Ubuntu: Myth or antidote to today’s socio-political and leadership challenges?

South Africa’s current conditions of misunderstanding and intolerance of difference, of leadership disconnection with the people and of business misalignment with holistic human development are screaming for something fresh. The manner in which we relate to each other as people sharing the same space (in all its manifestations!) is unsustainable and demands change. Here’s an old solution that has been with us for a long time, but has been neglected for way too long. The ancient Afrikan philosophy of ubuntu is the quiet antidote needed right now.

But what is this thing we call ubuntu? A quick explanation of this term would be this: ubuntu means each one of us can only effectively exist as fully functioning human beings when we acknowledge the roles that others play in our lives. Most Nguni languages in Southern Africa will say: “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu [a person is a person through other persons, or I am because we are]”. It is about accepting our inherent interconnectedness. This is the one missing piece of our current socio-political, leadership and business puzzle. At a glance, ubuntu seems idealistic. Yet, when understood, it is the foundation for social coherence. It engenders self-respect, whose current lack among individuals across all communities (rich and poor) breeds the levels of violence we experience.

Another crash course on ubuntu is given by our beloved Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who says: “Africans have a thing called ubuntu; it is about the essence of being human, it is part of the gift that Africa is going to give to the world. It embraces hospitality, caring about others, being willing to go that extra mile for the sake of another. We believe that a person is a person through other persons; that my humanity is caught up and bound up in yours. When I dehumanise you, I inexorably dehumanise myself. The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms, and therefore you seek to work for the common good because your humanity comes into its own in community, in belonging.”

In this regard, Steve Biko’s words are spot-on: “What the world can learn from Africa is the focus on humanness and spirituality, to complement [and possibly replace] industrial and Western individualism [which goes with avarice and greed].” In traditional Afrikan society there has always been respect for all humans, for the community and for the environment. Of course our historical records have unfortunately been skewed towards focusing mainly on the rather bleak and backwards aspects of Afrikan belief systems, customs, values and culture. That has run its course and served the interests of the past historians. It is time for a shift towards something holistic, wholesome and all-inclusive in the true Afrikan spirit of respect for all.

Afrikan belief-systems can be infused in any place, from the family to the organisation or workplace. The emphasis on togetherness and teamwork is not coincidental. It is by design. In South Africa, we will wake up to the critical importance of this perspective a little later than others who have “seen the light” of ubuntu. Highly successful global businesses (such as Richard Branson’s Virgin Group) use the business approaches inspired by the spirit of ubuntu. Similar forms of humane organisation characterise businesses in Japan.

Ubuntu philosophy is powerfully relevant in business, as Nelson Mandela explains: “Ubuntu in business can help bridge gaps between people in the workplace, stakeholders within and outside the enterprise, [between] businesses and the broader society in which they operate. As a uniquely African moral philosophy, ubuntu belongs in business life on this continent, just as it does in our political and social lives. Ubuntu promotes cohabitation: the tolerance and acceptance of all races and creeds in the human household … Ubuntu reminds people in the household [and in organisations] that they are all part of the greater human family and that all depend on each other. It promotes peace and understanding.” (in foreword to Let Africa Lead by Reuel Khoza).

Ubuntu (humaneness) strengthens a business or political organisation. It builds trust among internal and external stakeholders. This would be magic for local government leaders struggling to meet service-delivery expectations. I believe that with an ubuntu approach guiding their community engagements, leaders in the municipalities that were rioting for better service delivery would not have had to face those challenges at all.

Every good business school today will tell you that successful leadership is increasingly more about building and managing working relationships than about wielding power and authority. Managing relationships well requires specialised skills and the ability really to engage others, to communicate with them in a manner that ensures they are not patronised. Ubuntu facilitates this directly. You cannot be a bully, be patronising, or be authoritarian if you lead with Ubuntu Intelligence©. (Watch this space for a synopsis and description of this concept … similar to Emotional Intelligence, but with a distinct Afrikan feel to it!)

And finally, I believe that business and political leaders who lead with Ubuntu Intelligence know that they shape the emotional tone and climate of their organisations. This happens whether it is intentional, conscious or not. They are therefore smart about using these “powers” they have been given by their followers. Such leaders know that a leader’s behaviour is crucial to any organisation’s achievement of its objectives. Today’s business and social environment demand a new calibre of leadership that relates to their people differently, with feeling. This is a leadership that is in touch with themselves, with their own emotions, and is authentic about who it is. It is a leadership with ubuntu intelligence.

Having spread festive goodwill just recently, is it not opportune to start spreading the spirit of ubuntu as we venture into a potentially exciting 2008? I think that we should all challenge ourselves to see others for who they are, not what we wish they were. That’s the first test of our ability to live with the ubuntu spirit. Go ahead, try it. The next person you meet after reading this, make sure you see them as they are, not as you would rather have them be … not as easy as it sounds, nê?