on in a totally normal way, with people going to work, fetching the kids from school, visiting with friends, sitting at sidewalk cafes, working and playing, seemingly immune to this scary other world, accepting it as the way things are.
So when you read this, think about how blessed you are being able to live a life without having to look over your shoulder every moment of every day, fearful of the high possibility of becoming yet another victim of crime.
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