Mindsets, Managers and Leaders

HENRY MINTZBERG NELSON MANDELA

Mintzberg: Managing the self Understanding Empathy Action

Mandela In a letter to Winnie Mandela▪ “… learn to know yourself ... to search

realistically and regularly the processes of your own mind and feelings.“

– On how time for reflection in jail made him more humane and perceptive to the needs of others after having been quite harsh and inconsiderate:• “But I was able to do this because I had time to

think about it, whereas outside jail - from morning to sunset - you are moving from one meeting to the other, and there is no time to think about problems. Thinking is one of the most important weapons in dealing with problems ... and we didn't have that outside.“

– On the need for changing the self:• “One of the most difficult things is not to change

society - but to change yourself”

• Mintzberg : Managing Organizations– Understand systems and interrelationships

between policies, strategy, structure and people– Wholism

• Mandela– In a speech to the Groote Kerk NG gemeente:• “Dit is ons eerste taak as regering om die basiese

lewens-omstandighede van mense te verander en te verbeter deur die voorsiening van huise, skoon water, elektrisiteit, gesondheidsorg, ordentlike onderwys, werksgeleenthede, veiligheid en beskerming.

▪ Ons leer egter daagliks dat daar 'n nog meer basiese taak van heropbou voor ons lê om ons land en samelewing kern-gesond te maak, en lewensvatbaar te hou.

▪ Dit is die taak van 'n morele heropbou. Die beste pogings van 'n regering of owerheid, sal vrugteloos wees as die mense van 'n land nie in hul eie lewens en innerlike 'n verandering ondergaan nie.

▪ Selfsug, korrupsie, 'n gebrek aan 'n gemeenskapsgevoel en naastediens - hierdie is die geestelike vyande van ons pogings om 'n nuwe samelewing te bou waaring ons almal in ordentlikheid kan saamleef.

Mintzberg: Managing Context Deal with the global and local contexts

in a “glocal” way Mandela in a speech to the Dutch

Parliament:▪ “As we approach the new millennium, the

world faces greater challenges than ever before. They include growing poverty, despite the capacity of the world economy to produce the means for solving the problems of poverty.

– We see our environment being loaded beyond sustainability. The worst that we can do is to close our eyes to these and problems. Knowing this Parliament's record I do not believe the Netherlands will close its eyes.

– Nor, we can assure you, will South Africa. So we can rest assured that our countries will stand side by side to face these challenges. In our increasingly interdependent world, none of the serious problems can be solved by any of us alone. Whatever happens in our part of the world can impact on those in other parts.”

Mintzberg: Managing Relationships Provide a relationship base for

synergistic workMandela:

“I always remember the axiom: a leader...is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.”

• Mintzberg: Managing Change– Hold the direction and provide a steady course in

turbulence• Mandela:– “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 linger, for my long walk is not ended.”