|
As a Masters Degree student of Fijian origin I was fortunate enough to write my thesis on transferring leadership qualities from ancient Fijian villages to today's organizational culture.
Although I found many leadership qualities present in Fijian villages, one particular quality stands out for me years later...the leadership quality that I call the 'start-where-you-are' quality. Simply put, this leadership characteristic suggests that every person is capable of rising up and becoming the leader the occasion calls for.
In my research I learned of a story of a young boy who became a leader during a particularly bad hurricane. This boy had a sense that his village was in danger of flooding and he stopped at nothing to motivate the members of his village to move to higher ground. The young boy did not wait for an elder or the chief to exercise their leadership power; he simply rose to the occasion and became the leader the situation needed. His leadership was called forth by the needs of the moment.
In transferring this 'start where you are' quality to today's organizational culture, I have learned that it is important to inspire our team members to rise to the occasion and become leaders when the situation calls for one…regardless of their position.
What can your organization do to encourage team members in every sector to be ready to lead when the situation calls for it?
TC Waisman
|