What can South Africa teach about Leadership?
It depends on how you define “leadership”. There are as many definitions of leadership as there are books and articles written about it ….. and more! But there seems to be some consensus around the idea that leadership is about getting things done, either by getting others to do them or by doing them oneself - personal leadership, if you like.
South Africa once led the world in using power to get things done. Without much shame it filled its books with laws; altered or ignored its constitution, such as it was; packed its courts with compliant judges; armed its police force and aimed its propaganda at getting things done. The thing to get done was called apartheid. The method used was blatant power – coercive power – wielded by a small minority over a large majority. It killed, exiled or jailed its critics. It failed over time, no matter how much power it assembled and entrenched, but it did get some things done. Visitors to South Africa are often amazed at how modern, efficient and sophisticated parts of it are!
Apartheid ultimately failed, and what is amazing is that its successors chose not to seek retribution and revenge – they didn’t seize the levers of authority and power. They approached the challenge of getting different, and by now urgent, things done by encouraging all South Africans to unite in the doing of these things – willingly. The leaders of the New South Africa – Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Desmond Tutu and hundreds of others – understand power ….. power over one another, coercive, raw, and effective immediately. They had firsthand experience of it. So did F W de Klerk – he had it and he came to the inescapable conclusion that it could no longer work. Its time had run out so he yielded his enormous power base voluntarily and threw his lot into a government of national unity.
South Africa leads the world again – extraordinarily. The newest but the most admirable democracy, protected by the most profound constitution, and all the different institutions of civil society are examples of this new leadership. We now have a constitutional court that is accessible to all, quick and efficient, fair and just; regular free and fair elections; consultation at all levels and education for all. Our four Nobel Peace Prize winners are icons of a different way to get things done.
What lies behind this extraordinary bloodless coup – this volte-face – this turnaround? Is it just a reaction to an appalling example of unbridled power used so unfairly on so many? Perhaps, to some extent. Margaret Wheatley (who wrote Leadership and the New Science) shares and shapes our view that there are also much more profound and lasting reasons. They are deeply embedded in the culture and traditions of African people - ubuntu, indaba, umphakathi – even in the way we see and greet one another. And they reflect the extraordinary lessons of nature – a self-regulating system maximising energy and using power intelligently and sparingly.
Our “Learning To Lead” programs draw their energy and examples by juxtaposing the extreme points of view on how to get things done as represented by people like Verwoerd, Vorster and P W Botha – with the energy driven leadership examples of Mandela, Tambo, Luthuli, Mbeki and Tutu.
But we go deeper. We compare the profound impact of Newton, Descartes and Darwin, whose social science seems suspect now, with the fascinating concepts of New Science - Chaos Theory, Quantum Mechanics, Evolutionary Biology and Field Theory. And we pass on all the teachings of Nature so close and so vibrantly alive here in Africa.
It all adds up to a balanced definition of leadership. It requires a capacity to live with paradox and exercise choice confidently. Leaders, in our definition, maximise willing positive human energy – their own first and then that of others, using power - authority over others - judiciously, sparingly and effectively.
This maturity of approach seems to us to offer the greatest potential to humans as individuals in relationships, in teams and in organisations of any kind to reach and live close to their full potential. High sustainable energy is what we teach, and teach best. It is surely what South Africa’s recent history teaches too.
Colin Hall
June 2004
