Spiritual-based LeadershipSpiritual-based Leadership

Leadership lessons learned from Nelson Mandela for the Health Industry Dr Rica Viljoen Dr Rica Viljoen

SPIRITUAL-BASED LEADERSHIP

The art of leadership . . . The art of leadership . . .

“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.. Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.”

Nelson Mandela

Quote

• Doctor in Business Leadership (SBL Unisa)

• International Organisational Development specialist and practitioner focusing on optimising individual, group and organisational behaviour

• Focus on creating Engagement in multi-cultural organisations through Inclusivity

• Consulted to and facilitated in various countries e.g. America, Peru,

Australia, Spain, Zambia, Mali, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, Ghana

• Associated with numerous academic institutions as subject matter expert e.g. da Vinci Institute, SBL – UNISA, UJ, and Village of Leaders – Stellenbosch

• Managing Director of Mandala Consulting

• Work extensively in both private and public Health Care in South Africa

Rica Viljoen

• Hersey & Blanchard

• Covey

• Kouzes & Posner

• Koestenbaum

• Kotter

• African Leadership

• Value-based leadership

• Steward Leadership

• Participative Evolution

• Ethical Leadership

• Spiritual based leadership

Leadership Theories

Servant Leadership

Leadership Role Model

b Leadership Process

b Leadership task

Relationship

Character

A servants heart

Building up others 1

Doing the work of a leader

U

Ubbivat Innovation

Impacting society and culture

• Although the state contributes about 40% of all expenditure on health, the

public health sector is under pressure to deliver services to about 80% of the

population

• The public sector is under-resourced and over-used, while the mushrooming

private sector, run largely on commercial lines, caters to middle- and high-

income earners who tend to be members of medical schemes (18% of the

population)

• Advances in medical technology are driving growth in the South African

healthcare market. The introduction of less invasive technologies is leading

to a greater number of procedures

• Technological advances are reducing the risks associated with the

performance of certain procedures.

Challenges in Health Industry in South Africa

• There is a strong trend towards promoting accessibility to healthcare

in South Africa

• Private sector groups are extending their services into rural areas

• The serious lack of healthcare professionals could lead to a severe

crisis in the South African healthcare industry

• Public-private partnerships

• Brain Drain

•  "Since the public sector serves 80 per cent of the population,

improved infrastructure is required to improve access and quality of

services to the population with the latter relying to a great extent on

human capital."  Frost & Sullivan research

Challenges in Health Industry in South Africa

Releasing voice in organisations – Sustainable Transformation

OD Interventions

New world of work

Nature of the world

Why we adapt Essence of Change

New Sciences

We adapt differently

Rising levels of conciousness

The Individual

The

Team

The

Organisation

How individuals adapt

How groups adapt

The What

Context:Industry

South AfricaAfricaGlobal

Leadership

Doing

Being Disconnect

Apathy

Engagement /Voice

Inclusivity

Organisation

Group

Individual

EQ Journey

Dialoguing

World CafeStorytelling

Appreciative Inquiry

Organisational LeadershipTrust

LeadershipTeam Dynamics

Individual Diversity factors

How organisations adapt

The way

Viljoen, 2008

Spiritual-based Leadership

INTR 4.6INTR 4.6

“We see the World not as it is, but as we are.”

Stephen Covey

Spirituality in Business Today

• The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning "breath" (compare spiritus asper), but also "soul, courage, vigor.

Spiritual-based Leadership

INTR 4.6INTR 4.6

“We see the World not as it is, but as we are.”

Stephen Covey

– Increased search for meaning internationally

– External actions and internal reflections should be mutually

supportive (spirituality and rationality)

– Leaders can achieve success, recognition, peace of mind and

happiness WHILE serving needs of all they serve with leadership

when they lead with wisdom from a spiritual core, which may or

may not be associated with an organised religion (Pruzan &

Mikkelsen, 2004)

Leadership Tendencies internationally

• Being aware of self – emotional intelligence

• Being aware of complexities – complexity

handling ability

• Being aware of others – cultural intelligence

• Being aware of justice – moral intelligence

• Being aware of greater impact of behaviour –

spiritual intelligence

Finding your own voice

The BarOn-EQ-i™ Model

INTRA PERSONAL

INTER PERSONAL

STRESS MANAGEMENT

ADAPTABILITY

GENERAL MOOD

EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE

“The ability to deal with environmental demands”

BarOn, 2003

BarOn EQi

“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to

do the same.” 

Nelson Mandela

Emotional Intelligence

Individuals who are UNDERUTILISED may become

• Frustrated

• Bored

• Anxious

Individuals who are OVEREXTENDED may feel

• Anxious, worried

• Perplexed

• Overwhelmed

WO

RK

CH

ALLE

NG

ES

WO

RK

CH

ALLE

NG

ES

INDIVIDUAL CAPABILITYINDIVIDUAL CAPABILITY

FLOW (

Effective

FLOW (

Effective decis

ion-

decision-

making)

making)

Adapted from Csikszentmihalyi, M (1975) Beyond boredom and anxiety

Complexity handling ability – optimal functioning

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”  Nelson Mandela

Complexity handling ability – optimal functioning

1. Communication styles

2. Attitudes towards conflict

3. Approaches to completing tasks

4. Decision-making styles

5. Attitudes towards disclosure

6. Approaches to knowing

What’s different?

1. Beliefs

2. Values

3. Perceptions

4. Expectations

5. Attitudes

6. Assumptions

What’s hidden below

surface?

Visible culturaldifferences

Invisible cultural roots

Kotelnikov, 2005

Cultural Intelligence

UK & USA = O.K.

RUSSIA = ZERO

JAPAN = MONEY

BRAZIL = INSULT

Cultural Intelligence

“The ability to act with wisdom and compassion while maintaining inner and outer peace (equanimity), regardless of the circumstances.”

Zohar, 2000

•Comfort with chaos•Comfort with dichotomy•Comfort with paradox

 

Spiritual Intelligence

Passion (EQ)

Vision

(IQ)

Conscience

(SQ)

Discipline

(PQ)

Covey – Finding yourself

PHYSICAL

MENTAL

SOCIAL/CULTURAL

EMOTIONAL

Kets de Vries – Life Balance

21

Historical context

Claire Graves “What is a Psychologically healthy human being?”

Copyright Al-Q-Mie 2007

Known by many names: Levels of Human ExistenceOpen System Theory of ValuesSpiral Dynamics

Graves

22

Adaptation

1. Expressive of self2. Taking care of other humans beings

Copyright Al-Q-Mie 2007

1. Adjustment-of-the-organism-to-the- environment 2. Adjustment-of-the-environment-to-the- organism

Graves

Beck and Cowan, 1994

Graves

Meme Nature of Existence

Problems of Existence Level of Existence

Beige AN Automatic Maintaining physiological stability

First SubsistenceHe leaves Eden

Purple BO Tribalistic Achievement of relative society

Second SubsistenceFind a way to foster individual survival

Red CP Egocentric Living with self awareness

Third SubsistenceHe seeks salvation

Blue DQ Saintly Achieving everlasting piece of mind

Fourth SubsistenceBuild life for pleasure here and now

Orange ER Materialistic Conquering the physical universe so as to overcome want

Fifth SubsistenceSuccess but does not know self and wants to belong

Green FS Socio-centric Living with the human element

Sixth SubsistenceWant to be more than only for others – for self in relation to universe

Yellow GT Cognitive Restoring viability to a disordered world

First BeingDistinctly Human . Adjusting to the reality that you can only be, you can never really know

Turquoise HU

Experientialistic Accepting existential dichotomies

Second Being

Graves, 1978

Our rainbow nation – cultural DNA

25

•Circular tribal structure.•Led by elder(s), shaman, or chief who makes decisions.•Roles determined by kinship, strength, sex, age.•Ways of the tribe are sacred and rigidly preserved.•Demands obedience to leader(s)

“Tribe”

•Organisation of equals for mutual benefit.•Little concern with status or privilege.•The “people” make decisions as a group.•Frequent communication in all directions.•Emphasis on consensus, sensitivity to feelings, and human needs.

“Social Network”

•Power-orientated – strongest survives best.•Most powerful person makes decisions.•Big Boss directs Work Bosses who drives the masses.•Communication downwards only.•Strength determines relationships

“Empire”

•Rigid rules for structure and rank.•Person with appropriate position of power makes decisions.•Divine authority speaks through secular authority.•Communication downward and horizontally across classes.•People stay in their “rightful” places.

“Authority Structure”

•Bureaucratic and status-orientated.•Person with the delegated authority makes decisions.•Distribution of specific amount of responsibility.•Communication down, up and across.•Power relates to prestige and position within the structure allows for upward mobility.

“StrategicEnterprise”

“Systemic Flow”

•Structure according to task at hand.•Project-centred with changing “functional” leadership.•Competent person makes decision.•Communication only as needed.•May adopt “Tribe” through “Social Network” if appropriate to situation

Our rainbow nation – cultural DNA

Personal and strategic agendas(Unconscious

dynamics)

Values, Career

anchors(What is important

For you )

Temperament(The instrument you

play)

Complexity handling

ability(How difficult you play)

Emotional Maturity

(How well you can play with your instrument)

Individual voice

Worldview(What questions of

existence do you ask and how do you solve this)

Viljoen, 2008

Determining voice

My life’s purpose

My

potential

My

Unique gift

Self Mastery

Growth

Personal Power

Actualisation

Personal Optimisation

Quote

“ Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” 

Nelson Mandela

You must be authentic to lead authentically.

 “There is no softer pillow than a clear conscience.” – Ken Blanchard 

Spiritual-based leadership

Mandela on being authentic

“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have

an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are

all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility”

You must true to self if you want to build trust.

-Spiritual based leadership requires you to have strong relationships with the people who follow you.

"The most essential quality for leadership is not perfection, but credibility. People must be able to trust you, or they won’t follow you." – Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life 

Spiritual-based leadership

Mandela on being leadership and trust

“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you

celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is

danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”

You must define a path for others to follow.

At an organisational level you must have:- a well defined vision and mission- a set of core operating principles or values- a strong leadership team with the ability and courage to execute the first two 

"It is impossible even to think without a mental picture." - Aristotle

Spiritual-based leadership

Mandela on vision

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people, I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black

domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal

which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if it needs be it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die”

You must believe that doing the right thing is profitable.  

Companies where majority of employees trusted top managers had shareholder returns 40% higher than companies where distrust was dominant. – Christian Ethics in the Workplace

Spiritual-based leadership

Mandela on being leadership and trust

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects

and enhances the freedom of others”

.

.

Interiorizing the managementControlling vs Self-management

Formulating attitude to business Individual vs Organisation/Skills vs. Values

Aspiration

Concentration Self-

Introspection

Within-to-

without principle

Core Beliefs

1. The key is within! 2.Technology makes things possible, but it is the people who make it happen3. Only in peace one can know what is the best thing to do4. What is within, that is without.6. Consciousness can’t be borrowed or imparted ready-made7. Intellect can go to moon, but the heart can conquer the world1

2

3

Humanizing the organization Worker vs Man; Self vs Others

Adapted from Bibikova & Kotelnikov, 2007

Leading with Consciousness in the Health Care World

Vadim Kotelnikov: 2007

Business Effectiveness

►Taking the bird’s-eye view of your business strategies

►Building and balancing your business system

►Harmonizing men, material and methods to achieve sustainable growth, human development, and social benefit

YangActive, Creative

YinPassive, Receptive

Business Efficiency

►Spotting and pursuing opportunities►Making fast decisions and implementing

them under the time pressure►Innovating and creating outside-the-box

solutions

Working IN Your Business

Brain-storming

Working ON Your Business

Brain-stilling

Manage with Consciousness in the Health Care World

•Courage is not the absence of fear — it’s inspiring others to move beyond it•Lead from the front — but don’t leave your base behind•Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front•Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport•Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer•Appearances matter — and remember to smile•Nothing is black or white•Quitting is leading too

Richard Stengel

Spiritual based LeadershipBringing the heart back into the organisation

company.”

SPIRITUAL-BASED LEADERSHIP

The art of leadership . . . The art of leadership . . .

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter, I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not to linger, for my long walk is not ended.”

Nelson Mandela

Quote

We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”