Exceed Your Expectations

This past weekend I finally watched the movie "Invictus".  Despite the movie having been released in 2009 I had successively put off watching it until such time as I read the book.  Yes, I'm one of "those people".  In this case I bent my rule as I was 75% through the book before I relented and allowed myself the pleasure of watching the movie.

It is, of course, rather obvious that there is much to learn and discern from the life of Nelson Mandela and the leadership he showed to a fractured, hate-filled, and fearful country.  The fact that a man who had once espoused violence against the apartheid regime of South Africa, spent 27 years of the best part of his life in prison, and could then walk out and not merely renounce vengeance but become an icon of forgiveness is an astounding story.  It certainly would have been easy - and understandable - if he had chosen to simply lead his ANC supporters to a new future.  Instead he chose to become the leader of all 40 million South Africans regardless of skin color or tribal affiliation.

In this case, I found the movie quite consistent with the contents and key events recounted in the book.  If such is the case, what I came to understand about Mandela's leadership was that he was most powerfully effective and impactful not in large gatherings speaking to thousands but rather in small groups and one-on-one encounters.  In those situations he could connect with people at an individual level.  He sought that human connection, to build on authentic relationship and understanding of who sat across from him whether they be adversary or ally.  And it was truly the measure of the man and his leadership that he had an astounding ability to effectively and rather immediately disarm an adversary as well as any ally.

One of the scenes in the movie that had particular impact on me was the first meeting between President Mandela and the captain of the Springboks - the South African national rugby team.  An intimidating meeting for the captain, Francois Pienaar, to be sure.  Mandela immediately set the tone for a deeper conversation by showing authentic interest in the person before him.  This short exchange sets the stage for a more in-depth and meaningful exchange on leadership philosophies.  In this discussion on leadership, Mandela poses the challenge of how does a leader convince his followers, his team, to be better than they think they can be - "How do we inspire ourselves to greatness when nothing less will do."  How can a leader convince his followers to stand tall when all they want to do is rest?    

Mandela did not simply foist an impossible task on Francois Pienaar.  Mandela did not, as so many "leaders" are wont to, throw out shallow exhortations to "do better" or "win whatever the cost."  Rather, Mandela showed that he carried a common burden with Pienaar and that as President he held himself to the same high expectations, and would make the same effort, that he was placing on the Springboks.  Mandela stated clearly and directly that as President he too needed to exceed his own expectations in order to help South Africa fully realize its potential.  He shared his personal burden with Pienaar of having to not only unite a long-fractured nation but also lead it to the potential he saw in it.  In doing so, he also confided in Pienaar that there were days where he felt his efforts had not been enough and that even the President needed inspiration to do better.  As part of realizing the full potential of his nation and his people he believed in the need to leverage every possible avenue to achieve true unification.  In this case, he looked to inspire national unity by converting a reviled symbol of apartheid - the Springboks - to a shared symbol of unity.  In not so many words, he tasked Pienaar to lead his team to victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup to be held on South African soil.  This after years of banishment from international competition and objective assessments that did not see the team advancing past the quarterfinals.

The fact that South Africa did not devolve into bitter civil war - and that the Springboks did in fact win the 1995 Rugby World Cup against all odds - is a clear testament to Mandela's unique leadership style.  Unlike what we might expect in the type of circumstances he faced, he was no grand orator in the tradition of Churchill.  He was authoritarian only when necessary, preferring to influence and build consensus wherever possible.  Fundamentally, he presents to me as an extraordinarily thoughtful, far-sighted and quiet leader.  He set grand goals that continued to guide his actions despite short-term setbacks.  He was prepared to make significant personal sacrifices - of his time, of his salary, and in wearing the hated colors of the Springboks to promote national reconciliation.  He was prepared to share his doubts and vulnerabilities with his followers.  In this regard, he was able to demonstrate his true understanding of the challenges that everyone faced in building a better future.  However, rather than use this as a reason to hold back from the challenge, he used it to build common bond with this followers.  His hope was that by common and extraordinary effort that he and his people could believe more of themselves and exceed their expectations.

The book and movie, as a testament to Mandela and his ability to help others exceed their own expectations, inspired me to reconsider my own leadership and the leadership of those I coach.  If a political prisoner of 27 years can overcome decades, nay hundreds of years, of racial divide and can inspire a nation to rise beyond its differences through his leadership and personal sacrifice then what can I - what should I - strive to achieve in my personal leadership endeavors??

What can you do to exceed your expectations?  What will you do to exceed your expectations?
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Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.