Worknow_Aotearoa_NZ

Leading yourself; to see yourself as others see you

I attended the launch of the Otago University MBA Mentoring Programme last night and am well impressed with the caliber of talent they have drawn together. It’s an emergent and future focused initiative that will no doubt add immense value for students while allowing business people to give back.

In the official speech Mr Ian Flattery of the MBA, told the story of watching the Lion King and explaining to his youg son the meaning of the word  “philosophy” as used in one of the songs.

“Son” he said, “philosophy is about what is important to you, the things that you value.”

“So then your philosophy is work and renovation!”

The charming and funny parable, which speaks of knowing how others see us,  was an analogy for the inherent value of the mentoring programme, which creates an environment for the types of constructive feedback that will enhance the leadership styles of tomorrows leaders.

Leadership, the collective capacity to create things of value.

Networking, connecting and collaborating -  whatever the purpose -  talking and working with others is one of the best parts of my job. Last night I went to represent not just myself and Worknow but also an amazing community that I belong to called The Distiller.

The Distiller is a community of young web entrepreneurs based (primarily) out of the Centre For Innovation on the Otago University Campus. We support and encourage each other, offer feedback and share the highs and lows of the new venture journey, together. It is organic, collaborative business community at its best, one which provides a shining example of an environment

“…overwhelmingly governed by the trust/reputation/community approach…” Source

The Distiller also emphasises for me the collective nature of leadership; the realisation of collective potential, working with others in a concerted endeavour to create something of value to all involved.  I am so thankful and immensely privileged to be part of such a great group of people. You guys Rock!

Sailing is an investment of time that I consider a rather noble pursuit but then I am biased because my dad was an avid sailor -  John Lee, Skipper of the Leeway – and he was easily one of the hero’s of my life.

leeway: To slip sideways downwind while moving forward.

Yet this adds weight to the fact that I’ve heard several people talking about sailing this year, from simply learning how to sail to planned journeys around the world.

And it is their sense of purposeful adventure and discovery that has inspired my thoughts on the direction of my personal endeavors as well as our company this year.

Time to change tack

I resolved earlier this year to keep a written journal, a common device of those sailing the oceans.  Indeed, I much prefer the creative process of writing ones thoughts vs blogging and I struggled immensely over the past week to find the inspiration to add value to our blog conversation so far.

Beside commenting on articles that inspire conversation or challenge my thinking it seems 2009 provided all the time needed to convey our vision, values and service. Upon reflection I realise that I have said all I need to say about Worknow and it is simply time to change tack.

Tacking – Basic sailing maneuver refers to turning the bow of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other side.

While we maintain our heading, we now power up the sails with the stories of those with whom we collaborate and whose bearing impacts on the work that we do.

Indeed, it is only through the collaboration and support of people, with the vision and creativity to apply Time Trade as a tool to encourage volunteering in their own community, can we hope to reach our way-points.

Ready About

I hope to increasingly use this blog to share the story of those that serve our communities in the most direct sense of the word. I hope, like me, you will find their stories inspiring and thought provoking.

Most importantly I hope to convey the conscious, collective community spirit under which these people and teams operate in order to inspire and encourage us all  to volunteer our time and talent on a regular and ongoing basis.

Using the simple tools now at your fingertips just imagine what we can achieve, what change we can effect and the difference we will make when we work now, together for causes that benefit us all.

Being Maori, I was raised with a cultural notion of collective and collaborative action.

As a child my mum and her brother and sisters would spend hours developing their collective world view. To onlookers it could have seemed that they simply talked and argued, often, about the same issues.

Yet, such a simplistic point of view belies the nuances of  tribal etiquette that are integral to creating collective purpose. Simple rules that can and should be applied throughout society. For instance:-

When making a decision or deciding on a course of action that affects others, everyone is allowed the chance to voice their opinion.

Inevitably multiple opinions leads to conflict but it is important to recognise this as part of the process, rather than a problem. The discussion should continue for as long as takes for everyone to be heard.

It’s not about majority rule, tribal communities were never a democracy. Leaders must make decisions for others to follow.

Followers need not necessarily agree because in having their voice heard and in listening to others there now exists a shared understanding of why the decision is made.

Tribal etiquette can help build a shared sense of purpose and strengthen teams when we:-

• Encourage and support collaborative process that openly allow people to offer their opinion or point of view.
• Recognise that conflict is natural and inevitable, it can even be constructive. Note though, it has taken me many years to realise that many people do not share this understanding.
• Don’t take conflict too personally, we all have the right to disagree.
• Value constructive criticism, what better way to refine and craft ones thinking than to have it challenged.

Worknow is a community and marketplace to help people find, connect and work together

The greater our collective purpose the more shared intelligence we build together the stronger we become.