#dmingml How do African women leaders compare to Western definitions of leadership?

Given that I have been studying various leadership paradigms around the world, I was intrigued by Women’s Spiritual Leadership in Africa: Tempered Radicals and Critical Servant Leaders by Faith Wambura Ngunjiri.

Ngunjiri has thoughtfully and insightfully presented her portraits of 16 African women in leadership positions (7 of them are in-depth accounts), you begin to realize that the two concepts she highlights is actually how she defines “Spiritual Leadership.”

From her introduction on the general status of women in Africa to her qualitative research on these Kenyan women in leadership, Ngunjiri shows us how many of these women have endured significant abuse and gender discrimination on the way to being appointed to their respective leadership roles and in the fulfillment of those responsibilities. They have overcome repressive beliefs and attitudes about the role of women deeply ingrained in their culture, that fueled limited access to resources, education and professional opportunities.

From the portraits provided by Ngunjiri, one cannot help but admire these women. They represent women who have had to endure more than we can imagine and in the process become incredibly resourceful problem solvers –

·       Forced early marriages and female circumcision

·       Constant discrimination and physical abuse by men angered by women pursuing an education with the goal of seeing a more socially and economically just society emerge

·       Hunger, disease, wars, rape, corruption, divorce, dislocation, and trauma. The list goes on.

While we may not question commonly held definitions of leadership in the West, we cannot help but come away with a sense that when compared to the journeys of these African women in leadership, our Western definitions come across rather sterile andinnocuous.

Leading by example is important, as is inspiring a shared vision, challenging antiquated and redundant processes, and encouraging others to act. But leadership is more than this.

Ngunjiri defines it as “a process of involving intentional influence upon people to guide and facilitate their activities and relationships in a group or an organization.” It is also “a process of meaning making among people to engender commitment to common goals, expressed in a community of practice.” It is “more than a position rather, it is the ability of one person to respond to a call to her or his life that necessitates action…”

It is from these characteristics that she asks what does it mean to be a woman leader in an African context? Her framework consists of three elements: Africana spirituality, tempered radicalism, and servant leadership.

The first one, Africana spirituality refers more to ubiquitous nature of religious consciousness. African people share a spirituality, not a religion that is distinctively African where its understanding of God is as the definitive source and sustainer of life. This perspective reinforces a spirit of humility and an understanding that a great responsibility has been entrusted to the leader.

The second element of her framework pertains to Tempered Radicalism. This describes leaders who did not fit the “majority mold” or status quo. According to Meyerson (2001), they are men and women who find themselves as poor fits with the dominant culture of their organizations.” They are people who want to fit in while at the same time retain what makes them different. As Ngunjiri discovered, for women in Kenya, leadership often meant refusing to act like men in a male-dominated institution within a predominantly patriarchal culture.

“Tempered radicals reflect important aspects of leadership that are absent in the more traditional portraits. It is leadership that tends to be less visible, lesscoordinated, and less vested with formal authority; it is also more local, more diffuse, more opportunistic, and more humble than the activity attributed to the modern-day here. This version of leadership depends not on charismatic flair, instant success, or inspirational visions, but on qualities such as patience, self-knowledge, humility, flexibility, idealism, vigilance and commitment.”

For Ngunjiri, the third element of African spiritual leadership is servant leadership. This concept stems from the work of Robert K. Greenleaf (1977) and it essentially runs counter to the dominant leadership theories that espouse traditional uses of power, authority and hierarchy to tell people what to do. Servant leadership is less coercive and more collaborative. The leader is servant first, and leader second. It is a paradigm that seeks to develop and invest in the people they are leading.

I need to read this book again. There’s great wisdom and inspiration to be found.

Where are the entrepreneurs coming from? Where is the new generation of leaders emerging? #dmingml

In Young World Rising: How Youth, Technology, And Entrepreneurship Are Changing the World From the Bottom Up, author Rob Salkowitz takes a look at global trends in business and the forward-thinking approaches to economic and social problems from a new generation of doers (not just thinkers!) from Latin America, Africa and South Asia.

Salkowitz brings some great insights to the topic of how global markets are changing and the challenges this presents to organizations that want to forge productive business partnerships. Author of Generation Blend and Listening to the Future as well as having worked with Microsoft in developing market strategy, Salkowitz brings a considerable pedigree to his work.

In a book with less than 180 pages, this book packs a punch and literally provides any organization – commercial, not-for-profit or faith-based – with solid information on changing markets, social trends, and how an emerging generation of young leaders and entrepreneurs are grasping hold of opportunities where many traditional business models are redundant or at the very least, ineffective.

Some of his key insights include –

·      There are three forces reshaping the world: youth, ICT (information and communications technology) and entrepreneurship

·      The importance of the global knowledge economy

·      The rich old world (old economy) and the poor young world (new economy)

·      The digital divide between the rich old world and the poor young world is closing, albeit slowly. However, the young world is going mobile fueling the spread of the knowledge economy

·      The technology age gap: whereas the old economy sees technology as problem to be solved and something to beintegrated into existing frameworks, the new economy sees the possibilities of networks and data

·      Innovation is increasingly occurring at the bottom of the pyramid

The possibilities emerging with this new younger more mobile generation that are net-savvy, can naturally cause some traditional leaders to be threated and even daunted by the seemingly endless opportunities arising.

There is also another group of leaders who are genuinely excited by the possibilities that exist and want to catch the wave. They don’t want their organizations to be left behind with ageing infrastructure that has simply become redundant. Nor do they want their services and products to become irrelevant. It reminds me of an outstanding presentation given by Dr. André Martin who delivered some key insights to the Centre for Creative Leadership from research conducted with global leaders. Having identified The World of Interruption as a key social trend leaders must deal with today (11 minutes is the average time spent on a task before an interruption, and 25 minutes is the average time it takes to return to the task), he contrasts how in the 1940’s, Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was a huge factor in determining a person’s job suitability, in the 2000’s, a person’s Emotional Quotient (EQ) became important, and today, increasingly a person’s Fluid Intelligence (FI) is considered to be critical.  It is not what you know, but how quickly you can access it. It is the ability to overcome the two major obstacles of interruption and speed.

This observation by Dr. Martin is a key argument to Salkowitz’s premise that a young generation of entrepreneur’s and leaders can see that there are significant market opportunities to be capitalized on as information, social and technology networks and technology are aligned.

While Salkowitz provides numerous practical and innovative initiatives launched by these young entrepreneurs, underpinning them are six distinctive qualities. Young World entrepreneurship:

1.    Blends social and commercial objectives

2.    Creatively aligns public, private, and NGO resources

3.    Leverages communities and collaboration

4.    Is well-adapted and sustainable in Young World environments

5.    Embraces the globalization of the knowledge workforce, and

6.    Solves systemic problems while meeting market needs.

Honestly, as a leader who has had many opportunities to interact with leaders while mentoring young leaders acrossvarious continents, I found Salkowitz’s work on Young World Rising to be inspirational: I also realize that being inspired is simply not enough. As I continue to work with leaders in various organizational contexts and industry sectors, I must constantly be seeking how to forge potential partnerships that have the capacity and the capability to achieve greater things together, rather than independently pursue more narrow goals, at the risk of possibly not achieving them at all. Furthermore, no longer can the constraint of geography be used as an excuse for overlooking the importance of building effective partnerships – nationally and globally.

It is as Seth Godin states in Tribes, “Leaders challenge the status quo. Leaders create a culture around their goal and involve others in that culture. Leaders have an extraordinary amount of curiosity about the world they’re trying to change…Leaders connect their followers to one another.”

That’s Young World Rising.

#Dmingml

#dmingml How will globalization transform the West?

The word “Globalization” conjures up many thoughts, ideas, concerns and fears, and yet never have I read such an in-depth or informative work on globalization as I have in the work of Jehu Hanciles from Sierra Leone, Africa.

Beyond Christendom: Globalization, African Migration And The Transformation of the West, by Jehu J. Hanciles

As I read Hanciles' work, I had a de ja vu experience, recalling Fareed Zakaria’s work in The Post American World where he explores the changing shape and influence of America. Rather than focus on what some would argue as the decline of America being the reason for its waning influence, he chooses instead to focus on the ‘Rise of the Rest’: the increasing influence and affluence of other countries that enable it to have a stronger say in the political and economic landscape.

Hanciles’ work provides some fascinating perspectives on globalization and how it is impacting the West and the non-West. He looks at the impact of international migrations, the nature of mobility and human interactions, and how they are reshaping the world. He identifies processes of globalization that incorporate powerful trends and how these transcend territorial limits and cultural differences.

While there are some clear economic benefits of globalization to countries and communities due to the global reach of Western ideas and products, there still exist concerns that because this is not always based on reciprocity or where a genuine and reasonable exchange occurs between both parties, that it is potentially Western domination “disguised as a major strand of globalization and relationships of control, exploitation and dependency.” This is why Hanciles believes that sometimes globalization means marginalization and exclusion when countries and communities are prevented from becoming beneficiaries.

Hanciles provides some insightful thoughts as to the implications of globalization on the Global South (non-Western countries) and the West, of which one relates to the spread of Western secularism. While the loss of spiritual faith can be linked to modernization and economic prosperity in the West, “all forms of religion do not necessarily disappear as societies develop or modernize. Clearly, some rich nations are more religious than others, in part because the equitable distribution of resources is just as critical a factor as a nation’s economic development.” (41) Nonetheless, Hanciles addresses the growing religious gap between the West and the non-West, its relationship to economic prosperity, the absence of human security, and the issue of maintaining the integrity of one’s original culture and religious beliefs in the onslaught of conflicting values often exported through globalization.

Hanciles’ commitment to research and his detailed analysis of global trends and theories surrounding its implications on cultures and their indigenous beliefs, leads him to ague that immigrant groups will have a decisive impact on how the world is being reshaped. This is particularly true in relation to how he believes the West will change as South-North migration increases. This is one of the reasons why he believes globalization will not lead to a single global culture based on Western secular values. While Western secular values may continue to permeate other cultures through globalization, the increase in migration from the South to the North will continue to challenge and change the secular landscape of the West.

I would be doing Hanciles’ work an injustice if I failed to mention the strangely titled chapter, “A Wandering Aramean Was My Ancestor: Exile, Migration, and Mission in Biblical Perspective.” He touches on the theme of human migration through relocation, displacement, and population transfers.

Migration is a fact of history, and the cultural diversity that results from it, claims Hanciles, is indicative of a strongly biblical idea; the idea of a single global culture is not. The God of the Bible is a God of mission who seeks to make himself known through ordinary, culturally conditioned experiences. This is at the heart of Hanciles’ theory, that Christianity is the most universal of faiths precisely because it is “the ultimate local religion.”

This does not appear all that dissimilar to what Desmond Tutu was trying to say with the title of his new book, 'God Is Not A Christian: And Other Provocations.' Tutu essentially understands that our spiritual heritage is often linked to geography: where we are born, and how our culture and worldview becomes integrated with our faith and the lens through which we contemplate the ‘why’ of what we see. For those of us in the West, this lens sometimes only gives us a blurred perspective because of our arrogance and feelings of superiority over our non-Western friends for their seemingly naïve commitment to a faith that we have discarded.

Ironic isn’t it?

Our desire for independence and freedom along with our resourcefulness and sense of achievement has led us to discard the ‘sacred’ for the ‘secular’. And although we have given it away, we still feel the need to either control it or deny its importance for others.

I wonder if we may yet receive it back as a gift from those who aremigrating from the South?

#dmingml "The lust for clarity is a disease of the soul"

Ever been given a book months ago, only to finally open its cover to discover that it's words were meant for today?

That's how I felt about Conniry's book. I have just finished reading an excellent book by Dr. Charles J. Conniry Jr, called, Soaring in the Spirit: Faith in an Emerging Culture.

This book is not for the fainthearted. It is deep and wide in terms of its content and rich in the manner in how it draws philosophy and faith together. It refreshingly provides a very candid and transparent look at a person's journey who had been deeply hurt by 'church' life, and yet gracious in the way it carves out a rocky path from those dark moments to discover that 'church' life is not meant to be a bed of roses. It is both the vehicle and structure that God chooses to refine us and reshape us, albeit not necessarily in a way that it meets our expectations.

He opens up topics such as 'Messy Spirituality', the 'Perils of Sin Management', 'Consumer Christianity' and my favorite, 'The Way of Mystery'.

I love the following paragraph, which in itself is worth buying the book for, "The lust for clarity is a disease of the soul whose symptoms, ironically, include much talk about knowing and doing the will of God. "But wait a minute!" someone will object. "Aren't we supposed to know and obey God's will?" The answer of course is yes. But the problem is matter of focus - hence the myopia. Instead of concentrating our discernment focus on Christ, we are focused on ourselves and a given set of desired outcomes. Clarity leaves no place for faith."

This book is not merely for those who have been hurt by the church, disappointed by God, or desperately seeking where he is trying to lead you. It is for those who realize that they are not to function in isolation as an individual, but in the context of a community of people who are also hurting or have been hurt. It is for those who want to discover not what is next, as much as needing to know that Jesus wants you to experience him in the now of this moment.

#dmingml Contrasting African & Western attitudes on money. Interesting perspectives on macro & micro solutions

Just concluded the most insightful book on financial matters contrasting African and Western attitudes I have ever read. I wish I had known of this before my last seven trips to the continent!

 

David Maranz wrote African Friends and Money Matters out of the frustration many Westerners experience when they travel and work in Africa.Although most people who visit would expect attitudes to be different, on aday-to-day level most people don't anticipate what this might look like on a practical level.

 

Starting with an overview of Africa's economic system (with a very broad brush stroke, as it differs considerably country by country), Maranz presents 90 observations of African behaviour to money and how they specifically contrast with Western behaviours. These 90 observations provide a wealth of knowledge and insightthat anybody who travels to Africa or intends living there will find to be extremely helpful. As one contemplates the notion of poverty and development in the light of alleviating severe social issues within their geo-political landscape, Maranz's work provides some revealing observations. The 90 observations are broken down into six major categories: 

 

•    The Use of Resources

•    Friendship

•    The Role of Solidarity

•    Society and People of Means

•    Loans and Debts

•    Business Matters

 

If you anticipate travelling to Africa in the future, I encourage you to get a copy of Maranz’ book and consider his 90 observations. They are well worth reading.

 

For the sake of brevity however, I want to highlight one conflict that emerged: It relates to short-term and long-term thinking, or micro-solutions to macro-solutions, and the attitudes that sit behind them.

 

Short-Term & Long-Term Wealth

 

The fundamental economic consideration in the majority of African societies according to Maranz, is the distribution of economic resources so that all persons may have their minimum needs met, or at least that they may survive. Central to this is the welfare of family and kin, and the importance of solidarity and sharing. In contrast to this, the primary consideration in the West is the accumulation of capital and wealth: a rather individualistic pursuit.

 

Of course, these are generalisations and although a little simplistic do help us to understand some of the conflicts we experience when those of us in the West who are comfortable pursuing financial security and wealth in an overtly consumerist culture, are suddenly confronted with the realities of what many African families and communities do not have, and barely able to provide for their basic human needs for shelter, food, health and education that the West has taken for granted. Bryant L. Myers in Walking With the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development, addresses some of these conflicts and understandings from the perspectives of what he defines as the poor and the non-poor.

 

Distribution of wealth and the expectations that we have of those who have wealth and how it should be used are varied, and one can appreciate why the perspectives of those who are merely trying to provide for the basic needs of their families and kin are different from those who have the capacity to meet these needs and go beyond this to simply accumulating more money, wealth and possessions.

 

Maranz draws out another distinction in the different economic systems. Where African societies tend to focus on micro-solutions, the West focuses on macro-solutions that tend to consider larger scale solutions that benefit a greater number of people beyond the immediate problem with the view that this may eradicate the problem altogether. Micro-solutions on the other hand focus on improving only the immediate situation or problem. It is a short-term solution only. Maranz provides some examples of why this occurs, and at the root of them is the fundamental importance of relationship and community for the African. Therefore, solutions focus on increasing interactions, no matter how inefficient they may seem. According to Maranz however, this is increasingly coming under threat where

 

“major disruptions have come from urbanization, the influence of Western ideas of individualism, greater geographic mobility, long-term economic crises, and the transition from family self-sufficiency to cash dependency”. (9)

 

Reflecting upon this belief, I could not help but wonder if in the West we too have had out lives disrupted in a similar way: urbanization, individualism, mobility, fluctuating financial markets, and cash dependency. These have indeed led to greater efficiencies in many dimensions of our daily lives, and it would be difficult to argue that these have not resulted in a quality of life we enjoy and have come to expect.

 

What is troubling however, is the reality that we still seem unable to resolve the poverty many of us experience in our relationships, and that the cause of this may be the very things we are notprepared to let go.

 

Perhaps we are not so macro in our thinking after all!