Witnessing the recent events in the Middle East has provoked feelings and reactions on many levels. Since this blog focuses on leadership, we want to point out a leadership lesson that we see. (Note: Because this is a leadership blog we are NOT making any comments about the political, economic or larger social implications of what is happening. We recognize that what is happening is complex. We are going to pull out and comment on a particular thread.)
When a situation is large scale and extreme, it creates a “stark relief map” where things become vividly visible. This is why looking at the leadership in the Middle East is relevant to leadership within organizations. Similar dynamics can and do happen within many organizations, just on a more subtle and less complex level.
At its core, we are seeing the consequences of autocratic leadership - most often referred to in organizational terms as “command and control” leadership. One of the issues that is driving people in these countries (Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, et al.) to rebel is that they aren’t being listened to – they are not able to contribute to, collaborate on, or have self-determination regarding their lives and and social experience. The leadership is stubbornly, (and even violently), determined to set the agenda. A handful of people are deciding how everyone lives.
Organizational leaders often do similar things and create a similar atmosphere and culture. Like the Middle Eastern leaders, they feel entirely entitled to do so. After all, they are the leaders right? Recently this has been most apparent in larger corporations, particularly those that have failed or nearly failed. CEOs have been very separate from the day-to-day work and workers and paid enormous salaries. There have been many examples of their workers losing their jobs and subsequently their retirements and homes while these CEOs walk off with multi-million dollar golden parachutes. This is similar to many of the Middle Eastern countries where leaders are living incredibly well and will continue to, even if they are forced out, while their people don’t have enough to eat or real economic opportunities.
Paraphrasing a quote in the Wall Street Journal by a rebelling university educator in Bahrain, “We wanted some simple changes. They wouldn’t listen, they killed us, and now the king has to go.” This is the peril of leaders who don’t include, collaborate, respect and listen to their people. Your teams may not be able to rebel and overthrow you, but they will quickly learn their best efforts are not respected, so why bother? The best will leave. Resignation will set in for the rest and, at best, you will get vicious obedience or malicious compliance. As gossip and complaining builds, the culture becomes poisoned. When your team is not listened to and does not have inclusion and opportunity, (just like the citizens of the Middle East), creativity disappears and productivity drops to a minimum relative to what's possible.
So does this mean as a leader you must live in fear of your people? That you must make sure everybody likes you? Try to please 100% of the people 100% of the time? Reach perfect consensus on everything? Of course not, but you will likely be surprised how far respectful listening, inclusion, positive feedback and validation will get you. People know when they are truly valued and when they are being strung along or are fundamentally disrespected. They also know when there are opportunities for advancement, for growth, for creating a job/role function that is needed and when jobs are a dead-end. This goes back to our post last week, “Viva The Naysayers,” – if your team is just your “hands and feet” or you are “deriding the naysayers and wet blankets” you are in the same leadership spectrum as the Middle Eastern leaders. Your way or the highway just doesn’t work anymore.
We are in a new year. Are you ready to re-evaluate your leadership style and skills? Are you ready to do some self-reflection and decide what kind of leader you really want to be? Are you ready to be part of your team? Consider that you may not be able to that by yourself. If you are serious, get intervention! We, of course, say do our courses, study our book, and get coached, (yes, shameless plug noted). If not us, then go find another great resource and get to work!
In the opening ceremony, I did a quick scan of the global picture of women’s leadership in the highest positions. I outlined a simple process to follow to make you most effective in your pursuits. I then pointed out a series of qualities for you to bring to your work to be successful. Lastly, I addressed the requirements for men to be most supportive of a woman's passion and purpose. I declared that in the end both women and men must listen to their hearts and trust themselves. Identify your vision or "Yonder Star" and the path to it and get to work! Be courageous, authentic, collaborative, compassionaite, patient and persistent. The joy in in the journey and the learning along the way.
So let’s get specific. Here is an example of a really big vision or Yonder Star. Applicants for next year’s World Forum For The Future of Women were asked to write a brief essay on women's lives in a perfect world. Part of what one woman said was, “In a perfect world, women are really equal with men. They do not have to lose weight in order to get the praise of their boyfriends. A woman is a god of herself, not her boyfriend, family or someone else. She is totally free and her spirits are strong. She makes her own life colorful and has a say in society. She belongs to herself. She belongs to the world too. She thinks for the animals, the children, even our beautiful world. Her eyesight is so big. Life is full of ups and downs, but she always keeps her heart basking in the sun. She knows that every dawn will present a fine prospect for her to unfold and the world will always be about new hopes in her eyes.”
For the men-if you intend to be a partner with a highly committed and passionate woman leader, be prepared for surprises. At times, your emotions may swing from very excited to wanting to give up. To be an equal partner will mean that much of what you have learned by listening and watching other boys and men while you were growing up will not be valid or useful in partnering. These old ways of relating to women may even cause you great pain.
When H1N1 knocked us out of the opportunity to speak at the Women’s Symposium on 
Ultimately, 97 women students were selected to be part of the year long curriculum. Student feedback is already amazing. Here is a note from one of the women selected for the program: I am Cathy Tian, senior, majoring in English Translation. I am so lucky to be chosen as a member of World Academy. I write this letter to express my thanks to all of you. Thank you very much for all you have done and will done for us. Yesterday is an unforgettable day in my life and I will cherish every minute to learn with you all. I believe I can make a difference, I believe my dreams will come true. Thank you again and best regards. (In the picture: Suzanne, Patty and Allison at a candlelight welcoming ceremony for the students.)
the World at Work, An International Summit of Leaders and Practitioners” with participants from 14 countries. 
When we talk about creating a vision or a purpose is that something you actively do with your team? For yourself and your own life? Are you practicing a Vision-Focused approach to your leadership of your business? Your life? If yes, are you open to input from others? Do those around you feel safe providing feedback that may be uncomfortable or with which you might disagree? Are you ready to practice cooperation and alignment? Are you still in "command and control" thinking and behaviors?
This post will focus on the Chiapas, Mexico trip. One of the most remarkable dimensions of this trip was meeting a twenty-year-old indigenous mother and leader, 
from six villages. Margarita co-facilitated this workshop, dealing calmly and brilliantly with women who were, for the most part, at least twice her age, (including her own mother). The workshop was a quarterly follow-up where they reviewed progress on their projects, designed new actions, and built new strengths together. At one point, we did an exercise that started with all of us blindfolded figuring out how to work together to assemble a puzzle. Afterwards we debriefed and there was sharing about the learning. This exercise was an amazing metaphor for what the women are faced with daily. They have a vision, but it's unclear how it will work out and they have to "feel around in the dark" for solutions. In the process they encounter everything from confusion, to fear, to resignation and the desire to quit. This all came to the surface during the exercise.
are bold enough to take on the unknown, resilient enough to get up and go again after failure, creative enough to find solutions where none were apparent, and collaborative enough to draw power from each other.