Awkward about your underlings?

Ever felt that horrible awkwardness when you were first put in a position of leadership? You might have felt like you were too small to fill the expectations that the job came with. Or the awkwardness stemmed from feeling you had to be different than the normal you. Or maybe you felt awkward because you now had to ‘perform’ amongst people who used to be your colleagues. Now all of a sudden they are your underlings, but you feel bad even thinking that word.

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.