A team without any conflicts!

Wouldn’t that be nice! Just having fun working together with people that never nag, always look for constructive solutions and really enjoy getting to work. Well, unfortunately that is not how it usually, or at least not always goes. When people are working together there are multiple perspectives, various ways of working, different wishes and needs and irritations.

The universities of Utrecht and Heidelberg published (all the way back, in 2000) results on a joint study about working in teams. This was one of their key findings:

Mohlomi: the inspirer of the next generation leaders

Mohlomi, as he was an older man, met the future king Moshoshoe as he was still young. Mohlomi saw the future in the young man, and gave him an earring. Moshoshoe then asked Mohlomi: 'what is the medicine for building a great empire?' Mohlomi answered him and said 'there is no such medicine! The only true medicine is the heart! Let me give you 3 wisdoms to become a truly great leader: 

1. Love your people 

2. Know your people 

3. Honor your people.'

Mohlomi: Doctor and Patriarch

Since Mohlomi was initiated at the age of 13 he felt that he was called to become a doctor, to heal the sick and care for the weak and needy. He studied nature, man and soul. He was famous to combine physical medicine with psychological treatment.

Mohlomi: Chief and Philosopher

Mohlomi was an extremely intelligent but also wise man. He loved to discuss the truth and topics of wisdom with all the people he would meet. These included men, women and children.

A few of his basic questions where:

• Where does the universe begin and where does it end?
• What is life?
• How is life created?

Mohlomi: the South African Chief who loved his people!

Mohlomi, son of Monyane, who was the son of the great Bakoena Chief Monaheng, was born in the year 1720 in Fothane, a little village close to Bethlehem. As he was born, his grandfather, Chief Monaheng greeted him and said: ‘This boy is going to be a great chief one day. He will be the founder of many new villages.’

Mohlomi: an Inspiring South African Leader

Sitting on my porch in the Netherlands, looking over green pastures, 450 year old windmills and water canals everywhere. I am enjoying the spring with our family, relaxing during the eastern weekend.

I am thinking about Mohlomi, the inspiring chief who lived between 1720 and 1815. Why should a Dutch family think about a South African Chief who lived in the 18^th Century? Well, this family, the Donders-Clan  (a normal old Dutch name, with a little strange connation for Afrikaners), is excited about South Africa, its history, its present and its future. Since 2011, we travelled 15 times to South Africa, started the xpand consultancy company in 2014.

Leading as a coach

100 leaders of a leading hospital gathered together for two days to think about ways to further develop a positive, inspiring and realistic culture throughout their organization. xpand has moderated those two days. We started off with dividing everyone into small groups of 7, and had an expectations-session.

The question was: ‘how would you lead yourself?’ After 2 hours of intensive and creative thinking, a hotlist with 7 main findings was made. The first and foremost topic was the need for coaching from within the organization: ‘I want to receive appreciation and feedback from my team-leader, and I want to receive it on a regularly basis.’

King Arthur: 8 lessons in a nutshell

During the past 8 chapters, I discussed some of the lessons on teambuilding that the story of King Arthur teaches us. Sure, it is nice to know that there are plenty of other great lessons to discuss. But as is often the case, it is only possible to understand some of them, at least to understand them well enough to be able to put them into practice. Therefore, I will summarize the previous 8 lessons in this chapter. I hope that this will enable you to choose which lessons seem – at the moment – most worthwhile to implement.

A healthy team: Merlin, the wise prophet

Merlin plays a rather important and unique role in nearly all of Arthur’s life. Not the most important role though, since Arthur consciously divided his attention between all his advisors. Merlin was a truly gifted and very loyal and honourable man. A combination of characteristics that one does not find easily. An interesting observation can be made here. Quite often, similar people attract each other. Narcissistic leaders often have narcissistic advisors. Manipulative leaders often have manipulative advisors. Fearful leaders often have fearful advisors. Just like a nation usually has the leadership that they (often unconsciously) desire and therefore deserve, it seems that a leader also has the advisors that he/she deserves.

A healthy team: Camelot, a home for everyone

After Arthur became High King, he chose not to settle in the castle of his recently deceased father Uther Pendragon. One of the most important reasons was that his father had practised a completely different style of leadership. Uther had reigned through power, fear and manipulation. He also realized great victories, in his own way. But he had never been a leader that was trusted and loved by his people. Arthur had enjoyed a Roman Celtic education, and he strongly believed in values like justice, equality, discipline, passion, the willingness to learn and friendship. Ector and Livinia gave him the priceless gift of healthy father and motherhood, of healthy man and womanhood. It was one of the things that enabled Arthur to develop a healthy self-image...