Last week I visited Africa…Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa in six days. I suppose it’s why my last post was Pay Attention…and Travel. And why I’m exhausted. I was visiting people to line up projects for the Wharton Global Consulting Practicum part of my life.
It is an exercise in changing my normal consulting style significantly to accommodate the local cultures…and carefully paying attention. Each country has it’s own way of operating. Actually, each country has numerous ways of operating depending of the ethnic background of whomever you’re talking to, where they sit in the government, corporate, or academic power structure, and how educated they are. Sounds a lot like what you have to think about to be effective in the rest of world.
I had the good fortune to meet with people ranging from the CEO of the Namibian Stock Exchange and the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade of Botswana to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana. In between I talked to the average person on the street as well as some in desperate conditions.
But as much as I mentioned above how it sounds like what you need to do to be effective in the rest of the world, I noticed a different energy and way of talking about the world…and Africa. It was amazingly tiring to pay attention to all the differences while looking for the similarities and hoping that I was focusing on the important.
It caused me to realize why so many executives are oblivious and just bull their forward irrespective of the reactions of those they run over…it’s hard work to manage yourself. Of course, picking up the pieces from those you run over in your obliviousness is hard work too…but often someone else has to do it.
I’m pleased to report that I returned with a commitment for a project and several nice opportunities that need a bit of further development. I also returned with some new insights on how travel really does expand your perspective, improve your strategic thinking and flexibility, and test your assumptions.
And if you don’t get the opportunity to travel around the world as a way to build your leadership ability, act as if, wherever you do go. Act as if you’ve never been there. Really pay attention as if you’ve never seen the people or the place before. Take a wide view, a big perspective to catch it all and then focus on what you’re really seeing and hearing. Focus on what’s important. You’ll be surprised with you discover…and be a better leader for it.
Windhoek, Namibia