Somaliland tea and the leadership mix. Do some leadership challenges cut across all cultures?
2016-02-04 David Goddard
Are there some common challenges faced by leaders all around the world? Last year we facilitated leadership development programmes in diverse locations in Europe and the Middle East, in the USA and Asia, and finally in East Africa, giving a great platform to ask company leaders about their challenges. And to ask myself, what do they have in common?
I got some answers in Hargeisa, Somaliland. As I sat sipping the sweet, spiced local tea, I asked the CEO of a local company the same questions that I’ve put to company leaders around the world: what is the outcome he is looking for from the leadership development programme he is investing in? What should we concentrate on with the managers from his telecom company we will be working with this week?
His answer was pretty much the same as I’ve had from CEOs in very different parts of the world.
He mentioned three leadership competences: 1) Coaching. Build up the coaching competency in my managers, so they can coach and challenge each other to grow and develop; 2) Self-leadership. Help my managers to develop their ability to manage themselves – their ability to manage their time more efficiently through better planning, decision-making and implementation. 3) Innovation. Help my managers to develop their creativity and innovation competencies – we need new thinking, new services and new products in our rapidly changing business environment.
I was struck by this answer as it is pretty much the same wish list as from any other CEOs I’ve asked around the world. Somaliland tea needs a spice mix of ginger, cardamon, cloves and cinnamon. And Somaliland leaders need a skills mix of coaching, self-leadership and innovation.
It seems companies around the world are looking to their leaders to be innovative, self-managing individuals who are willing and able to coach and develop their colleagues.
Are there some common challenges faced by leaders all around the world? Last year we facilitated leadership development programmes in diverse locations in Europe and the Middle East, in the USA and Asia, and finally in East Africa, giving a great platform to ask company leaders about their challenges. And to ask myself, what do they have in common?
I got some answers in Hargeisa, Somaliland. As I sat sipping the sweet, spiced local tea, I asked the CEO of a local company the same questions that I’ve put to company leaders around the world: what is the outcome he is looking for from the leadership development programme he is investing in? What should we concentrate on with the managers from his telecom company we will be working with this week?
His answer was pretty much the same as I’ve had from CEOs in very different parts of the world.
He mentioned three leadership competences: 1) Coaching. Build up the coaching competency in my managers, so they can coach and challenge each other to grow and develop; 2) Self-leadership. Help my managers to develop their ability to manage themselves – their ability to manage their time more efficiently through better planning, decision-making and implementation. 3) Innovation. Help my managers to develop their creativity and innovation competencies – we need new thinking, new services and new products in our rapidly changing business environment.
I was struck by this answer as it is pretty much the same wish list as from any other CEOs I’ve asked around the world. Somaliland tea needs a spice mix of ginger, cardamon, cloves and cinnamon. And Somaliland leaders need a skills mix of coaching, self-leadership and innovation.
It seems companies around the world are looking to their leaders to be innovative, self-managing individuals who are willing and able to coach and develop their colleagues.