The leadership Challenge of our time

INTRODUCTION

The United Nations projection is that the population of Sub-Saharan Africa will hit the 2 Billion mark by 2050. For a continent largely struggling with basic infrastructure, leadership and insecurities, this is a challenge. This is at the back drop of a populace severely hit by famine, failed leadership, poverty, disease and debt.

The pessimists would conclude that with the adverse effects of climate change, global warming, food and water insecurity we are headed for doom. Optimists on the other hand will point out the fact that there is no continent has embowered with natural resources of all kind like the African continent is and it will only take a wave of good leaders to sway us into the right direction.

Even I struggle figure which position I take I am conscious of human movements in two directions – first the increasing number of young people going to the middle east in search for jobs, the illegal immigrants taking the risks to cross the sea and many times perish in an attempt to run away for the devastating effects of poverty and bad rule. On the other hand I see an increasing number Chinese nationals following the millions of investment their government is putting into infrastructure development in the continent.

 This growing trend of immigration is likely to affect the geopolitical composition of the region, with terrorism on the increase once again I struggle to fine my place among the optimists. But on the other hand I am involved with and see several initiatives that are trying to define a new undertone to the current.

THE RAFT OF MEDUSO

The raft of Medudo

In 1818 Théodore Géricault’s oil painting captivated the world and redefined art. At the age of only 23 his attempt to reconstruct the survivors of a ship wreck, on a rack and the size of the painting could have captivated the world. For me however, it is the story behind the art. At a micro level addressing how the lack of leadership can lead a people to become so savage is one from which we do not tent to draw any lessons since our focus and motivation is always self-preservation first.

Hit by a storm, the no experience monarch commandant chosen to captain the ship for no other reason except for his position, sought to build a rack with the hope that it would drift towards the West African cost after the ship wreck. The waves set in the people panic. 147 people get on the rack including a lady who was screaming. She becomes the first victim tosses in to the water.   

The raft or Meduso by Théodore Géricault – source Wikipedia

Of the 147 people that got onto the rack on 15 are made it. The rest were either killed, through overboard or eaten. The story depicts to me a kind of person we are all capable of become if we are seek to discover who we really are.

THRIVENT FINANCIAL 

This is a Fortune 500 not-for-profit financial services organization. Started 120 years ago, as a call to action to meet the needs of an individual members who dies at work with not insurance. To me it is a classical case in which all are willing to lay down our lives for an individual.

The Story was that a member of the church had accident and died at work. He left behind a widow and 5 children. The company gives a few bags of floor to the widow and she are left on her own. Note that back in the day there were no social security and insurance schemes.

Members of the Lutheran church then decided to take action putting together funds initially to support the widow but soon realized that is good for all the members. This then become an insurance to members hence giving birth to The Lutheran Brotherhood which has transformed to Thrivent Financial and not open to Christian from across the US. To date Thrivent offers a wide range of financial products to the community all out of a drive to respond to a predicament of an individual.

WHY THE RAFT OF MEDUSO AND THRIVENT FINANCIAL

These two stories represent two extreme human capabilities. One where concern for self-rules and the second were concern for the very least is supreme. One the one hand one can argue that is about leadership but on the other hand I can also say it is about harnessing our collective goodness.

Both stories presented us with situations where people experienced, and based on the leadership of the time they took action. The leadership in this cases knew: what to, how to when to or they did not know what to, did not know how to and did not know when to. In the case fir Thrivent Financial the leaders who have chosen not to be known knew want to, they figured out how to and executed the when to very well. I feel they rallied and enlisted the support of all for one and also rallied the support of each one of the members for the goodness of all. Letting aside the leadership pride that drags people down they chose to save for the future.

In the case of the raft of Meduso the members chose to self-preserve in a way failure the harness their collective goodness choosing to fight for biscuits and brandy instead of working on the group survival.