neglecting not just his family but himself .
He began his reset by cancelling most of his engagements and focusing on a few things he deemed essential to his work and personal life . Consequently he was able to give everything the measure of attention it deserved and the results were there for all to see . The church grew . His family , which needed him most as his son is autistic , greatly benefited from his increased presence and participation . Most importantly , he was able to live in the present and truly savour the moments that brought him joy .
One of these defining moments was his autistic son uttering his first words despite the doctor saying that he may never have been able to speak at all . He called this the ‘ miracles of little things ’ - gratifying only when you learn to live in the present moment . This gift of the present is only possible when we slow down our pace and stride instead of striving . He concluded by saying that ‘ because every part of my life was moving at the same pace , I was emotionally and mentally available for all that mattered ’. No wonder he termed this the ‘ Pace of Grace .’
The second lesson is from our own Lady Justice Mumbi Ngugi , Judge of the High Court of Kenya , whose topic was ‘ Creating a More Just Society ’. A lot has been written about a leader ’ s need to be humble but Justice Mumbi framed it in a unique way . She opened by observing that Covid-19 , had inter alia , exposed gaps in leadership in many countries and societies . The consequence of such gaps is what she called an ‘ unjust society ’, exemplified by unfair distribution of resources and opportunity leaving a large part of their populace vulnerable . In addition there is not enough for all and universal justice and equity is lacking .
A ‘ just society ’ on the other hand is one where resources and opportunity are open to all not just the privileged , social and economic rights are accessible and the vulnerable are ‘ recognised , respected , and protected . The result is a better life for all ‘ including the lowest among us ’.
What then needs to be done to achieve such a society ? How can leaders create a more just society ? She spoke of four things but two stood out . Firstly before a leader takes on their leadership role they should take a pose and answer the question ‘ am I suited for this ?’ This calls for ‘ a candid self-examination to access their capability and recognise their
Many leaders become so consumed in their power that they become unapproachable . The role of warmth comes in here by making the leader affable and relatable which increases their influence . And to a large extend leadership is about influence - Vanessa Van Edwards , founder , ‘ Science of People ’.
limitations ’. In doing so they will not take on roles and responsibilities ‘ they may not be able to fulfil ’.
Secondly once the leader takes the mantle they should constantly measure their performance given that circumstances change as the World is never static . One way the leader can achieve this is by having people who can boldly tell them when things are going wrong , ‘ this is not right ’. She called this the ability of a leader to recognise and admit ‘ I am not as great as I think ’ which calls for humility and courage that many leaders lack .
My third and final lesson is from Vanessa Van Edwards . Vanessa is the founder of ‘ Science of People ’, an organisation that aims to improve a leader ' s influence by focusing on their people skills , especially communication . She opened by saying that teams judge their leaders not just by their competence but also by their warmth . It ’ s the word ‘ warmth ’ that attracted attention because we rarely think about leaders in this light . Vanessa elaborated that competence means that one is capable and dependable , imperative leadership traits .
However , many leaders become so consumed in their power that they become unapproachable . The role of warmth comes in here by making the leader affable and relatable which increases their influence . And to a large extend leadership is about influence . So how does a leader cultivate their warmth and become more relatable ?
Vanessa suggests that the leader should first recognise the essence of warmth and be intentional about nurturing it . Two questions can guide the leader : How do I want to be perceived by my team ? And after interacting with my team , how do I want them to think , feel , and act ?
This is where the way the leader communicates comes in as it has a great influence on how they are perceived and the impact they make . Words are powerful and shape the team ’ s thoughts , behaviour , and actions . A leader should , therefore , ‘ prime their words .’ It is critical to be positive whenever the leader is communicating . Starting or ending conversations using positive phrases such as ‘ I am happy to see you ,’ ‘ great to hear from you ,’ glad to be here ’ makes the other person feel valued , resulting in positive behaviour .
She also advocates the use of ‘ warm words ’ such as productive , efficient , and competent . In many cases , we may be accustomed to starting on a less positive note with negatively laced phrases such as ‘ gridlocked traffic ,’ cold rainy weather ,’ that dictate the conversation ' s mood .
Additionally , a relaxed tone of voice and correct body language reassure the leader ’ s audience . Vanessa informs us that the first thing we look at when a person approaches us is their hands . This is an inadvertent practice passed down by our medieval ancestors for whom a show of hands and what they were holding elicited a feeling of either safety or fear . What this means in the present day is that keeping our hands visible as much as possible and using appropriate gestures are measures of how warm and receptive the leader is .
In conclusion , as a leader works to improve their competence , they should not fall behind on developing their warmth . Respect goes hand in hand with trust in increasing a leader ’ s influence .
In a world where attention has become a scarce resource , it is my hope that you have had the opportunity to read through this article and that the snippets have been useful . Have a fulfilling 2021 .
Robert Wamai is a trainer and advertising consultant , a passionate consumer advocate and believer in the power of brands . You can engage him on this or related matters via email at : Wamai . Robert @ gmail . com .