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Growing With People and not Against

posted on Monday, February 01, 2010 04:29 PM

As a former Human Resource Professional, it was really striking how difficult it was to introduce the idea of inclusive leadership into management circles. It was a consideration that was, at best, out in the future some place, but certainly, impossible 'at a time like this'.

The dominant thought, of course, was that competition was the only way to live because scarcity of resources was the way of things and we have to use all our energies to grab and to hold onto those resources.

Definitely the potential within People as resources was an academic concept and the idea of integrating them was high-risk because they couldn't be trusted.

My own experience, of course, has been totally different. Not only has the research backed it, and there is no shortage of literature to support and confirm that inclusive leadership is much more satisfying to the entire body and to all stakeholders, but even practising this 'at a time like this' has been tremendously successful for me.

What the 'we against them' mentality to management and/or leadership does, is to set up situations of conflict and mistrust, even before a difference may arise. This definitely doesn't create a setting where an individual would want to give from a good place, to contribute, to share ideas and consequently, to add value creatively.

For certain, it will not create an environment where the employee will act in the (protective) interest of the organisation either.

In simple terms, trust and loyalty beget trust and loyalty. Distrust begets distrust.

And with Reality now very clear that the resources most important for success and sustainability in any business are not physical but very much intellectual, and even emotional and spiritual, since a passionate love for the job at hand are great value-added components, it is a worthwhile time to consider integration of more (of) people in any development planning.

People have a lot to give and they want to. They want to be seen as someone, worthy of more than their 'ease of use'; to know that their dedication has meaning and is connected to something of value.

By this token, growth and development as we know it, can be transcended by the respectful re-look of 'what people need' and a simple invitation to participate in their (and consequently our) development.

There is nothing like an engaged and enthusiastic worker in any setting, to create and to add value.

But respectful engagement is the minimum requirement.

With sincerity,

Sherrilene M. Collymore
Human Quality Headquarters

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