How To Think For Yourself, Continued…

It is Sunday again…

At the time that I press send it is still momentarily before dawn. In the last few weeks, I have noticed that it is lighter and lighter at this time. Southern Hemisphere summer is on its way.

The light reminds me that, even in this world that feels paused, time continues to pass. I love this pre-dawn time. Each moment is so full. In this slower part of the day, I hear more, I see more, I know myself better.

This week, we continue with last week’s theme of reclaiming our ability to think for ourselves.

The feedback that I received suggested that we’re all looking for ways to reclaim a sense of agency, a sense of purpose.

In a world in which our movement has become so constrained, the need to think for ourselves has become more acute, more central to our sense of identity. Indeed, it should always be this way, but the busyness of a movement-filled life can often obscure that we’ve stopped thinking for ourselves.

If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter and enjoyed these first few paragraphs, you can subscribe here.

Today is National Women’s Day in South Africa. A few Sundays ago, I introduced you to the work of Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. I thought you’d be interested in this HBR piece co-authored with Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, in which they point out that countries led by women have had 6 times fewer COVID-19 related deaths than those led by men.

/ STRATEGY

One of the tactics I use to think for myself is to be connected to many different people. My clients range from artists to executives. The readers of this letter cross the globe from Australia to Argentina, Munich to Mexico City, and Cape Town to Toronto. It means I consistently receive input from different sources. Building a diverse network of connections in different industries and locations is the easiest way to scale your understanding of the world.

Of course, many of you lead organisations and so you are surrounded by diversity. Creating a culture of inquiry and exploration helps leverage that diversity into rich input and intelligence.

In his book Wisdom@Work, Chip Conley, former head of global strategy at AirBnB, suggests the following approach to building a culture of open conversation and collaboration:

• Avoid Using Questions Like a Hammer.
• Know When It’s Time for Questioning and When It’s Time for Efficiency in Decision-making and Execution.
• Foster Candor and Psychological Safety.
• Be Clear That Alignment Is the Ultimate Goal of Questioning.
• Make Sure Senior Leaders Are Actively Engaged in the Questioning Process.

The continuation of last week’s theme was enabled by a mail I received from Ralf Bartoleit, pointing me to PWC’s Six Paradoxes of Leadership. Thank-you Ralf!

PWC says that leadership in this moment required the ability to hold two opposing ideas simultaneously. This is because the forces one must navigate, whilst seeming contradictory, are in fact interrelated. Leaders must hold both.

It is something that my research and my work constantly reveals. I get asked by my clients, should I do ‘x’ or ‘y’? Invariably my answer is “do both”. It is the timing and execution that makes the magic.

The six paradoxes PWC identifies are:

• Globally-minded localist.
• Strategic executor.
• High-integrity politician.
• Tech-savvy humanist.
• Humble hero.
• Traditioned innovator.

It is a quick read and is worth immersing yourself in the descriptions of each paradox.

Here is an extract to entice you, “The paradox is that it is tempting to continue to execute the things you do really well, and miss the opportunities that will help you remain relevant. It requires the ability to respect the past and decide what needs to be brought forward into the future, while also having the courage to try new things and push new boundaries.”

/ SELF

PWC notes that to manage these paradoxes, “Leaders need deep personal resilience to admit when they are wrong, allow others to make mistakes, and foster confidence throughout the organisation to stimulate ongoing success.”

How do you build your resilience?

I thought, given the spirit of continuity, we would return to Toni Morrison for further insight. Today though, we draw on her 1993 conversation with The Paris Review.

She says that, “I tell my students one of the most important things they need to know is when they are their best, creatively. They need to ask themselves, What, does the ideal room look like? Is there music? Is there silence? Is there chaos outside or is there serenity outside? What do I need in order to release my imagination?”

What is that space for you? Your organisation requires your creativity. Be intentional about the environment you work in. Make sure it energises you.

Morrison reflects that good editors “know what not to touch” and, “ask all the questions you probably would have asked yourself had there been the time.”

She goes further to say, “Good editors are really the third eye. Cool. Dispassionate. They don’t love you or your work; for me that is what is valuable—not compliments. Sometimes it’s uncanny; the editor puts his or her finger on exactly the place the writer knows is weak but just couldn’t do any better at the time. Or perhaps the writer thought it might fly, but wasn’t sure. Good editors identify that place and sometimes make suggestions.”

Who is your editor? Who is the person with whom you process your work? Who listens dispassionately and helps you spot what you’ve missed, or overlooked? Who helps you be better?

Managing paradox is difficult if it’s all in the echo-chamber of your own mind, and you’re not in a place that energises you. Sorting that out will build your resilience to think for yourself.

/ SOUL

In closing, last month activist, diplomat, and poet, Zindzi Mandela passed on.

In her honour, The Daily Maverick republished a letter that her father, Nelson Mandela, had written to her from his prison cell after she had published an anthology of poetry entitled, “Black as I Am”.

In it he said, “A good pen can remind us of the happiest moments in our lives, bring noble ideas into our dens, our blood and our souls. It can turn tragedy into hope and victory.”

I wish you a week of hope and victory. I hope that you find a novel or a poem that deepens your connection to others, to the planet we inhabit and to those we share it with.

Karl

PS: If you’re curious about what it would be like to work with me, click here or email me and let’s have a conversation.

(This letter was first published on 9 August 2020)