“እርስዎች ውስጥ ዝቅተኛ ነው” (irswochi wüst zqṭeñä new),”humility is in short supply” Amharic
“እርስዎች ውስጥ ዝቅተኛ ነው” (irswochi wüst zqṭeñä new),”humility is in short supply” Amharic
Part 1: What the Cohort is saying.
Part 2: What Edgar and Peter are saying.
Part 3: (epilogue) The power of the Minus 1 & Team leadership Geniuses
Part 1: What the cohort is saying.
Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, And Trust by Edgar and Peter Schein[1], sparked many of the cohort to hearken back to past authors.
DLGP 02 – Jenny Dooley writes, “ Peter Northouse, Annabel Beerel, and Simon Walker introduced us to various leadership styles. Each author came to mind as I read Humble Leadership. I became curious about whether the practice of humility existed in the styles of leadership they discussed in their books.” She goes on to quote and connect each of the authors to Humble leadership. Brilliant…Just Brilliant.
DLGP 02 – Scott Dickie (quoted by Kally Elliot) writes, “While I agree we can develop these skills and that they are very helpful in leadership, I wonder if instead, like Scott Dickie wrote in his blog, “Humility isn’t a skill…it’s a way of being.” A reminder that unlike situational awareness, humility should not be seen as a means to an end.
Part 2. What Edgar and Peter are saying.
The authors write, “Leadership is the Creation and Implementation of Something New and Better.”[2] They go on to say, these descriptions of leadership emphasize traits of leadership, while Humble Leadership emphasizes the practice of how any of these traits can help drive new and better actions (quoting, Ernst, Ferdman, Greenleaf, Heifetz, Kouzes).[3] They do list, servant leadership, adaptive, boundary spanning, learning, inclusive transactional, transformative in their introduction tipping their hats towards the authors that have gone before them.
In chapter 10, they provide some team building exercises that teach: 1) Learning to See Accurately, 2) Learning New Behaviors to Change Relationship Levels, 3) Planning and Implementing Changes in Your Work Relationships, and 4) Humble Leadership in Group Decision Making. [4]
Their last words will haunt me, “There is nothing wrong with embracing and leveraging interdependence in and between groups, particularly wen the quest for independence can lead to isolation. In the end, the odds of superior outcomes are greater in groups that find synergy in open and trusting relationships.”[5]
Part 3: (epilogue) The power of the Minus 1 and Team Leadership Geniuses
Jennifer Vernham wrote, “how can I best equip our team to use their skills, talents and giftings to build new solutions for problems we have never seen before?”
This resonates with me as I am working with young adults who are so distinctly different but have the same goal of ministering to those in Ukraine.
More collaborative leadership!
However.
Level Minus 1: Total impersonal domination and coercion IS STILL WORKING….
China – Xi Jinping
Russia – Vladimir Putin
North Korea – Kim Jong Un
Iran – Ali Hosseini Khamenei
USA – Former President Donald Trump
These Level minus 1 leaders may take us into WWIII, or not, but Level Minus 1 leaders, the autocrats, are a force that we will have to contend with on the global stage.
The global collaborative agency, the United Nations, has become ineffective. Time for a new one?
My point.
In the U.S., the societal shift does warrant a double take at humble team leadership in order to be more effective. Go collaboration!
But it is a first world freedom ONLY.
The coach I am using this semester is all about team leadership and particularly an identification of the “six Geniuses.” https://www.workinggenius.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpsGI-JCiiQMVxTXUAR3AVSqAEAAYASAAEgKt_vD_BwE
ChatGPT summarizes.
The “Six Geniuses” often refer to a framework developed by Geniuses at Work, a concept popularized by the author and speaker, Dr. G. L. L. Silva. This framework identifies six distinct ways of thinking and problem-solving that individuals can embody. Here’s a brief description of each:
- The Genius of Wonder: This genius is characterized by curiosity and the ability to ask insightful questions. People with this genius often explore possibilities and envision what could be, driving innovation and creativity.
- The Genius of Discernment: Individuals embodying this genius possess strong intuition and judgment. They are skilled at analyzing situations, understanding nuances, and making decisions based on deep insights and instinct.
- The Genius of Completion: This genius focuses on execution and the ability to bring projects to fruition. These individuals excel at organizing, managing details, and ensuring that tasks are completed on time and to a high standard.
- The Genius of Galvanization: Those with this genius have a natural ability to inspire and rally others around a cause. They are persuasive communicators and leaders who can mobilize teams and encourage collaboration.
- The Genius of Enablement: This genius is marked by a supportive and nurturing approach. Individuals embodying this genius excel at empowering others, providing encouragement, and fostering an environment where others can thrive.
- The Genius of Activation: This genius is characterized by action-oriented thinking. People with this genius are proactive, always looking to take initiative and implement ideas quickly.
Together, these geniuses represent different strengths and approaches that can enhance teamwork and problem-solving in various contexts. Understanding and leveraging these different genius types can lead to more effective collaboration and innovative outcomes. (I am paying $100.00 an hour, so I thought I would share it).
Too much?
Anyway, it sort of speaks to diving into relationships and understanding the team (their strengths an weaknesses).
Pam Lau spoke about the root word of humble to be found in humus, or dirt.
As a gardener this has special meaning for me since I am constantly evaluating soil and trying to amend them for better plant growth (I need to amend my soul with Humility)….but I digress.
For the non Christian writers of this book, I am seeing them reinforcing polycentric leadership. Perhaps they may see the light of Jesus’ servant leadership as their work continues.
Shalom.
[1] Edgar H. Schein, Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationship, Openness, and Trust (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2018).
[2] Ibid., 15.
[3] Ibid., 15.
[4} Ibid, 152-167.
[5] Ibid., 163.
About the Author
Russell Chun
interlinkt.org is now ready for your Refugee Resettlement needs. 15 tasks, languages ESL plans coming5 responses to ““እርስዎች ውስጥ ዝቅተኛ ነው” (irswochi wüst zqṭeñä new),”humility is in short supply” Amharic”
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Hi Russell,
First, I love that you chose Amharic for your post title! My son-in-law has studied that language for several years as part of his Ph.D. I had never seen it written.
You noted the following quote and several leadership styles such as polycentric, collaborative, and servant leadership, “There is nothing wrong with embracing and leveraging interdependence in and between groups, particularly when the quest for independence can lead to isolation. In the end, the odds of superior outcomes are greater in groups that find synergy in open and trusting relationships.” Simon walker talked about attending the “space between” people. It seems that is what you are doing with your project! How might the skills of humble leadership help you develop or envision more open and trusting relationships among refugees and those who support them?
How interesting that you would direct me back to my NPO (you are too clever).
Humble leadership is needed to be employed by those wishing to help refugees. My philosophy…
1) Learn about them: Cross cultural relationship building improves when we know more about the countries and the conflicts that caused international displacement.
2) Learn from them: While International newcomers also have much to learn about their new homeland, they also have much to teach us: a) language, b) an international perspective, and c) native customs and traditions.
3) Learn with them: The resettlement process is filled with complex resettlement tasks that require a joint effort between the newcomer, volunteer, and resettlement caseworker. There is much to accomplish with the 1st 30, 60 and 90 days. Interlinkt.org is designed to help the newcomer AND the volunteer learn the refugee resettlement tasks together. It can serve as a communication framework.
Thanks for asking the question.
Shalom.
I love that approach, Russell. Learn about them, learn from them, and learn with them. I will remember that! I really need to get you connected to my dear friend in here in Malaysia. Just last week he sent a 16-year-old Burmese refugee to the US for further studies.
Russell~
You ended your post (which you are doing a great job of working out your thoughts) with this:
“For the non Christian writers of this book, I am seeing them reinforcing polycentric leadership. Perhaps they may see the light of Jesus’ servant leadership as their work continues.”
I am curious how you would differentiate between the authors’ view of humble leadership with Christian humility in leadership?
HI Pam,
I have to flashback to Scott and Kally, “While I agree we can develop these skills and that they are very helpful in leadership, I wonder if instead, like Scott Dickie wrote in his blog, “Humility isn’t a skill…it’s a way of being.” A reminder that unlike situational awareness, humility should not be seen as a means to an end.
I think Scott had a problem with situational humility (sort of like situational awareness…but not). In short, humility to make the situation work versus the be humble in all situations.
I leap to the thought. A full time servant leader versus one who is a servant when it suits the situation.
I am still wrestling with this. Will go have to go back to dig deeper on Shein (s) perspective.
Shalom, Shalom