Transparent Passion

I have recently had the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with an old scout master of mine.  This gent, has been at first glance been a rolling stone, working as game ranger, environmental engineer, project investment facilitator, and strategy adviser to some of the largest legal firms internationally.  All this while being a devoted husband and father.

Looking back at some.of my memories of some of the hi-jinks we got up to with him, from having blanks fired at him in a staged drive-by shooting to make a first aid incident, to hiking through the outlands of Lesotho in a region now covered by the Katse Dam, I can surely attest that any self respecting youth organisation in this over-cautious over-protective age would throw the book at him and slam the door behind his back. If we are to believe some of the modern pop culture and urban beliefs we should all be scarred and damaged by our experiences.

And despite that fact it is immediately apparent that even now, thirty years down the line he still has the respect of the men who he taught, mentored and led in his time as a scout master.  Why?

There are several reasons but what stands out is this. He always lived what he said. He had no double standards.  

He was larger than life and the role model all young men needed - the rough and tumble guy who was out there doing something that he believed to be meaningful to the greater whole.  He was human and undoubtedly made mistakes but he owned up to them.  Not as a martyr or victim but humbly acknowledging his role and accepting the consequences.  I believe that same transparent integrity is part of the reason he is now held in such high esteem internationally by his clients.  

If we look to the leaders we are exposed to today so many of them are afraid to just be who they are, and as a result they undermine their integrity with each and every action or statement they make, retract or reframe. As the leader no-one expects you to be perfect, but you are expected to stand for the statements you make. Next time before you make a statement or decision or assertion think this - Would I be willing to defend this in public? - and if the answer is no then perhaps consider not making it. 

Lighthouses and Lanterns

The Chinese have a saying about "Crossing the river by feeling the stones under your feet" (摸着石头过河).  It is not surprising that the sense of uncertainty that this describes scares most people.  You cannot see what lies ahead and your entire world knowledge narrows to the sensation of your feet and toes. 

As a leader in times of change we have two responsibilities, firstly to provide a vision of where to go,  a lighthouse if you will, that stands on the horizon and beckons to our people.  And while the air is clear that works well, but sometimes the fog settles in and while we still can see the diffuse glow on the horizon we can't see where to walk.  When that happens we can either let our people suffer the dips and turns of fate as they feel their way across  the river or we can be the lantern that shines and show them just that little bit further along the way.

 

Its hard to be the lantern though when you are only just feeling the stones yourself, but that is what you signed up for when you took up the challenge of being the leader.  And for all of us, at times we will stumble and fall and need someone else to bend and pick us up and help us relight out lanterns when we loose our way.  That's not a weakness but simply a good application of a little situational leadership

Don't be afraid to seek out that help when your can't see your way, and remember that however dark the night gets or how thick the fog is, the lighthouse is still there shining - it might just be a little hard to see at the moment.

Nelson Mandela - A Scout for the World

This blog is about a man who for me epitomises the spirit and essence of volunteering and offering of service to a greater cause.  Mr Nelson Mandela.  A little known fact is that Mr Mandela is the Patron of Scouting in South Africa, and for many of us around the world he is a living example of the ethos of Scouting.

Some time ago Madiba appear on Oprah Extract from the Actual show with editorial comment from Oprah and made several statements that just brought this to the forefront.

The first was when on arriving at the studio he asked the Producer what the subject of the show he was to appear on was to be so that he could be prepared.   The Producer was amazed and said "Nelson Mandela,  you are the subject of today's show."   As a man who gave of himself his whole life, he could not conceive that anyone would want to dedicate an entire hour to talking about him.  He was only doing what he saw as a task he undertook to do.  His humbleness should be an challenge to us all in giving service without seeking
or expecting recognition. We work for the goal, not for the kudos.

The second statement he made on the show was "You have a limited time to stay on earth, you must try and use that period for the purpose of transforming your country into what you desire it to be."  Can there be a higher calling for any person but to spend your life your time and your energy to do just that.  As volunteers working with the youth, we have the ability to change the hearts and minds of the nation and that is no small responsibility.