From Challenge to Triumph

I am always intrigued by those organizations/companies that exhibit a certain flair - Apple, Pixar and Google come to mind. All seem at ease with being unique. However, drill below the surface and it is alway a story of struggle.


And always, at the heart, is a group of people who worked hard to create an environment where people could make an emotional investment in the success of their company. To achieve this, I believe that these leaders have led with authenticity and consistency - creating a sense of security and a bedrock for their people to perform to the best of their abilities.


So, how do we enable Gen-Y leaders to arrive at a place where they too can inspire commitment and an energetic pursuit of ambitious goals? For me, the starting point was a peeling away of the illusions of certainty. By going below the surface of conditioned assumptions of oneself, the world and others, young leaders engaged with the substance of their beliefs.


Consequently, mentoring involved facilitating an engagement with core values and aptitudes to develop patterns of behavior in a conscious way. Very soon, they became critical thinkers, reflecting on what authentic leadership meant for them; and in time, they fashioned their own approach.


In so doing, they were better placed to arrive at an integrated understanding of leadership and one which was accommodating of uncertainty. More than ever, it will become a defining trait of leadership in an era of monumental social, cultural and economic shifts. 


All this remind me of encounters with good and great teachers. The former strive to ensure students meet current standards; the latter create stepping stones towards each student's potential.


Embedded in the latter's approach is a knowledge that the future is an unknown land. Therefore, it is beholden upon us to facilitate the next generation of leaders by creating stepping stones for them.