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How to make a difference where you are with what you've got
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LEADING Self and Others
How to make a difference where you are with what you’ve got
Tim Shaw
Handbook for a Head and Heart approach to Engaging People
Copyright © 2015 by Tim Shaw
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.
Graphics - Pete Larkin Ad & Design
Ebook - Bulaja naklada, Zagreb
First Printing: October 2015
DEDICATION
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO MY FAMILY
My best friend and wife, Heather, who has graciously travelled the road beside me. She is an amazing woman who is the inspiration for what I do.
My daughter Kendal and son Michael - you both are champions and complete our family. We are blessed to have raised you and know that you will make a difference in the lives of those who are fortunate to get to know you.
LIVE SIMPLY SO THAT OTHERS MAY SIMPLY LIVE
FOREWORDS/ENDORSEMENTS
Tim Shaw has captured the essence of leadership and includes what I feel are the 2 most important qualities for leaders-passion and commitment. Never during my 22 years in cricket administration was I not talking about the game, thinking about the game or making notes. Because I loved my work I was prepared to work hard, even through the tough times, of which the Mike Gatting rebel tour and Hansie Cronje match fixing saga stand out.
It was a seven days a week habit. In particular I loved the weekends waking up at 5am, making a few notes and then phoning key administrators around the country.
I recently interviewed Kaiser Motaung, the football legend in the 1960s and 70s. His leadership is further evident in the Kaiser Chiefs club which he founded in 1970. Today the club has 15 million supporters and has won 53 major trophies. He appoints quality people in key positions and will then let them grow in developing their skills. Surprisingly he never interferes with the appointed coach unless called upon.
Of the many lessons I have learnt is the importance of gaining buy-in from my key players to bring about effective and progressive administrating of the game.
I feel sorry for people who go to work merely to make a living. If passion and commitment lie at the heart of what one does, rewards will then follow.
Ali Bacher: Former cricket captain and CEO of South African Cricket
The world that we live in is volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, interconnected and interdependent. So the successful leadership skills of the past, definitely do not guarantee success anymore.
The most VITAL ingredient required for success in leaders today is AGILITY. AGILITY is the ability to be nimble, to be quick and to be able to anticipate change before it actually happens... Survival of the fittest has taken on a whole new meaning.
Why AGILITY?? The simple answer to that question is that our current business environment requires a constant state of innovation and staying ahead of the pack. For any business to continue succeeding, next generation leaders must be able to handle ANY curve ball thrown their way. They must be able to sense and respond to changes in their respective environment with actions that are focused, fast and flexible. And they must be able to drive performance, all the time. Because ultimately performance drives growth. And sustainable growth is what it is all about.
As Madiba so aptly said: Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s inspiring others to move beyond it. And that is what this Leadership book is about.
Santie Botha: Chancellor Nelson Mandela University
South Africa, and indeed the world, has a shortage of effective leaders who have not graduated from management to leadership, who lack decisiveness, whose primary concern is themselves and who do not understand the importance of succession planning and preparing future leaders.
In this manual, Tim Shaw displays a deep interest in human behaviour and delves into the importance of first understanding your persona and thereafter others. By doing so, you are able to better understand and develop your own skill set and then nurture others. It is an important approach mechanism. Building a sustainable high performance culture in any environment requires vision, innovation, care and trust – all vital components of leadership.
What I really enjoy is the interactive nature of this manual, providing the opportunity to understand yourself before embarking on the leadership journey and to pose questions and reflect.
I have known and played alongside Tim Shaw in all sorts of circumstances and find real value in the contents of his manual. I hope you do too!
Gavin Cowley: Retired Marketing Director, Adidas South Africa
There is much in Tim Shaw’s thought-provoking book to reflect upon. Like an injection of distilled wisdom, full absorption requires time.
The area where it will resonate most powerfully with the bulk of readers is in its subtle suggestions for addressing South Africa’s current crisis. A self-imposed crisis that starts at the very top. A crisis of leadership.
Tim and I were at the same prep school. Even at that youthful stage, he was quiet, thoughtful, unassuming. Possessing the quiet confidence of someone who intuitively understands why God gave us two ears and just one mouth.
I watched Tim’s cricketing career with interest but without any surprise when seeing him develop into one of the best spin bowlers in the world. He was blessed with other attributes that supported an ability to fulfil his great potential.
Those attributes shine through in his words. Every book reflects the personality of its author. This one shows us a man who thinks deeply, is a seeker of knowledge and obviously makes a note of each pearl he finds on the journey. Those many discoveries are generously shared with us.
The greatest compliment for any author is for readers to work right through to the end. And use the ideas and suggestions as a base from which to learn more. I did both with Tim's book. And would urge you to follow that example.
Alec Hogg: Publisher and editor Biznews.com
The timing of this book could not have been more appropriate. To resolve the current challenges South Africa faces constructively will require exceptional leadership and highly skilled management, across all sectors of our society.
Tim Shaw has succeeded in pulling together a comprehensive cutting edge collection of leadership material, which summarizes in a page what others would take chapters to complete. These are the innovative insights and latest thinking our leaders and managers need.
It must be a leadership coach and trainer’s dream to have it laid out in such an engaging format. I look forward to seeing these ideas take root and develop the potential that exists in our country.
Trevor Jennings: Former CEO of EP Building Society and President of EP Rugby, Co-ordinator of Just 1 HR
This manual is for young aspiring leaders as well as those who have been leading for a while. It will challenge you to take a stance on whether you will be a whiner and complain, or be a mover and shaker and bold decision maker.
Leadership starts at home which is something we may have neglected in the search for public approval and success.
The manual encourages one to reflect on what they will do to change the conditions within their immediate and broader areas of influence.
It serves as a guide and reminder as to how one may have attained a leadership position and encourages you to go beyond that and become known as a worthy leader within your community or organisation.
Christian Martin: Chairperson on Social Development in the Eastern Cape Legislature
What a privilege to write a foreword for such an inspirational, provocative and well researched book.
Tim has turned out one of the most frequently written about topics into a practical handbook and guide. A leadership manual that surely all CEO’s, Business Executives, Managers, Government personnel, Sports leaders, Community leaders and Spiritual leaders, should have in their possession.
This is not just a motivational book but a comprehensive leadership framework which is action oriented and results driven.
This comes as no surprise as Tim drives teams to realise their potential and supercede expectations. I have personally experienced him successfully aligning my leadership teams, effecting much needed change management and focus.
This manual demystifies the whole concept of leadership being a naturally God-given right to the lucky few as it provides ‘a process of learning, through questioning the whats, the whys and how to.’ It provides welcome accessibility to a practical learning guide to leadership by simplifying all the critical concepts.
Tim couldn’t have provided a better practical guide for leaders to transcend to great and outstanding leaders.
Only the mediocre die always at their best. Real leaders are always improving-and raising the bar on how superbly they can perform and how quickly they can move. (Jean Giraudoux)
Dr Xolani H Mkhwanazi: Chairman BHP Billiton SA Limited
Tim Shaw has written a book that is relevant to leaders and followers. Each page raises awareness to our position in life and the decisions that we can make to encourage significance and promote meaningful actions.
This is not a book to be read in several sessions, it is a book to be explored, pondered and acted upon. Tim has included many sources in his writing and provides a holistic, integrated and very ethical approach to leading self and others.
I know that in the hands of people who are yearning to change, this book will have a great impact and will ensure a personal growth and development that brings about lasting transformation.
Graham Power: Founder of the Global Day of Prayer and Unashamedly Ethical movements, Chairman of the Power Group of Companies
In a country in deep need of active leadership, Tim Shaw’s book makes a valuable contribution at the right time. The practical approach, drawing on real-life experiences, makes this a good and accessible source of inspiration.
Prof Piet Naude: Director, Stellenbosch Business School
I spent a lot of time during my time playing cricket sitting next to Tim Shaw.
His first class career and mine virtually coincided. Most cricketers, if not superstitious, are certainly habitual and throughout his time in the Eastern Province team his place in the home dressing room at St Georges Park was right next to mine. In the far left corner as you entered. Me, the first three clothes hooks along the one wall and him, the three along the other.
Bearing in mind Tim’s career spanned more than 138 four day and 160 one day matches, half of which you can assume to have been played at home, you can imagine how much time we spent sitting alongside each other.
You would assume then that there is not much we don’t know about each other. Well I think Tim would say he knows me pretty well but I can’t necessarily say the same about Tim. A man who kept most of his thoughts to himself. Like his bowling, extremely economical with words. Like his fielding in the gully, not much got passed him. He seemed to spend a lot of time just sitting and thinking, although I suspect he did spend some time just sitting!
If he spoke, his comments were to the point, always pertinent, often amusing. I once was complaining about having a headache. His advice was simple, “When last did you go to the ‘John’?” he said.
A thoughtful cricketer, a thoughtful man, a little different but a great team mate, trusted advisor and loyal friend.
David Richardson: Chief Executive-International Cricket Council
I am privileged to know Tim as a deep-thinking friend of true integrity. Sometimes we need a good friend to help us and our organization, get ‘un-stuck’ in our often muddy, post-modern world.
This ‘hands on’ manual will do just that for you and more, as you find Tim becoming the mentor, friend and guide, that you need to gain traction in leading successfully within your sphere of influence.
He writes with humour and clarity of thought, not holding back on owning “our own”, often jaded reality, and, showing us creatively how to move forward.
As you take the time to walk with Tim on this enlightening journey, you may well discover your life-story gaining fresh perspective within God’s Grand story.
Murray Smith: Pastor Summerstrand United Church
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I thank my lineage, especially my mother and late father, who started my journey and who were always there when I needed them, together with my elder sister Lorry and my brother Gower. Thanks, you guys always tried your best to include and look after me.
The community of Kwambonambi, in Zululand (Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa), where the great King Shaka's ironmonger made his spears. In the 1960s and 70s, what a place to be. Thank you to the elders for your indelible warmth and care which instilled a strong sense of belonging throughout the village.
To all the teams in which I was a member, from the boardrooms to the sports fields, thank you for helping provide me with content to write. You each contributed to this book as I learnt from you as you jointly provided me with a 360 degree perspective.
The leaders in all the organisations I have worked with over the years, thank you for your invitations, our discussions and the sharing of intellectual capital. I am fortunate to have been able to glean best practices from you, enriching my life and profession.
Frank and all the men who fellowship on Friday mornings at McDonalds, your collective wisdom and encouragement over the past fifteen years have been invaluable to me.
Jill, thank you for your expertise and all the hours you spent in making this manual comprehensible.
I am grateful in that I enjoy learning and that there is an endless supply of humanity available out there in which to continue doing so.
Thank you as I learn more about myself and others.
PREAMBLE
It’s November 1991, when on returning to Port Elizabeth airport from the historic first one day cricket series in India, a reporter stops to interview me about my experience of the tour.
Now, I was raised on a farm in Zululand where I was introduced to Indians who were either managers (Daddy, Rajkumar and Nadas), or mechanics at the workshop. And then there was Kandasamy Padayachee, the gifted deaf and dumb maintenance man, who cut our hair (and sometimes clipped our ears).
I got to know Indian people more than most in those days and had been welcomed into their circle through an initiation at the age of 6. It was a simple qualification - conquer the bowl of chicken curry at the end of year Christmas party and you are one of us. What lovely people and an amazing nation they are.
Looking back, I can thank my father for keeping me in fasting mode that day as by the time I was presented with the meal, I was starving. However, it was only the flavour which kept me going as my lips, tongue and mouth felt the full wrath of fire. I got to know why the Indian people speak so fast.
No liquid would mask the pain and burning sensation in my mouth (neither water, cold drinks nor milk) although my observations that day left me believing that the only antidote was a stiff shot of cane spirit and coke, something which I would only discover in the future. I should let you know that my ‘curiosity’ did get the better of me before I was 18 although I was somewhat disappointed in getting to know the truth.
Back to my interview. My reply to one of the questions put to me was that I loved the Indian people there, their hospitality and their curries. A few days later a resident in Malabar (an ‘Indian’ suburb in Port Elizabeth designed through apartheid) commented in the local Port Elizabeth newspaper, the EP Herald, that Tim Shaw did not need to go to India to meet nice Indian people as they were living in his own city. I will never forget that as I mused over how ironic and bizarre things were.
At that stage I was involved in promoting and developing cricket under the auspices of Eastern Province and South African cricket with the mandate to offer services to schools across the colour line, which included the predominantly Indian populated area of Malabar. The powers that be in Malabar opted to decline our offer as they were unconvinced that our efforts were genuine and saw it more as window dressing in trying to ‘curry’ favour with the rebel cricket tours being organized through the South African Cricket Association.
Those were crazy times in which we were living. However, the future looked promising as leaders from opposing parties in our country became serious about designing a better future and setting aside their differences; the 7 colours of the rainbow were coming together and people started to place their faith in a brighter future.
It got me thinking, which was as a result of pondering this famous quote:
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them (Albert Einstein).
The quote is as profound as its originator and merits attention. We create our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today... so what would you be thinking?
Why this book, why a manual?
The South African needle had been shifting in the wrong direction, well away from true North and I had noticed an increasing frustration within a people who were daily becoming more disillusioned with this direction. And then the Gallup organisation released their international employee engagement report in October 2013, which was conducted in over 140 countries and surveyed thousands of employees. It revealed disparaging news for those who have a heart for South Africa.
Simply put here are the results: Engaged employees 9%, not engaged 46%, and actively disengaged 45%.
South Africa were positioned last in the survey, ignominiously tied with Syria which has been torn apart through a vicious civil war.
These percentages would be consistent with our current global standing regarding our productivity index and are of genuine concern.
Countries which suffer from low economic growth and high unemployment sit on the brink of an abyss. The good and bad news is that the responsibility rests with each of us and the current leadership, at whatever level within the business, socio political, and spiritual environment.
Although by virtue of what I do, I should have been buoyed by the opportunity presented in the survey, my buoyancy was overshadowed by the response I got on sharing this news with others. No one was surprised at the findings and none felt good about it, yet more depressing was their implicit resignation that there was very little they could do to change things.
We are all leaders who have influence and can make a difference even by making small, yet conscious adjustments, around questioning the consequence of what we do daily (in the home, community, at work, on the sports field, wherever) to accomplish more promising outcomes.
My livelihood revolves around what I love doing, which is helping people and teams to discover what really does lie within. I am sure we all wish that things would get better, but we may lack sufficient facts or a common purpose and reasons to be optimistic. Try to work diligently through this manual and use it as a vehicle, alone or with a group/team possibly to traverse an exciting journey which may lie ahead.
Historically the human spirit has triumphed in setbacks, often through one person, which is where I took my cue so that you would get to see how and where you could do something to stem the tide and turn the needle back to where we all know it should be pointing.
INTRODUCTION
I was called into the people development arena in 1999. Although the book by Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers, suggests that one becomes an expert in their field after at least 10 000 hours of focussed subject application, I feel as if I know less today than I did back then, although thankfully I have learnt along the way.
What I do know is that ‘Everything Rises and Falls On Leadership’. This truth has been validated in my own life through numerous events and I have witnessed it while interacting and engaging with many leaders whether they were on the sports field, in the office, within their homes or communities.
So what then prompts one to write about something? Everyone has at least one book ‘inside’ waiting to be written. I just decided to follow through after being prompted and given a series of nudges. Besides, it is difficult to talk continuously about the three types of people you find in life without positioning yourself. You would be familiar with the three: namely, those people who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened.
I felt uneasy when linking this classification to my current reality and so I adopted another famous sports brand slogan - Just Do It!
My wife and I were treated to a wonderful weekend at Kariega Park River Lodge in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, (www.kariega.co.za and www.facebook.com/Kariega.Game.Reserve) and while we were enjoying the solitude of the bushveld silence and the magnificent splendour of a late evening sunset we heard the solitary call of a small bird. The bird was possibly a kilometre or more from us along the river although its call carried throughout the entire valley. The experience reminded me to shout it out -we all have a voice which we must use. We just need to know how and when to use it. One person with conviction is the majority.
People with a cause need voices - emotional pragmatism! Today’s highly connected shrinking world brings more questions than answers. Consider these factors - there are more than three sides to a story; there is black, white and grey, and then some.
Cultural paradigms are causing havoc within communities as people are continually being exposed to different thinking and behaviours; one’s gender is no longer an obvious physical attraction for how we were designed; individuals are feeling more isolated despite numerous connections through social media avenues and their potential influence is more powerful than ever before.
Contemplating the implications of only these few truths may cause you to wonder whether people will ever be able to get along. Historically, according to the book of useless information, in the last 3500 years there have been 230 years of peace. Presumably the peaceful times were used to replenish stocks.
So what’s been happening in your neck of the woods?
Are things trucking along pretty smoothly or is there any consternation? Were you affected by the FIFA and IAAF sagas in any way? If any of your leaders had been involved, how would they respond? Although we all have a tendency to err, it has been most interesting watching this unfold with accusals, blame and denials being thrown about.
Today most people attribute the demise of the rainbow nation to the leadership who are undermining our pot of gold, a common trait with self-serving leaders. We stumble from one crisis to the next without vision and direction.
As a nation South Africans are beyond knowing we must do something to purge the scourge of incompetence and disdainful attitudes displayed by some leaders. Thankfully a groundswell of evidence is seeping through supporting that we can do something about the predicament- which begs the questions on which our futures depend - how will we go about doing this, will it remain a dream?
Dreams
Why are there such disparaging opinions regarding dreams? (Possible answer here.) I throw this out not as a topic for debate but to prod you regarding what you think about the word and why? Are dreams only for those with vivid imaginations, humans with childlike hearts or those who are divinely inspired? Why dream? What does it take to dream? What holds one back from dreaming?
What about the African Dream? Africa healed of the hurts of her past, Africa justly governed by her own people, Africa maximising her economic potential. Does this dream flicker within you? What thoughts does it immediately conjure up in your mind?
I implore you to set aside some quiet time to contemplate the significance of striving to fulfil your dream, your deliberate role in spreading it and the possibilities which this holds for you. Wherever you may be, are you currently living your dream, is it a work in progress or have you surreptitiously buried it?
Should you have a ‘dream’ or vision and are being purpose driven, I salute you. Should you be searching for meaning, I salute you. Would you like to restore trust, respect and dignity to families, communities, your workplace and nation? If so, I salute you and encourage you to stay with me if only to consider the possibilities.
The ability to imagine lives within each of us and should be cherished. ‘What if’ thinking has been catalytic in changing the world and it is something we should never renege on - ask the Adidas sponsored athletes who understand that impossible is nothing.
We are precariously placed at the crossroads; tomorrow may be too late. We have little option but to introduce some fundamental shifts urgently within our families, communities, government and the workplace.
I mention families first (which includes the greater family - ‘Ubuntuism’) as nations are built upon strong families which emanate from the home. The ‘home’ effuses into the community, which in a democracy, freely participates in electing its government. The ultimate responsibility of the government is to serve and protect the needs of its citizens unselfishly through being accountable, transparent and unyielding in its pursuit of providing a platform of wellbeing and nation building.
Within the workplace, business also cannot function effectively with only a casual political awareness, despite the many complexities. There ought to be a thriving symbiotic relationship whereby government and business relentlessly strive for job creation and economic prosperity.
An Overview
This manual should be used as a practical working guide for anyone who decides to exercise their capacity to help themselves and to encourage others through their desire to make a difference in the lives of those around them, in their workplace, community, sports field, places of worship and homes.
I have tapped into my experiences across a range of organisations and written the manual as a consequence so that it will be especially relevant to supervisors, team leaders, managers, business leaders, government leaders, sport and community leaders, teachers, spiritual leaders, parents and all who wish they had a voice that could be heard.
The manual is ‘main stream’, pitched for a discerning and enquiring mind. It is for people who are open and willing to embrace the learning process as things around them change. It is for the mind which senses the urgency and massive responsibility we all have to overcome seemingly impossible barriers wherever we may find ourselves.
Although I relate mostly to a South African context, the underlying leadership principles are universal, allowing you to draw parallels within the situations in which you may find yourself. It has been designed to cater for the ‘skimmer’ as well as for the ‘digger’ while not neglecting the possibility of those of you who will employ a ‘combo’. A skimmer becomes a digger when they wish to learn more about a topic. A skimmer will flip through while a digger will slow down, often pausing to reflect. Your approach will depend on where you find yourself in your journey through life - sometimes skimming, at other times digging (usually to acquire deeper meaning, insight and understanding) and hopefully not too much time drifting!
Oh, it’s so easy to drift and it's refreshingly free spirited... whichever way the wind blows... no need to set the sails, that’s work! However, we often find ourselves going to work and back, work and back, work and back, work and back, work and back... weekend! Click over into the next week and its work and back, work and back, work and back, work and back, work and back... weekend! Click over into another week, another month, another year and it’s pretty much the same - unless we hit those brick walls or experience an epiphany of sorts.
When did it strike you that you are living your Dash? That seemingly insignificant-looking line between your date of birth and death; yet in reality that represents your lifespan. Is it perhaps time to seriously contemplate your Dash? Tragically there is a huge price we pay for ‘drifting’ through life.
It seems a shame that, as Oliver Wendell Holmes said, The average person goes to their grave with their music still inside them. This pile is high enough, we don’t need to contribute to it.
Carpe diem - make today count.
The Outline
The manual begins with a look at the brain as neuroscience is rapidly advancing an understanding of human behaviour. The second chapter covers Leadership, a definition and a number of general topics pertaining to it.
The next section deals with self-awareness (Leading self) as all leaders should conquer themselves internally before they look to solve externally. If you do not know who you are, how can you legitimately expect others to get to know and follow you? The chapter includes an introduction to mentoring which I predict will become the organisation's key tool in raising up future leaders. This chapter is followed by Leading Others, particularly within a team context as there is too much to be done for one to succeed on their own. It includes a short section on coaching.
A broad range of popular leadership topics are mentioned although not discussed in any great depth. My purpose is to create an awareness of these topics so that you can measure how well you, and we as a nation, are doing. One searches for the key only when they know they are in jail. We as a nation are scrambling in our haste to find the keys. You too may be searching in some areas to polish personal or team performances. There should be sufficient information here to get you started or to supplement existing frameworks which you may have.
My intention was not for this to be a recreational read. It has to be more than ticking a box and feeling satisfied that you can now move on. People grow through a process of learning, through questioning the whats, the whys and the how to. The manual will raise awareness, it will help refresh, educate and hopefully encourage meaningful action. Despite the best intentions to make this workbook easy to grasp, follow and implement, it will count for little unless the student is ready.
I encourage you at first to read the manual in its entirety for a panoramic perspective. I suggest you then go through it stopping to think and ponder, especially where suggested. You may be tempted to brush aside some questions. Don’t! We all have blind spots and that specific question may prove to be the very one which will be catalytic to igniting your flame or providing deeper insights.
You will undoubtedly revisit some questions and sections as your journey takes shape. New understanding and experiences will cause you to see things in a different light and help you to gain perspectives, thereby facilitating productive relationships as you engage with self and others.
Ponder... Your success may be dependent on your response to the following quote by Alvin Toffler – The illiterate of the 21st century would not be those who could neither read nor write but those who were unable to learn, unlearn and relearn.
The emphasis throughout is on practicality, questioning, reflection and then a call for action because unless a person takes charge of them, both work and free time are likely to be disappointing.
If it is to be... it is up to me.
The manual is not about theory, systems analysis, change management, trends or saving the world. It is about something more important – you - playing a role restoring whatever you believe is ‘broken’ and for maximising other areas where you could excel. It may begin by repairing the relationship you have with yourself and thereafter the relationship you have with others. It may take you to your marriage, family, community, state or country. It may take you into the workplace and those organisations in which you choose to be a stakeholder. By serving something much grander than yourself you will find it easier to get out of bed in the morning.
This is a resource tool from a library of others out there which can fuel your How - should the will be strong enough. I am but one of many teachers asking a number of questions including one which would be foremost in the nation's minds. Will you promote action for zero tolerance towards corruption and incompetence? We simply cannot afford to bask in the glory of the odd success story whilst continuing to feed the hand (through abstinence and tolerating mediocrity) which demoralises the hearts and minds of people as evidenced through empty promises and non-delivery.
The most important capacity that we have is the ability to influence the behaviour of ourselves and others. The manual will challenge you to add to the voices who have realised we can, so that collectively we will, use our voices to make a difference in those things which are important to us. It will hopefully encourage you, as an individual and a leader, to use your voice and thereby encourage others to repaint the faded colours of your rainbow.
If you have a passion for life, this book may interest you. If you have a passion for life and are appalled at the Gallup research figures regarding employee engagement in South Africa, then this book should interest you. If you are passionate about life and would like to make a difference wherever you are then this book is for you.
I do realise however that nothing is interesting if you are not interested. I hope to have captured just enough of your attention and curiosity thus far for you to stay with me on the journey. So become a sponge and saturate because you cannot give what you do not have so keep this manual close!
Here is your first newsflash - we can walk on water but we first need to get out of the boat and make our voices heard.
The Format
Work through the manual as your circumstances demand and allow you to, although I suggest you go through it systematically starting from the beginning, as you will otherwise deny yourself an important learning opportunity. It would be akin to having a handful of answers while trying to work out the questions.
The general format which is replicated in each chapter is as follows: The content of each chapter is presented with:
• news flashes
• questions and thoughts to ponder throughout
• bullet point summaries per topic
• kickback time culminating in a call for action (either for yourself and /or, your team).
The idea is to work through the manual first with your personal hat on (leading self) and then work through again with your leader’s hat on (leading others). Once you have familiarized yourself with the content and questions you will see possibilities for practical implementation. It is so designed that you can, and should for greater learning, digest the content piecemeal by working through specific topics.
As you read you will come across the following icons:
Questions: Other than intermittent questions throughout the manual you will find this icon for which an answer is provided in the answer section at the back of the book.. I encourage you to acquire your answer before flipping to it, for two reasons - it is your life and you need to consider what you believe would be correct. Secondly, once you read my answer you may readily accept it on face value, preventing yourself from exploring other alternatives (remember there are many ways to skin a cat) which may be better as my answers may not all be ‘correct’!
Newsflash: This means to stop in your tracks and digest what is being mentioned. Consider asking someone else to share their perspective of the newsflash as it may well broaden yours. Make it a point to work through the Newsflashes with your people on a regular basis.
Ask them to provide their own newsflashes on relevant topics and challenges and discuss such in an open forum.
You will be amazed at what you will gain by doing this exercise.
Ponder: Spend a moment to work through the point to understand its context and relevance to what you are doing, are required to do, or are contemplating doing.
Kickback chair: Structured thinking time under your ‘willow tree’ without any distractions, having the manual close by with a pen and notepad. This is the time you set aside to reflect on what you have been through. You will compile whatever information you require, and from this design your action plan (whether this be personal or team specific), for without works there is nothing.
The Powerhouse
What we ponder and what we think about sets the course of our life. Perhaps no author understands and teaches the power of thought more than the late Jim Rohn who said: Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish, we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish, we can start a new activity. Any day we wish, we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year. We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labour, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause.
Where we find ourselves today is as a result of our thinking. Thinking is the difference between existing and living - think about it.
I presume you have already fathomed the reason for beginning with the Powerhouse (our thoughts, minds and our brains) - why not? Thoughts, stemming from our brains, precede what we say and do. As you read through this manual, thoughts will arise to which you free-willingly apply your mind. The choices you make then govern your brain to follow.
Neuroscience is validating that changes in thinking actually change the brain and can effect behavioural change.
Our mind is designed to control the body, of which the brain is a part, not the other way around. Matter does not control us; we control matter through our thinking and choosing. We cannot control the events and circumstances of life but we can control our reactions. In fact, we can control our reactions to anything, and in doing so, we change our brains. It’s not easy; it is hard work, but it can be done through our thoughts and choices. Dr Caroline Leaf - Switch On Your Brain.
I don’t ever recall learning about the powerhouse and brain functioning at school, only that I was continually told to use my brain, from what I can remember at Merchiston Preparatory and Maritzburg College. I never fully extended the call although an early interest may have been kindled if I had realised how integrated the key components were in shaping my entire life, as they do yours.
It is for this reason that I begin the manual with a quick look at the brain because what we decide to do and with what we have been endowed with, will be dependent on how we think. If a person is a fool and does not change one’s thinking habits, one merely becomes a motivated fool.
Sadly the majority of us know so little about how our brain functions (apparently we currently know about 2% to 8%) yet we rely on it to design our lives, make decisions, solve problems and build relationships with others.
