Demi-Gods Have Clay Feet

My thanks to a good friend who asked me, why does leadership development of Gen-Y matter to you? 


I've thought about it all day and conclude that it relates to the early experiences that shaped me. The most significant being the twin of displacement and exclusion.


As a child of Indian immigrants struggling to settle in 1960s London (UK), the assassination of Martin Luther King Jnr. ripped a hole in our lives. 


Assailed by petty acts of prejudice and exclusion, we too yearned for a time when we would "not be judged by the color of [our] skin, but by the content of [our] character." For a time, it felt as if hope died with him, because as young person in 1970s Britain, I couldn't see how to "lift...from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood."


Yet, his articulation of such high aspirations and my experience of injustice were the lightening rod to my values; as is Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

Therein lies the essence of my frustration with wasted opportunities as a sector - would an audit of our activity register credit or deficit? Yet, it could be the focus for hope, if we were to reimagine our sector as Organization Unbound asks us to. 


So, as I 'reimagine', the next question is: who should lead this process. And here, the Article's use of the word 'reason',  inspires me. 


I ask myself, what if:

• Activities impacting on communities were to be delivered through coherent and consistent processes, offering a layered response to human need and aspiration
• Those at the heart of the experience were to emerge as leaders,  shaping a dialogue with 'power' at mezzo and macro levels on the issues impacting upon them and their community?

What impacts would result?

Of course, I am aware that terms such as 'brotherhood' will inevitably arouse the cynics. 


However, confronted with the crisis of an aging population and a shift in economic primacy towards the orient; moving to a 'solid rock of brotherhood' strikes me as an economic, as well as social imperative. The wastage of human talent is no-longer sustainable.

None the less, such a shift demands that 'power' stand down and become accountable. How often in recent years have we pointed a finger of accusation at  unaccountable power: banks, trans-nationals, auto-manufacturers and governments.


Yet, should we not also look to ourselves and the way we exert 'power' at the micro-level. As providers and gatekeepers to resources, we knowingly or unknowingly are engaged in a power dynamic. 


My question is: overall, to what extent do we as a sector, organizations, and individuals, maintain the status quo by our behaviors and expectations of the people we serve?

I believe innovative, inspiring organizations continually grapple with this challenge. Their leaders seem to intuitively recruit people who are sensitive to the ambiguities of the situation and are mindful in their behavior.

So, if we are to reimagine the sector, we must ask whether the status quo makes economic or business sense? Or, do we equip the next generation to influence change and utilize their globalized perspectives to create a more savvy approach to social change?

Of course, for those with power, it will demand as a given an acceptance that demi-gods have clay feet and require an allowance for difficult questions to be asked of them, such as: 

• What did you get right and what did you get wrong?
• Were you, as an organization, competent to perform at all levels? 

However, imagine how rapid change will be, once they, Gen-Y, have a platform from which to exert influence. How liberating will it be to have a shared leadership operating at all levels.

"Grooming the Leaders We Deserve"

I am grateful to be introduced to Organization Unbound, a blog "attempting to re-imagine the way we think about and engage with social change." It rightly cites that in so many organizations, the disconnection between vision and culture is a major stumbling block for social change. They asked: how many community organizations display little community within? 


It prompted me to recall the many painful experiences where this was so; where the fundamentals of respect were absent and the politics of disrespect reigned supreme. Yet, these experiences were the spur for me to try to do better - for such was the waste: of time, of energy, of talent and money.


And now I remember my growing pains as a leader and those who, over the years, have come to be my critical friends. Each, in their own way, challenged me to confront the one question that we, as a sector, seldom ask:  


What is the cost of failure to perform?


Yet, it is the question that as leaders we must engage with. If not, all efforts and resources will fail to achieve the ultimate goal: social change. What this means, is for us to decide as a sector.


Meanwhile, these encounters invariably felt brutal and often akin to a personal attack. However, in time I came to differentiate between busy activity and purposeful activity. Thus began the most difficult journey for me: moving from my need to be liked, to taking responsibility for the consequences of under- or non-performance.


Although painful at times, I eventually came to accept that my primary responsibility was to ensure that all effort was directed toward fulfilling the purpose of the organization in the most effective and efficient way possible.


It was the making of me: for too long I had disabled myself with my anxiety over the welfare of staff and their livelihood. Thankfully, I did eventually get it clear in my head, and in my heart, that it was fair to expect everyone involved to do their best and that my job was to:

• Set out my expectations of what was required of them as individuals, team members and representatives of the organization
• Provide appropriate support to enable each of them to perform optimally 
• Streamline systems, processes and procedures to facilitate their effort

Armed with this clarity, I eventually learned to manage the tension between the politics and culture of the organization to ensure that progress toward the organization's purpose was the focus of all activity.


Creating a culture for this to flourish is something that inspiring leaders do well. For me, it was done through a deep engagement with core values and articulating the behaviour I expected of us all. This proved easier said than done - for it threatened the status quo: but once achieved, it more than paid off in terms of performance.


Suddenly, there was a unity between values and: culture, politics, behaviour, vision and performance. Finally, I came to experience the  meaning of the adage: preparation creates opportunity from which magic flows.


Therefore, preparation of young leaders must begin with a process by which  they fathom out the  connection between vision, values and culture. Only then will they work out how they will achieve a clear sense of purpose.


Inevitably, it will involve personal challenge for them too. But it will allow for strong leaders to emerge with the attributes delineated in Jean Crawford's report, Profiling the Nonprofit Leader: getting the leaders we need.....grooming the leaders we deserve.*




* For a copy of the report please email me (maviscfernandes@gmail.com) and I will happily send you a copy

Finding the DNA of Transformation

Upon meeting an inspiring leader, I am always intrigued by how their personal history informs their ability to nurture the potential of others.  Such transformative power comes from a deep understanding of what it means to be human. 

Clarity for me was achieved early in my career. Thanks to a series of eye opening encounters with successful, powerful people who, finding themselves in unfamiliar territory, revealed the same vulnerability I felt so intensely.

I realized that vulnerability defines us all, because:

·We are born of trauma and struggle to heal; yet we expend a huge amount   of energy masking this fact

·We fear our loss of dignity, so we cling to conformity; yet we long to be recognized for our uniqueness

·We yearn to belong, to be celebrated for our individuality; yet we live in fear of being judged for the very qualities that set us apart

Therefore, I've come to realize that for those engaged in transforming communities, the first task is to embrace these vulnerabilities. Next is to free ourselves of the impulse to differentiate ourselves into 'boxes': mainstream/ marginalized, clever/stupid, educated/uneducated, successful/unsuccessful, rich/poor etc. Only then, can we embrace what fundamentally connects us and forge new ways of working together.

I demonstrated this point to some students recently: I asked them to introduce themselves by name and tell me one thing  that they liked about themselves. The anxiety was palpable as each scrambled to think of the most anodyne but safe thing to say about themselves. 

The point was taken: we are all in need of greater self-esteem and self-confidence to be ourselves. Inspiring leaders know this, most by intuition. 


Consequently, it leads me to ask:

·What if, through a deliberative dialogue, they were enabled to crystalize their understanding and how it informs the core values of their organization?

·What transformative power would it unleash - to spell out the DNA of their approach and share it with kindred spirits in Gen-Y?