Author: Dr Jopie de Beer, CEO of JvR Africa Group For many, the title of manager or leader means that you earn a significant salary and have absolute control, while delegating the work to others. But, this is not a sustainable form of leadership, particularly not in the modern workplace. Leaders must be facilitators, people who can empower others, yet manage to maintain focus, discipline and respect. Successful leaders work harder and for longer hours than others in the company. They carry the ultimate responsibility for the success of the business. Real leadership is therefore not about the title, it is an incredibly important position of responsibility. Much of a leader’s responsibility comes down to how employees are managed. This is possibly the most crucial test for the quality of leadership in a company. Leader responsibilities in terms of managing people: 1. Acknowledge the impact your behaviour has on others in the workplace The behaviour of a leader serves as an example to others. If the leader procrastinates, is lazy, abusive, absent, arrogant, or corrupt, it will provide a model of behaviour that others will follow. The best leaders tend to show humility, productivity, fairness, respect and ethical behaviour, and they understand that they need to create a work environment where people can flourish. To be a good leader therefore requires so much more than technical skills. 2. Create an environment of care, fairness and respect Leaders who care about their people and who are as even-handed and fair as is humanly possible, more easily earn the respect of employees. Douglas McGregor’s Theory Y leaders believe that their employees are talented and have much to offer the workplace. These leaders create a much more positive work environment. Such a positive environment has a direct impact on productivity, creativity, and even interpersonal relationships. 3. Create an environment where people can learn This can be formalised learning such as internships, or being sponsored for training courses or qualifications. Valuable learning could however also result from practical and onsite learning, or articles made available on a company intranet, to mention just a few. In many workplaces there are ample opportunities to learn, particularly when employees use some of their own initiative to learn about the job, the company, the industry or projects. Good leaders are often good at storytelling and teaching. They play the role of coach, sometimes connecting their employees with others who can best teach desired skills. 4. Create an environment where people can innovate Innovation does not only refer to technological or disruptive innovation. Smaller innovations can also have immense value to the organisation. By creating an environment where employees can suggest changes and innovations to existing ways of doing work, can be of immense value. For employees to do so, they must feel confident that they will be “heard”. Their ideas need not always be accepted, but it at least needs to be acknowledged, respected, and considered. You know you’re doing a good job as leader when your employees feel safe enough to share new, untested ideas, even if there might be a risk of failure or rejection. 5. Create an environment of integrity and trust Trust cannot be demanded - it must be earned! Trust takes a long time to be established and it can be broken in a single irresponsible, angry or impulsive moment. Leaders cannot be successful if employees do not trust him/her. It takes consistent trustworthy decisions and actions from a leader to be trusted by employees. For people to trust the leader he/she must be honest, “keep their promises” and “do the right thing”. Once the leader is branded as unreliable, it becomes nearly impossible for a leader to earn trust from employees again. 6. Create an environment where consequences and discipline can be accepted The workplace is not always a positive and happy environment. Contracts may be lost; the economy may make doing business very difficult; or there may be corruption or sabotage. It is the responsibility of the leader to implement corrective actions when something in the business goes wrong.. Good leaders are able to fairly deal with consequences, hold others accountable, and through it all remain positive about the future. A leader is the person that must keep “everything together” whether it is the people, the product, the client needs, the need for governance, and of course the finances. The character of the leader and the quality of the decision he/she makes, creates the atmosphere within which people work. Leaders therefore have complex responsibilities, and how they conduct themselves has a big influence on the nature of the workplace. It is a big job! Are you still sure that you want that promotion? ENDS ABOUT JvR Africa Group: JvR Africa Group of companies consists of JvR Psychometrics, JvR Consulting Psychologists, JvR Academy, and JvR Safety. With its head office situated in Johannesburg, the group conducts business nationally and across Sub-Saharan Africa. They work with test developers, consultants and academic institutions all over the world, and support a range of development opportunities and host events around.
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Many employees dream of being promoted to the corner office and being a key part of the organisation’s success. In fact, few will decline an opportunity to journey there. Seasoned leaders can however attest to the reality that managing people is often the hardest part of their role and that there seems to be an abundance of examples of new leaders who are unable to reach the goals they set for themselves and their teams.
More than a third of SA citizens are millennials. Add to this the perspectives from a recent study about millennials in South Africa: almost 50% of the participants indicated that mentoring others is the most attractive aspect of leadership, and nearly 60% seek traditional management-track corporate careers (Universum South Africa). This means that young people are taking up leadership positions at an accelerated rate. However, as a Harvard Business Review article points out, between 20% and 40% of new leaders fail in their new roles. Dr Renate Scherrer, Managing Director of JvR Consulting, says the two main reasons for failure on the individual leader’s side is the lack of certain requisite skills and the presence of certain “undesirable” characteristics. “However, one will not only look to the individual for reasons, since a leader never fails in isolation. One also needs to consider the contribution the organisation made and the support it offered or did not offer.” Matching company requirements and individual aspirations It seems like organisations are often very good at appointing exactly the type of leaders they vow to avoid, those individuals who end up being the company’s Achilles heel. Future-fit organisations are also less hierarchical and offer fewer traditional career paths where the assumed way to self-actualisation and growth is to climb the corporate ladder. It is therefore becoming even more critical to appoint the right people into leadership. In order to do this, organisations need to map the basic requirements of the organisation. They need to be clear about the core components of their people strategy, what skills are needed to meet the organisational objectives, and align people decisions to this. Further to this, organisations have to measure current and future talent against these criteria and drill deeper than surface characteristics such as charisma, social skill and self-confidence to determine leadership suitability. Lastly, organisations need to then mobilise identified individuals to make strategic career decisions aligned to their own core values and strengths, and in line with the organisational intent. Promote to fail Scherrer says in many instances there is not enough time spent on the preparation phase of the new leader. They are simply put into the role and expected to know what to do. “Companies are not mindful enough to ensure that people, especially given the number of millennials in the workforce, are equipped for the roles they are chosen for.” Many people are still being promoted because they have a specialised skill and can deliver on key requirements. However, being promoted into a leadership position changes the rules of the game, especially with modern day requirements of needing to lead, connect and enable virtual teams to perform under increased pressure and stress. It then becomes the classic reality of “what got you here, will not get you there”, and critically important to also “manage” those undesirable dark side characteristics that may negatively impact leadership effectiveness. These characteristics typically manifest during times of stress and uncertainty. Accelerated and continuous development Once there is an awareness of certain shortcomings, development becomes a key requirement. Struggling and new leaders must be equipped with a personalised development plan – i.e. some people may benefit from coaching or mentoring, others from job rotation or formal coursesClear and structured development plans to which people are held accountable is a key requirement in this process. “Progress against the plan has to be carefully measured. There has to be a baseline and frequent and continuous assessment of progress, as well as brutally honest feedback.” By doing nothing to support new leaders, the company is doing something. It is setting them up for failure. It will cost them dearly. ENDS MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za ABOUT JvR Africa Group: JvR Africa Group of companies consists of JvR Psychometrics, JvR Consulting Psychologists, JvR Academy, and JvR Safety. With its head office is situated in Johannesburg; the group conducts business nationally and across Sub-Saharan Africa. They work with test developers, consultants and academic institutions all over the world and supports a range of development opportunities and hosts events around People Development in Africa, a cause they feel is extremely important to the future of our continent. For more information on JvR Africa Group please visit: Website: https://jvrafricagroup.co.za/ LinkedIn: JvR Africa Group Facebook: The JvR Africa Group - People Development in Africa Twitter: JvR Africa Group YouTube: The JvR Africa Group Authored by: Dr Jopie de Beer, CEO of JvR Africa Group
People are hardwired as both rational and emotional beings. People’s ability to acknowledge their emotions, and work to understand and manage their emotions constructively and appropriately (referred to as emotional intelligence), has much to do with their success in life. This principle applies to both individuals and groups. Emotions are highly contagious and easily affect others. This is particularly true if the emotions are intense and have been experienced over a longer period of time. It could take quite some time before rationality, reason, and “cool heads” return. Research done by Bloomberg in 2017 refers to South Africa as “one of the most miserable countries in the world”. This is owing to high unemployment rates, slow economic growth, high interest rates, poor service delivery, and high consumer prices, amongst other things. The sense of being miserable coincides with a time of political electioneering in the country, which could form part of a “perfect storm”, given how emotionally laden politics is. The emotional messages are intensified by the tone of voice, dress code, non-verbal gestures, innuendo, and language used by political leaders in speeches. Opposition parties are often referred to in derogatory terms and even as the enemy, to elicit emotions of distrust amongst potential voters. By establishing “an enemy”, the leader elicits the powerful emotions of fear, anger, distrust, and paranoia amongst potential voters, and when such emotions are heightened enough, they could override all rationality. This kind of leadership has the potential to lead followers into chaos, as enough fear and anger can motivate people to act emotionally and irrationally. Cambridge Analytica and Bell Pottinger are recent examples where personal and emotionally laden information was used to influence voter behavior. Understanding which personal and emotional “triggers” can push a potential voter to choose one or the other political candidate provides a powerful way to influence the outcome of an election. However, those in political leadership who rely primarily on stirring emotions to provide them with power may be exposed when rationality returns. In contrast, leaders who can provide voters with calmness and reason whilst acknowledging emotions, which is much more sustainable in the longer term, have a greater chance of running the country successfully. Emotional intelligence The principles of emotional intelligence require leaders and voters to acknowledge their emotions but allow for rationality at the same time. This means that they need to recognise their own emotions and the impact that others’ emotions could have on them, while objectively analyzing information and checking the accuracy of the facts. This would allow leaders to consider the impact and consequences of a highly charged political message, and voters to distill the message and react accordingly. However, a leadership approach anchored in rationality, calmness, and hope may not seem as charismatic as an approach based on hate, fear, and anger. In fact, those leaders who rely on the principles of emotional calmness, hope, optimism, trust, and reasonableness may have somewhat of an uphill battle in getting their message heard when competing against leaders using emotions as a tool. The choice Political leaders have a choice as to whether they use the power of emotions constructively or destructively. Voters also have the choice to be emotionally hijacked, or to evaluate the political messages from both an emotional and objective perspective, to determine whether the information they are provided with is accurate and true. Selfish and corrupt leaders drive personal agendas and use their ability to emotionally manipulate to gain and retain power. On the other hand, ethical and emotionally intelligent political leaders understand and manage their own emotions and respect the emotions, feelings, and needs of others. Their empathy can inform how to best seek solutions for complex and difficult problems to ensure the sustainability and survival of their people. In South Africa, the very difficult circumstances of the past in combination with current socio-economic hardships have led to a society where anger, despair, and despondency often flares up. The intensity of these emotions has, in some cases, led to destruction of property and loss of life. The South African society is intensely emotional and will probably remain so at least till after the next (2019) elections. The question is how these emotions will be used by those in positions of leadership to retain emotional political power, to gain and retain voters, and what the consequences of emotion without rationality are for the future and the reputation of the country. To build a South Africa that is not the second most miserable country on earth, we should all expect our leaders to act with integrity and with emotional intelligence. Our success as a country and as a rainbow nation depends on it. END MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za ABOUT JvR Africa Group: JvR Africa Group of companies consists of JvR Psychometrics, JvR Consulting Psychologists, JvR Academy, and JvR Safety. With it’s head office is situated in Johannesburg; the group conducts business nationally and across Sub-Saharan Africa. They work with test developers, consultants and academic institutions all over the world and supports a range of development opportunities and hosts events around People Development in Africa, a cause they feel is extremely important to the future of our continent. For more information on JvR Africa Group please visit: Website: https://jvrafricagroup.co.za/ LinkedIn: JvR Africa Group Facebook: The JvR Africa Group - People Development in Africa Twitter: JvR Africa Group YouTube: The JvR Africa Grou The recent behaviour of leaders in the private and public sectors greatly harmed the already unsteady foundation of trust that South African citizens have in those who claim to have their best interests at heart. Suddenly it is not only government that can be blamed for the state of affairs.
In fact, several corporate entities have also gained first-hand experience of the devastating impact of what Warren Buffet positioned as: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.". South Africans feel betrayed, deceived and manipulated like never before by those walking in front. When one analyses this more closely, it is clear that some of these leaders displayed narcissistic characteristics by being self-promoting, having a sense of entitlement and not owning up to and taking responsibility for their role in authorising poor or unethical decisions. The Tarzan leaders Renate Scherrer‚ MD of JvR Consulting Psychologists, says many narcissists are charming and seem visionary, but they also have a false sense of importance and are self-serving and entitled. It does not take long before the trust people have in a leader, who is overly preoccupied with him- or herself and their own interests, disappears. “They never own up to mistakes, never apologise, are quick to blame others and to praise themselves. In fact, such a person does not shy away from taking the credit even though it is not due.” When things are running smoothly their language is lavishly sprinkled with “Me” and “I”, but when problems arise the conversation becomes a finger-pointing exercise of “You” and “Them”. This Tarzan-like behaviour (declaring himself the king of the jungle) is however often a mask or persona to compensate for a deep sense of insecurity. The Humble leaders Scherrer says mature leaders have a large dose of humility. They do not put themselves above what needs to be done. President Cyril Ramaphosa eloquently demonstrated some of this when he referred to the words of the Hugh Masekela song, Thuma Mina (Send Me). “A humble leader takes responsibility for his actions, admits when he has made a mistake, and does not only focus on his own interests,” says Scherrer. In fact, a humble leader looks to himself first when trying to understand when things go wrong, but reflects on the actions of others when credit is due. Humble leaders do not abuse authority and are willing to serve others first. Their language has phrases such as “We” and “Us” and they insist on honest and direct conversations with clear commitments to a shared vision. Former president Nelson Mandela remains an impeccable example of a humble leader. He is quoted as saying that “there is nothing to popularize a person. Only humility, which is the ability to remain in the background and to put others in the front light”. The Complex leaders South Africa requires “complex” leaders who are Competent; innOvative; Mature; emPathetic; ethicaL; connEcted and fleXible. True complex leaders have an acute awareness of their limitations and do not try to disguise it for the benefit of the audience. They realise that ignoring their own weaknesses will lead to inevitable failure. In the VUCA-world we live in, the complex leader will ensure organisations and state entities answer volatility with vision; uncertainty with understanding; complexity with clarity; and ambiguity with agility. Getting it right According to Scherrer it is difficult to rebuild trust in an organisation or state entity if the leader displays narcissistic tendencies. Trust is based on integrity and strengthened when leaders admit and take ownership of mistakes, something narcissists do not even contemplate doing. Therefore, it is necessary to get it right from the start. “When appointing people, make sure the charisma is not narcissism in disguise. It is essential to implement a scientific selection process and validate references,” says Scherrer. Listen for clues in the examples used in interviews, and to what extent organisational achievements and success are attributed to the self. She adds that when people are promoted from within the ranks it is critical to continuously evaluate performance in an objective manner and not fall into the trap of ignoring the “red flags” that are inevitably already visible, even if perhaps well managed. Having more power will expose true character, so if someone is already entitled, self-centred and arrogant when they are supposed to follow, don’t be fooled to think it will become less when they lead. ENDS MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za ABOUT JvR Africa Group: JvR Africa Group of companies consists of JvR Psychometrics, JvR Consulting Psychologists, JvR Academy, and JvR Safety. With it’s head office is situated in Johannesburg; the group conducts business nationally and across Sub-Saharan Africa. They work with test developers, consultants and academic institutions all over the world and supports a range of development opportunities and hosts events around People Development in Africa, a cause they feel is extremely important to the future of our continent. For more information on JvR Africa Group please visit: Website: https://jvrafricagroup.co.za/ LinkedIn: JvR Africa Group Facebook: The JvR Africa Group - People Development in Africa Twitter: JvR Africa Group YouTube: The JvR Africa Group Author: Dr Renate Scherrer‚ MD of JvR Consulting Psychologists There is consensus that ‘a day in the life of’ tomorrow’s leaders will be significantly different from today. The broad future trends such as globalisation, virtualisation, digitisation and automation of organisations are literally transforming the nature of jobs. At the same time a progressively diverse workforce is also adding challenges, as well as benefits, to the leadership task of effectively integrating and spearheading teams that are multi-generational, increasingly educated up to tertiary level, and likely working off-site. Out with the old The impact of these future requirements will be acutely experienced at the individual and organisational levels. Organisations will have to rethink, redesign and reposition anything from organisational structure, to work processes, to talent strategies. Traditional selection or succession processes will no longer be effective when only yielding a list of potential candidates to be placed into specific well-defined roles. Future leaders will have to tick a few essential boxes that will enable a good measure of success across a variety of roles in the ever-changing and shifting organisational landscape. This is where the complex leader steps up to the challenge of being adaptable and resilient, ready to face the challenges ahead and doing so whilst empowering their people and doing the right thing. Complex leadership can be unpacked as being COMPETENT, INNOVATIVE; MATURE; EMPATHETIC; ETHICAL; CONNECTED and FLEXIBLE. The complex leader will have to help organisations answer volatility with vision; uncertainty with understanding; complexity with clarity; and ambiguity with agility (VUCA). How to find and cultivate complex leaders Proper selection and development is paramount. However, more than ever before, these procedures need to be holistic and technologically enabled, as well as informed by science and predictive analytics to assist in making effective real-time decisions with a future-focused perspective. The good news is that there are numerous excellent and scientifically sound psychometric assessments available, as well as a growing body of knowledge on transformed leader development strategies that will cater to the requirements of discerning future leaders. Organisations will benefit from implementing an end-to-end process that includes the following core and recurring steps:
What should aspiring leaders do? The demand for leadership development is no longer a ‘nice to have’. In the next decade, aspiring millennials will increasingly take on the daunting task of becoming inspiring leaders. With more than a third of South Africa’s citizens being millennials, the upcoming leadership generation will need to cope with the complexity of leading boldly into the future without the benefit of years of experience and exposure in preparation. They will need to have or grow ‘bigger’ hearts and minds on the go as part of a lifelong learning experience. They will have to future-proof themselves through being open to continuous learning, to question and explore, to experience and innovate. True complex leaders are by no means perfect and without fault. Somewhat like the centuries-old Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with powdered gold lacquer – Kintsugi – complex leaders embrace their fault lines and continuously work at repairing it. Because the leader’s unique history and flaws are not hidden and disguised, followers are also authorised to find new meaning in who they truly are and, in the process, become more resilient. John Maxwell said: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Against the future backdrop it seems that the successful leader of tomorrow will be the one who, even though they do not know the way, are willing to make the way and guide others to find and achieve their purpose, embrace their vulnerabilities and celebrate who they truly are. ENDS MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za ABOUT JvR Africa Group: JvR Africa Group of companies consists of JvR Psychometrics, JvR Consulting Psychologists, JvR Academy, and JvR Safety. With it’s head office is situated in Johannesburg; the group conducts business nationally and across Sub-Saharan Africa. They work with test developers, consultants and academic institutions all over the world and supports a range of development opportunities and hosts events around People Development in Africa, a cause they feel is extremely important to the future of our continent. For more information on JvR Africa Group please visit: Website: https://jvrafricagroup.co.za/ LinkedIn: JvR Africa Group Facebook: The JvR Africa Group - People Development in Africa Twitter: JvR Africa Group YouTube: The JvR Africa Group Author: Jopie de Beer, CEO of JvR Africa Group Why do people with apparent leadership capabilities sometimes fail to “make the grade”? Some of the reasons for the leadership failure may lie in the personal “hardwiring” of the leaders, as human nature is far more complex than what is visible on the surface. Most people learn about leadership by following and observing other leaders. If they are also competent, loyal, and hard-working, they may grow into leadership positions of their own. Yet, everyday, new studies are published on how disillusioned people are with their leaders. These studies highlight perceptions of leaders having low or no integrity, self-serving attitudes and poor listening skills, being resistant to feedback, and abusing power. Power reveals It is generally accepted that power does not only corrupt, but that it actually exposes. A position of power can serve as an excellent platform for those leaders who wish to do well and make a constructive difference to their business and society. However, a position of power can also allow negative characteristics such as a need for absolute control, personal image, greed, selfishness, laziness, manipulation, and jealousy to flourish uninhibited. The irony is that a person in a position of power, if not checked by strict governance, consequences, and hopefully a good amount of personal insight and moral values, may allow their natural leadership characteristics (such as confidence, ambition, analytical thinking, strategic orientation and taking initiative) to “morph” into unacceptable versions of these characteristics. In this regard, confidence could become arrogance, and analytical reasoning could change to being hyper critical of others, both which can lead to becoming abusive and dismissive of people. Absolute power, when there are not enough checks and balances, corrupts absolutely. Leaders in such powerful positions believe that they are untouchable and can get away with anything. They can become addicted to the freedom, excitement, and money such power provides. Being able to gamble with resources, taking chances, playing “hide and seek” with information and unduly influencing colleagues can blur all the boundaries of what is generally regarded as “right or wrong”. Like most addictions, it requires a conscious effort to manage the use of power, if not by the individual in power, then by those around them. What do do? John C. Maxwell has said that a leader who thinks he/she leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk. Powerful positions can tempt one with the illusion that people do not matter. Nothing could be further from the truth, as poor relationships will boomerang and become the essence of the leader’s failure. The way you work with people, listen to their feedback, respect their opinions, negotiate solutions, and illustrate emotional control are some of the key characteristics associated with successful leadership. These so-called “soft skills” are actually “core skills”. When asking a group of executives to list the characteristics of a good leader, these are the characteristics they most often pick first. These core skills can also play an important part in mitigating the temptations of power. This is particularly true if they are based on a very strong set of values that the leader lives by. Those who are elected to powerful positions have generally earned the opportunity, given their skills, experience, and leadership capabilities. Powerful positions, however, provide fertile ground for a leader to show characteristics that may not have been visible before. Organisations do well when they not only screen their leadership candidates for their qualifications, experience, and leadership traits, but specifically give attention to the risks associated with placing the person in a position of power and design ways to keep them accountable for their actions. ENDS MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za ABOUT JvR Africa Group: JvR Africa Group of companies consists of JvR Psychometrics, JvR Consulting Psychologists, JvR Academy, and JvR Safety. With its head office is situated in Johannesburg; the group conducts business nationally and across Sub-Saharan Africa. They work with test developers, consultants and academic institutions all over the world and supports a range of development opportunities and hosts events around People Development in Africa, a cause they feel is extremely important to the future of our continent. For more information on JvR Africa Group please visit: Website: https://jvrafricagroup.co.za/ LinkedIn: JvR Africa Group Facebook: The JvR Africa Group - People Development in Africa Twitter: JvR Africa Group YouTube: The JvR Africa Group Author: Dr Jopie de Beer, CEO of JvR Africa Group In South Africa, we have been forced to “adapt or die”, either you become used to the breaking news of corruption, crime, lies and deceit, or you will crumble and collapse under the continuous onslaught of bad news, human fallibility, doubtful integrity and evil intent. Perceptions that the fabric of society is collapsing are rife, while values and integrity do not seem to exist anymore. It is incomprehensible that human beings can regress to such an extent that to lie, steal, murder and manipulate others become the new normal. This has resulted in many seeking to blame a “third force” - whoever and whatever that may be. However, much of this can be taken back to bad leadership. The dark triad An interesting phenomenon in leadership and politics originates from a book by Niccolo Machiavelli that was published in 1532 titled “The Prince”. Today his name is used to describe one of three distinct types of personalities that are jointly referred to as the “dark triad”. In this triad are included Machiavellian-, Psychopathic- and Narcissistic personality traits. Although much more complex, those with Psychopathic tendencies tend to have no conscience as to the impact of their actions. Narcissists are driven by the need to be centre stage and admired/revered by everybody. Those with Machiavellian tendencies are characterised by scheming and manipulating others to ensure position and power. Machiavelli described the kind of person he found in politics all those decades ago as someone who would stop at nothing to ensure their own power. Believing that “all is fair in love and war” they would strategically work to establish their control over everything and everybody. They regard it as just “part of the job” to eliminate rivals, lie, plant false information, create innuendo and manipulate them whilst building their own coalitions of like-minded people. They see no reason to feel guilty as this is what they regard leadership to be. Those who show Machiavellian traits can also be seen as charming, persuasive and even empathetic. Their ability to “read” others is at the core of their ability to manipulate. They use the needs or weaknesses of others to their advantage, and if they can get to the “soft underbelly” of friends, colleagues or competitors, it provides them with the kind of power they enjoy. Acting with seeming morality is only important if it serves the ultimate purpose of impressing or manipulating others. Choose well The damage created by a Machiavellian leader is significant- particularly if the behaviour is allowed to play out without challenge or consequence. Using a combination of some truth, half-truths, false information and manipulation, they can create such doubt and suspicion that their opposition may pitch against each other rather than confront the leader. Those who have the courage to go against them will know how frightening it is. It is important to recognise that no amount of power, money, property, position or admiration is ever enough for these individuals. Note also that their own conscience will not curb their behaviour because they feel very little- or nothing, for others. All of the above is in stark contrast with what research and literature describe as required from 21st century leadership where democracy, integrity, honesty, humility and respect align closely with adherence to laws and good governance. We must make sure to choose our leaders very well. Be careful of charisma and appearance, rather look below the surface and listen carefully to the feedback from those few brave individuals who see dark behaviour for what it is. Give particular attention to their past behaviour in as much as it predicts future actions. Dark leaders can destroy what may have been built up over many years. ENDS MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za ABOUT JvR Africa Group: JvR Africa Group of companies consists of JvR Psychometrics, JvR Consulting Psychologists, JvR Academy, and JvR Safety. With its head office situated in Johannesburg, the group conducts business nationally and across Sub-Saharan Africa. The group works with test developers, consultants and academic institutions all over the world, supports a range of development opportunities, and hosts events around People Development in Africa - a cause they feel is extremely important to the future of our continent. For more information on JvR Africa Group please visit: Website: https://jvrafricagroup.co.za/ LinkedIn: JvR Africa Group Facebook: The JvR Africa Group - People Development in Africa Twitter: JvR Africa Group YouTube: The JvR Africa Group Author: Dr Jopie de Beer, CEO of JvR Africa Group People in leadership positions often behave badly, which may be the reason why up to 75% of employees internationally report that their manager/leader is the worst part of their job. In fact, all over the world trust in leadership is also reported as being at an all-time low. Bad leaders often create circumstances where everyone around them "drink from the poison cup" to experience turmoil, risk, fragmentation and despair. In circumstances like these it becomes exceptionally important to use ways of strengthening our own- and other's resilience and to jealously guard our personal experience of wellbeing or happiness. This is why it is important to put forward that leadership is much more than "being in charge", those occupying such positions have the responsibility to create an environment where people want to live, work and play, where they feel that they contribute and where they are treated with respect. In addition, it is crucial that relationships in the workplace be managed in such a way that the necessary discipline including trust, respect, loyalty and hope co- exists. From within Each person’s experience of wellbeing (happiness) is impacted on by our hard wiring and mental habits. Happiness or the lack there-of comes from within ourselves and the way we think can drive us to despair and helplessness or to positive problem solving. With regard to our resilience our personal thinking habits may make life intolerable or filled with opportunities. We know those with a lighter mood find interpersonal relationships easier and tend to be generally more resilient. Without underestimating the harsh realities people live in and how it could impact on their sense of wellbeing and happiness. We should all consider using our well-known South African sense of humor as often as possible. Let's laugh at ourselves and those we live with. Such laughter has very valuable physiological and emotional benefit but it also has an invaluable social benefit when we are able to laugh together. The belief of being helpless and/or the victim of circumstances and blaming others have no value in building your resilience or sense of well-being- particularly if used as an excuse for poor behaviour or non-action. By re-framing experiences to highlight opportunities rather than catastrophes will already make life easier for all. Try to see events as a "blip on the graph" that will pass and if a situation is not of your doing stop blaming yourself for it. Celebrate the fact that there are many more good than bad people in our country and how much we enjoy living and shopping together. Don’t just survive, thrive There are, of course, many types of happiness or wellbeing. It is much more complex than it seems. For some, happiness may come from everyday possessions and experiences, but even more sustainable happiness comes from finding satisfaction in what you do every day and making sure that there is meaning and purpose of your life. Well-being /happiness may at first seem to be related to survival but also has much to do with being able to thrive. In a country where the unemployment levels are higher than ever before, where poverty and poor education are regularly reported in the media, where political murders are taking place and crime seems to be out of control, it is not difficult to understand that it affects the mood and resilience of the citizens. Maslow's theory illustrates that it is very difficult for people to have a sense of wellbeing if their basic needs for survival, safety, security and belonging are not met. These are prerequisites for being proud and self-actualised. Although there are circumstance or realities ordinary citizens cannot do much about, we are however empowered to work on our own beliefs and habits in seeking well-being and happiness even in chaotic contexts. Bad leaders have a limited shelf-life and should they do not survive - let’s make sure we do! ENDS MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za ABOUT JvR Africa Group: JvR Africa Group of companies consists of JvR Psychometrics, JvR Consulting Psychologists, JvR Academy, and JvR Safety. With its head office situated in Johannesburg; the group conducts business nationally and across Sub-Saharan Africa. They work with test developers, consultants and research institutions all over the world. They support a range of development opportunities and hosts a biannual conference on People Development in Africa, a cause they feel is extremely important to the future of our continent. For more information on JvR Africa Group please visit: Website: https://jvrafricagroup.co.za/ LinkedIn: JvR Africa Group Facebook: The JvR Africa Group - People Development in Africa Twitter: JvR Africa Group YouTube: The JvR Africa Group |
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