Month: June 2018

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Unit 6, Activity one

Leaders in organizations are often self-directed human beings as outlined in Malcom Knowles, the foundational thinker of andragogy, point one. The reason for this is because often leaders are people that have life experiences to draw on, as well as the work experience to be able to show others the way. Age does not determine if one is mature enough to be a successful leader. In most cases though, the majority of leaders I have worked with are older. I don’t believe this is because they make better leaders but perhaps more so because they have enough life experience to be self-directed. They’ve often spent their career working up to the current leadership position they are in. I have however, experienced good leaders that have moved up quickly in an organization and are young. These exceptional individuals often have plenty of credentials behind their names and or have gained valuable experience at a young age. They possessed the natural leadership abilities and throughout life, were involved in activities where they gained valuable leadership skills.

In my example, I’ve been employed and working in leadership roles for over 25 years. In my early years as a leader I was often challenged by older employees who did not have the confidence that I could do the job. I had to work extra hard to demonstrate that I could be successful. I did not have the on-the-job work experience to draw on and so was reliant on good mentors to show me the way. I did however have plenty of life experience in leadership roles particularly in sports. I also had post-secondary education to draw on and was a quick learner. As I aged though I noticed that life as a leader became easier and I attribute this to a few reasons:

  1. I became more of an independent thinker and self-directed, the higher up an organization I was. I began to realize that when problems reached my level it was because there was no clear answer. I had to be self-directed as I was often creating new policy and faced with a problem the organization had not seen before.
  2. At the level I’m at now I remind myself that as a V.P., I should not be running to the President, every time a problem requires a solution. I need to demonstrate good judgement and show that I am capable of being self-sufficient and therefore one day step into the President role. Having said that I’m also astute to know when the President needs to be briefed on a situation. I prefer to go to her explaining what the problem is, what my solution was and what I think some of the consequences might be so that she is prepared. She seems to appreciate this style of leadership as her plate is already quite full.
  3. I’ve gained valuable operations experience in my career. As a young leader there were processes I thought were a pain and didn’t understand the need for them however after having gained enough experiences I’ve learned through firsthand experience why these processes are in place. I find I’m now trusting in processes and not questioning them as much as I know eventually I will see the reason behind it.

In closing, life as a leader in midlife has become easier. With a compliment of good life mentors, lots of work experience and the opportunity to continue with my education I’ve become a better-rounded leader. Although my life experiences provide me with the skills to do the job efficiently, I find myself in a position where the workforce is changing and employee expectations are high. This is part of my journey in pursuing my MA in Business Leadership. I want my leadership style to be relevant and also know that my employees and my community are counting on it. I believe every employee deserves to come to work with a leader that wants to do and be their best. I know I still have lots to learn, particularly with younger generations. How do I create a space that is open and welcoming for example? How do I address the needs of the younger generations so that I can reduce attrition and make my company a place worth staying?

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Invictus movie – key leadership lessons

In 1995 South Africa was struggling to move forward from segregation to integration. The nation was divided by long standing beliefs and prejudices fueled by the separation of white people from from the black population. Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid revolutionary, and new to the role of President, was struggling to find a way to bring his country together. The movie Invictus, based on true events stared Morgan Freeman who portrayed Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon playing the role of Francois Peinaar, the all-star Captain of the all-white rugby team called the Springboks.

South Africa, would be the home to the rugby world cup, and so Mandela encourages both whites and blacks to come together for the love of their countries team. Instead of focusing on their differences which seemed to set them apart, he focused on what they had in common. Mandela knew he would have a challenge ahead of him as he was surrounded by a population that had been influenced by prejudices for generations. He knew however that if he could get his people to open their minds and their hearts, they could put their differences aside and unite as a country. Mandela was in a leadership role with what almost seemed like an impossible task. Even though he could not predict the outcome he did not give up on his vision.

Nelson spent years as a political prisoner which prepared him for his role of President. He was a leader that had a tremendous amount of courage and was willing to step outside the norm of common thinking. This cost him dearly, with having lost many years of his freedom. Mandela knew though that doing the right thing is never easy. Other great leaders in history too have had to show courage in order to show others the way. He knew never to give up, even in his darkest hour, if it meant changing his country for the better.

As a political leader, Nelson Mandela knew he had the attention of the world and could leverage his influence in order to put pressure on his countrymen to do the right thing. He was a speaker of the people and was the voice to those that were unable to speak for themselves. In an effort to bring reconciliation to his country though, he knew he had to encourage the black people to make the first step. He did this by encouraging the black population to come out and support the Springbok Rugby team. Mandela took the approach of forgiveness which opened up discussions on truth and reconciliation.

Mandela was known as a person that tackled issues head on. In the movie when he was first in office, employees were packing their bags expecting to be fired. He immediately addressed the issue by calling a meeting with his staff to dispel any rumors and then followed by giving his expectations, wasting no time.

Perhaps a more challenging leadership role in the movie Invictus, was that of Francios Peinaar. Francios was faced with changing the beliefs of white people that had been enjoying a comfortable and privileged life. Prejudices that had passed down for generations both in government, family and in everyday life. The effects of segregation made life difficult for the black population as crime and poverty were prevalent. This created a whole other level of socital issues including mental health and effects from drugs and alcohol. In turn this created fear amongst the white people that the blacks could not be trusted.  Francios Peinaar’s father in the movie, spoke of the kind of mistrust when he said “they are going to take our jobs and drive us to the sea” (Invictus movie 2009).

In the end, the movie Invictus showed how the country was able to come together and head down the path of reconciliation. The country went on to win the world cup which brought all people together to celebrate a common win. Throughout history there have been examples of leaders that have helped to create common ground for all men, woman and children. In Canada today for example, we are only at the beginning of reconciliation with indigenous people. One cannot help but see the similarities of the apartheid movement with the Canadian Indian Act. Canada however does not have a Nelson Mandela leading the way. With Canada being as large as it is and with many indigenous communities in remote areas does this make the topic of truth and reconciliation less of an interest amongst other world issues? If so how does Canada come together and unite a country that has also experienced segregation, poverty amongst indigenous people and all other social issues that have come from years of abuses to our indigenous people?