Category: LDRS 500

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Light from Many Lamps – James Gordon Gilkey – Unit 8

“How are you?” and “I’m so busy!” may be two of the most commonly used phrases in modern society. The fact that a quesation about someone’s well-being is generally answered with a reply about how much they have going on speaks to the status symbol of busyness (Pinsker, 2017) and how we have allowed demands on our life to become out of control.

And yet, this is certainly not a new problem. The story of James Gordon Gilkey (Watson, 1951) highlights that busyness was just as present in the good old days as it is now in 2018.

Gilkey’s quote from a sermon in 1944 has as much to say today as it did when it was spoken 74 years ago:

The  crowded hours come to you always one moment at a time. That is the only way they can come. The day may bring many tasks, many problems, strains, but invariably they come in single file.

You want to gain emotional poise? Remember the hourglass, the grains of sand dropping one by one. (Watson 1951, p. 221)

Reflecting on this story gives the opportunity to consider the difference between proactive and reactive behaviour when it comes to the demands of life and busyness. Am I proactively choosing to create boundaries and margin in my life? Am I reacting to every situation around me in a way that makes my life busier?

As the study from Harvest Business Review (Bellezza, Paharia, & Keinan, 2016) shows, there is a connection between the perception of how busy someone is and their social status. Am I being careful that I am not artificially inflating my own importance and how busy I am so that those around me believe I am more necessary than I actually am? Understanding the motivation behind our decisions to become busy can help to uncover some dark places in our own lives.

Over the last several years I have been able to create margin in my life in a few significant ways. Margin in how I use my time, what I do with my money and what opportunities I agree to take on has allowed me to be more focused while actively staying away as much as possible from the trap of busyness, real or perceived.

As Watson (1951) states in her conclusion, this has helped “achieve a better, more serene way of life” (Watson, 1951, p. 221).

Question
Are there some specific habits you have put in place in your life to combat the tyranny of busyness?

Reference
Bellezza, S., Paharia, N., & Keinan, A. (2016, December 15). Research: Why Americans Are So Impressed by Busyness. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/12/research-why-americans-are-so-impressed-by-busyness

Pinsker, J. (2017, March 1). ‘Ugh, I’m So Busy’: A Status Symbol for Our Time. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/03/busyness-status-symbol/518178/

Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.

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Gender and Leadership – Practical Inclusion Ideas – Unit 8, Learning Activity 2

As I read chapter 15 of Leadership (Northouse, 2018) and the Catalyst (Nugent, Pollock, & Travis, 2016) report I was challenged to think about practical inclusion ideas while also finding myself encouraged and grateful for the environment where I work. No situation is perfect and we should always be paying attention to the areas where we have become passive and status quo. At the same time, I can genuinely say that much of what I read about in these two resources is valued and has been implemented in my workplace.

As Nugent, Pollock, & Travis (2016) state, employees who experience uniqueness and belonging report as feeling included. This can be a challenge as an organization grows and becomes more complex. Employees are hired to complete a task but have a desire to be recognized for who they are and that they are welcome among the larger group.

As a manager, I meet with my direct reports one-on-one every month to give organizational updates but also to ask them how they’re doing, to ask what questions they have, and to ask for updates and feedback on their current projects. This is more than a performance check-in (although it does serve that function) and becomes the place where meaningful relationships can happen and trust is built between employee and manager. These meetings happen with all employees regardless of gender and the same requests are feedback are given in all meetings.

In reflection, part of my active leadership to the team I lead could then be to have employees share great insights or feedback they’ve given and to invite this from both male and female employees in our department. For the wider team to know that I value and respect the input and insight of male and female employees alike would speak to this desire for inclusion through the feeling of uniqueness and belonging.

At the same time, from taking the Gender-Leader Implicit Association test (Northouse, 2018) I was quite surprised to find a level of gender bias within my own understanding of leadership. While I don’t believe it is possible for zero bias to be achieved, I do believe that I can work actively to overcome this bias and build this culture of inclusion among those I work alongside.

Nugent, Pollock, & Travis (2016) also speak to these inclusion experiences in the Catalyst report as being invisible and yet expected. The challenge is that inclusion doesn’t speak to a program or workplace training but instead to something within the character of the leaders. Inclusion can’t be narrowed down to individual conversations or bulletin board material but needs to be instilled across the organization through leaders who are committed to acknowledging exclusionary behaviour and choosing to do the opposite.

In summary, I believe that our organization is doing a good job of practicing this inclusionary behaviour stemming from employees feeling a sense of uniqueness and belonging. However, we cannot assume this is automatic and will always continue so I need to pay attention to my interactions with all employees, regardless of gender, and look for ways to speak publicly of the contributions they are making to our organization’s shared goals. This needs to be modelled for other leaders within our organization who can then continue this behaviour to grow these feelings of uniqueness and belonging to every area of responsibility.

 

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Nugent, J., Pollack, A. & Travis, D. (2016). The day to day experiences of workplace inclusion and exclusion. Retrieved from http://www.catalyst.org/system/files/the_day_to_day_experiences_of_workplace_inclusion_and_exclusion.pdf

 

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Gender and Leadership – Case Study Reflection – Unit 8, Learning Activity 1

The case study of “The Glass Ceiling” (Northouse, 2018, p. 417-418) tells the story of Lisa, an experienced, confident executive who leaves her Wall Street firm after repeated attempts to achieve partner. The working environment as well as her direct relationship with the CEO show clear evidence of gender discrimination. Lisa has relevant experience, educational qualifications, and a track record of success in the firm. She is given increased seniority and responsibility as she brings value to the company. Lisa is respected by her peers and brings positive impact to company revenue and the bottom line. Over an extended period of time, her requests for partnership based on performance are denied and Lisa leaves the firm.

As I reflected on this case study it was evident that this was a description of an environment where the senior leader helped to create an environment of discrimination and discomfort for other leaders and particularly women. Knowing there are peers of Lisa’s who are coming to her privately but not willing to speak up on her behalf publicly points to a domineering culture where there may be fear of consequences for anyone who challenges the CEO.

For this situation specifically, there is no obvious reason to say there are experience or education gaps which are the reason for the treatment Lisa is receiving. The fact that the CEO is willing to say two women in one room together is scary is clear evidence of deeper discrimination which is not connected to employee performance. Lisa is not given the opportunity to lead as a partner in the firm not because she isn’t a qualified leader but because of the advancement barriers in place in this firm, known as the glass ceiling.

With a CEO who questions a woman’s ability to lead and speaks publicly of his fear of women together in a room, it’s no surprise that a woman of Lisa’s calibre and experience would leave the firm to pursue other opportunities. Had there been a clear path to partnership which included performance, education and experience goals, the criteria become clear. Lisa could have made a case for partnership based on what she had achieved or the CEO could have made plain to her what still needed to be accomplished for her to be considered.

Giving opportunities in an organization for promotion, increased responsibility and career advancement must be equitable when it comes to gender and leadership. Employees need to be given the opportunity to demonstrate they are capable, qualified and trustworthy for new roles within an organization. When these paths to success are confusing, unclear or secret, this builds distrust and uncertainty among employees. All employees, male and female, deserve to understand what is expected of them and what opportunities are available for them in the future based on their performance and success in their current role.

Personally, this case study and reflection help me to think about how I lead in an environment where I have both male and female direct reports. My friendships and working relationships with men and women look different but I have a responsibility as a leader to be clear with those around me that they are being treated fairly, respectfully and with equality regardless of gender. They need to understand how their success helps to shape their future within our organization and I need to actively look for ways to highlight their successes as they grow.

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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Transformational Leadership and Principles of Ethical Leadership – Unit 7, Learning Activity 2

According to Wang, Oh, Courtright, & Colbert (2011), managerial implications of findings related to transformational leadership include the following:

  1. Transformational leadership is desirable at the managerial level and therefore emphasis should be placed on hiring, training and promoting candidates who “are more likely to become transformational leaders” (Wang et al., 2011, p. 253). 
  2. Transformational leaders are most successful and have the greatest organizational impact when they are working collaboratively as part of a larger team (Wang et al., 2011, p. 253).

These two implications mean that organizations need to pay attention to the people they are promoting into senior positions of leadership. As the influence of an employee grows through promotion, it becomes more important for this person to display characteristics and traits of someone who is likely to become a transformational leader.

At the same time, an employee who demonstrates clearly that they have the ability to be seen as a transformational leader should be placed in a role where they have the opportunity to influence those around them through this style of leadership. A transformational leader who is asked to do a role which doesn’t require collaboration and teamwork is a poor organizational leadership decision.

These two implications impact me in two specific ways. First, who are the leaders within our organization who are already demonstrating the traits of transformational leadership? These people should rise to the top of the list of candidates who should be considered for collaborative, team-based roles where their transformational leadership can flourish and bring greater influence across our organization.

Second, there are some roles within my department and our organization as a whole which are mostly administrative, can be done independently and by the nature of the role don’t require collaboration. These roles are not any less important for the success of the organization but I should be careful to not expect a leader who exhibits traits of transformational leadership as someone who would be excited about a role like this, even if it means a promotion and the appearance of greater organizational influence.

According to Northouse (2018), there are five principles of ethical leadership which are summarized as respect, service, justice, honesty, and community (Northouse, 2018, p. 346).

Respect
Ethical leadership requires a level of respect for not only the people around us but also for their decisions and values. The people are not a means to the end of accomplishing our own leadership results but the people are “ends in themselves” (Northouse, 2018, p. 346).

Respect shows itself not only in how a leader treats other people but also in how the ideas, input and decisions of those around the leader are taken into consideration. Leaders who don’t respect those around them and the value they bring to a team or organization will quickly find themselves with nobody to lead.

Service
While this will always be a struggle for leaders (particular those who are used to a transactional style of leadership) there is significant value in seeing my position as a leader as an opportunity to serve those around me. The well-being of followers becomes increasingly important for an ethical leader. The desire for followers to succeed just as the leader succeeds is a mark that this principle has taken root in the life of the leader.

Greenleaf (1970, as cited by Northouse, 2018, p. 348) develops this further as the concept of servant leadership. The role of the servant leader is to help develop and grow followers so that the organizational objectives can be achieved.

The increasing popularity of the greater good, even in the business world (Northouse, 2018, p. 348), means this notion of servant leadership is becoming more familiar. The expectation continues to grow that part of a leader’s focus is to serve the people they are leading.

Justice
The ethical leadership characteristic of justice speaks to the need for leaders to treat people equally and with fairness. Preferential treatment shouldn’t be given by the leader to followers based on relationship and benefit to the leader. In times when followers are given different treatment, this characteristic of justice means an ethical leader will know it is important to communicate why different treatment is being given while keeping an ethical mindset in the treatment of followers.

Justice is also seen when it comes to reward and punishment. The ethical leader has a responsibility to make sure that equal treatment is given to followers based on performance or value to the team. Reward and punishment should not be given based on the leader playing favourites or looking to make a larger statement to other followers.

Honesty
Ethical leaders are expected to always tell the truth. Every leader knows this is a challenge and comes with significant nuance. While it is not always possible for a leader to be fully truthful with every person in every situation, ethical leadership requires that leaders are never dishonest with followers.

Dishonesty is lying and creates distrust. The other principles of respect, service and justice all become casualties to the leader’s lack of honesty. Dishonesty is also a display of selfishness by the leader. An act which says that the reputation of the leader is more important than the consequence of telling the truth.

Experienced ethical leaders will learn to never lie while also knowing when they should not be fully truthful. Ethical leaders understand that everyone is entitled to the truth but the timing of when that information is delivered may change depending on seniority or other organizational factors.

Community
The principle of community speaks to the ability of an ethical leader to build a group of followers toward a common goal (Northouse, 2018, p. 351). Ethical leaders understand that followers have their own desires, motivations, and intentions and this principle of community shows itself as the followers rally together, led by this ethical leader, to accomplish this common goal.

The followers are valued as individuals and their interests matter to an ethical leader. As community is built together the followers become more committed to working together, following the leader and achieving the outcome ahead of them.

Rost (1991, as cited by Northouse, 2018, p. 352) suggests that community as a goal itself is not enough but that ethical leadership will influence followers to even greater significance through community impact, or “attention to a civic virtue” (Northouse, 2018, p. 352). Ethical leaders build community among followers so they are able to focus not only on the goal ahead of them but on the greater good they can bring to the community around them.

Of these five, I would say all five are critical but honesty and service would stand out to me as the two most important.

As I’ve already mentioned, when a leader lacks honesty they lose all credibility, their reputation is tarnished and mistrust is built among followers. The impact is the relationship between leader and follower is significantly damaged and the ceiling on relationships between followers themselves is also very low. The likelihood of any kind of common goal being achieved in this kind of environment is very slim.

The priority of service as a principle of ethical leadership is so important because in some ways it facilitates the other four principles to happen. If my focus is on serving those around me it is incumbent on me to respect them, to treat them justly, to be truthful with them and to build community among them. When followers see a heart in a leader to serve others, this becomes relational currency for the times when the leader makes mistakes. A leader who is focused on serving others will be given more grace by followers because it is understood that the desire was there to make a decision based on the good of the followers.

 

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Wang, G., Oh, I. S., Courtright, S. H., & Colbert, A. E. (2011). Transformational leadership and performance across criteria and levels: A meta-analytic review of 25 years of research. Group & Organization Management, 36(2), 223-270. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601111401017

 

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Response to dawnES – “To Thine Own Self be True” – Light from Many Lamps Part 5

“To Thine Own Self be True” – Light from Many Lamps Part 5

Dawn, your post on authentic leadership is so helpful. I’ve been navigating a bit of the challenge of understanding authentic leadership vs. transformational leadership and how those two can be seen as distinct. Your post really brought some clarity for me and I’m very grateful for that. Thank you!

As far as your question at the end of your post, the tension between a leader’s desire for relationship with those around them with the reality that too much transparency may reduce the authority of the leader is very real. I know I struggle with that as a leader. Although I don’t have a definitive answer I have learned along the way that those around us already know we have weaknesses. Sometimes they see our weaknesses more clearly than we do! The first admission is that I’m not perfect, I have areas where I struggle and I promise that I will let you down as a leader.

I have found over time that in leadership relationships where I am willing to make that assumption, those around me rally with support, encouragement and increased commitment to the cause. Areas where I have weaknesses can be strengthened by others around me.

The difficulty is leanring to not be threatened or ashamed of those around us who have different strengths and who compensate for our weakness. This is the internal work that a leader has to go through to develop empathy, compassion and courage while managing this tension of desire for relationship and fear of transparency.

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Response to jessicalaugsawatzky – light from many lamps week 6

light from many lamps week 6

Jessica, I really appreciate your encouragement to give authentic recognition to people around us as we journey through life. I love hearing about the impact of your parents on you and your siblings and how that has had a lasting effect on you throughout your life.

How you’ve highlighted the way you encourage people to lead and influence others regardless of their role, position or title is really encouraging, as well. We’ve been learning so much in this course about leadership being so much more about who we are as people and less about the authority I have because of my title or assignment. Your reminder that we can serve others in so many different capacities is so helpful and I’m sure those who work with you appreciate the encouragement as well.

May we all have the opportunity to leave the world a little better than we found it!

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Leadership, Ethics and Morality – Unit 7, Learning Activity 1

Leadership as a matter of competency but also of character continues to be a headline issue around the world. In terms of character traits, the expectation is growing for leaders to be of impeccable character (Northouse, 2018, p. 25).

Ethics help leaders make decisions. According to Northouse (2018), “ethics is concerned with what leaders do and who they are” (Northouse, 2018, p. 336). Ethics are not simply belief but inform behaviour. And, vice versa, a leader’s behaviour demonstrates their ethics.

The definition of ethical leadership and the role of ethics in leadership are examined in a webinar (Van Buren, 2013) and an article (Avolio & Gardner, 2005). These bring to light the moral implications of leadership behaviour as well as methods by which a leader can enable their organization to grow and flourish.

Van Buren’s (2013) definition of ethics is “principles, values and beliefs that define what is right and what is wrong behavior” (Van Buren, 2013, 3:58). Ethics are defined not only by right behaviour but also by the belief behind the behaviour. Van Buren’s (2013) reminder that being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re ethical highlights that there are issues of competency and also of character when it comes to leadership.

The example of the organization who receives a donation of clothing (Van Buren, 2013) is a succinct example of the moral implication of leadership behaviour – both ethical and non-ethical. Avolio & Gardner summarize the moral component of leadership with the goal of achieving “authentic and sustained moral actions” (Avolio & Gardner, 2005, p. 324). The internal moral compass shows itself outwardly in moral or ethical behaviour.

The moral implication of leadership behaviour is that the leader, the followers and the organization itself are all impacted by the ethics of the leader. Leaders set the moral tone for the entire organization (Van Buren, 2013). Leaders influence followers and their development (Avolio & Gardner, 2005, p. 325-326). As Van Buren (2013) states, “all organizations can face ethical challenges” (Van Buren, 2013, 4:24) and the implication is that all organizations need leaders who believe and behave ethically.

When it comes to enabling an organization to flourish and grow, Van Buren (2013) outlines six ways a leader can create an ethical culture. A leader can be a visible role model to demonstrate ethical behaviour to influence followers and set organizational ethical values. Leaders have a responsibility to communicate ethical expectations so that employees and the entire organization understand what is considered to be right and wrong behaviour. An ethical leader will promote effective financial management to ensure the organization can achieve its goals with the available resources. Followers can grow as part of the organization when a leader provides ethical trainings to clarify and communicate not only ethical behaviour but also the values, morals and beliefs which contribute to the organization. A leader who is able to institutionalize an ethical culture develops followers to the point where ethical belief and behaviour are common and expected across the entire organization. When things don’t go as expected, a leader who is able to provide protective mechanisms will come to the help of followers and guard the organization against any kind of abuse or danger.

As I consider these six categories, the one which stands out to me the most is how I can be a visible role model. In my role as a pastor, I have the privilege of leading several employees and many volunteers. I also have public visibility to the entire congregation as I participate in worship services. I understand that my behaviour is on display and is being examined in a unique way because of my leadership position. The opportunity I have to exemplify ethical, moral behaviour (rooted in a belief system or morality and values) helps to show those I lead and our church community what is expected in terms of belief and behaviour within this ethical culture.

 

Reference
Avolio, B. & Gardner, W. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 16, 315-338. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984305000263?_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_origin=gateway&_docanchor=&md5=b8429449ccfc9c30159a5f9aeaa92ffb

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Van Buren, Jane. [BuildingCapacity]. (2013, March 29). What Is Ethical Leadership? [Video File]. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks2QGoIq5nA.

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Coaching Conversation – Unit 6, Learning Activity 2

From my conversation with dizzybutterfly (a pseudonym, obviously), I learned she is a committed, dedicated teacher who cares deeply for students with developmental disabilities and particularly those who struggle with reading. She has operated as a servant leader in different situations without even knowing what that meant. Her passion for helping students succeed is clear and even from a short conversation, this is quite evident.

She has a growing desire to run her own company to help students who struggle with reading to thrive. She is convinced that every student has strengths which can be leveraged to help them overcome their weakness. To be able to do this, she would like to open a tutoring service which would require some business training and further research into the field. She feels the success of a tutoring service would rely on developing business skills such as business plan development and market analysis.

She has a solid grasp of her own abilities and how those can help children who struggle with reading. She also understands some of the gaps which exist between what she is capable of now and what will be required of her in the future. The steps to achieve her goal are clear and she has a good understanding of what will be required of her to achieve these next steps.

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Light from Many Lamps – Abraham Lincoln – Unit 6

Abraham Lincoln’s ability to unite people around a cause is legendary and the focus of this story in Light from Many Lamps (Watson, 1951) is one more example. Lincoln’s second inauguration speech is remembered most for the first phrase of the closing paragraph. “With malice toward none; with charity for all” (Watson, 1951, p. 205) is the summary of the outcome Lincoln was hoping to express in this speech. As expressed by Elihu Root, “It is a living principle of action” (Watson, 1951, p. 206).

As I reflected on this story and the content of Lincoln’s speech, I couldn’t help but think about the current state of the presidency south of the border. While Lincoln is affirmed to be a man who “never willingly planted a thorn in any man’s bosom” (Watson, 1951, p. 206) the same cannot be said for today’s president.

The focus of my reflection is not political but instead an appreciation of Lincoln’s ability to bring unity to a divided country with the clear contrast of the division we see today in the United States.

Lincoln’s desire for the entire country to live with malice toward none, charity for all begins with him as a leader of impeccable character and personal resolve. Time and again Lincoln shows evidence of the four transformational leadership factors (Northouse, 2018) as developed by Bass (1985, as cited in Northouse, 2016) – idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration (Northouse, 2018, p. 169-171).

Personally, Lincoln has been a significant leadership influence for me and I had the opportunity in 2016 to visit the Lincoln Memorial as part of a quick visit to Washington, DC. To see the words of this speech engraved on the wall of the memorial (photo below) was a reminder to me of the impact of having malice toward none, charity for all in my own leadership.

There are times when I will disagree with someone but as soon as malice toward them starts to happen inside of me I’ve gone beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable as a leader. In fact, the words of Jesus remind me that “Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:22, New International Version). Extreme, perhaps, but it gets to the heart of the matter that our thinking toward those around us begins to influence our behaviour toward them as well.

At the same time, as a leader I have the opportunity and privilege of showing charity to those around me. Believing the best about people and the decisions they make do not come naturally but this speech of Lincoln’s is a good reminder of the power of a leader’s willingness to show charity to all.

Question
What are some specific habits you pursue in your life to keep malice subdued and to increase charity toward others?

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.

 

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Invictus

Watching Invictus for the first time for this assignment, I’m struck by a story to be so meaningful on multiple layers. First, the South African rugby team and their surprising victory in the 1995 World Cup of Rugby. Second, the beautiful friendship and inspiration shared between Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar, captain of the Springboks. And third, Mandela’s own journey from prisoner to president.

The outcome of the central plot of the movie is the World Cup victory of South Africa on their home soil in 1995. The result of Mandela’s transformational leadership and his ability to inspire Pienaar and those around him was this team’s unexpected win. In this story, the tangible result of transformational leadership is this monumental victory.

Even though Mandela’s leadership may be as concrete an example of transformational leadership factors (Northouse, 2016, p. 169-171), leadership is often seen as an abstract concept which is hard to define. The Springboks’ World Cup win reminds me that helping others to achieve a common goal should be a clear motivation in my leadership.

This goal of a World Cup victory in South Africa was achieved through a team of players who had been inspired to reach new heights by their captain, Francois Pienaar. Mandela plays a significant role in helping Pienaar understand the power of inspiration as a leader for his team.

During their first meeting over tea, Mandela’s questions lead to deeper conversation of how to inspire Pienaar’s team to “get them to be better than they think they can be” (Peckham & Eastwood, 2009, 48:00).

This scene was a reminder for me of the power of asking good questions, encouraging those I lead to think deeply about the role they play in leading others. Even the setting of the conversation, not among a large group of people but instead two great leaders in a room together, sharing tea, speaks to the significance of this powerful conversation. Pienaar leaves inspired to lead the Springboks to victory.

Mandela’s ability to have these conversations and inspire leaders like Pienaar comes from his own brutally difficult journey. As the movie shows, Mandela’s convictions as president cannot be understood without seeing his suffering as a prisoner on Robben Island. His commitment to seeing transformation happen across South Africa becomes stronger because of the hardships he endured.

Although my own suffering and hardships would pale in comparison to Mandela’s, no life is free from pain. As a leader, seeing this journey of Mandela from the pain of prison to the power of the presidency is a reminder that the lessons we learn in difficulty become so significant as we help others become more than they ever thought possible. I believe this is shown best by the outcome of the conversation between Mandela and Pienaar over tea, ultimately that the South African rugby team was able to overcome all odds to win the World Cup of Rugby and bring the beginning of hope and healing to their country.

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Peckham, A. (Producer), & Eastwood, C. (Director). (2009). Invictus [Motion Picture]. United States: Warner Bros.