LEADERSHIP (New Edition)
by Etsko Schuitema
Foreword
Occasionally one comes across an idea or theory that changes one’s heart and mind. With his theory on leadership Etsko Schuitema achieved this with several prominent leaders in the FirstRand Group. Etsko asked a fundamental question that led to a paradigm shift in one of the FirstRand companies. He asked, “Do you use your people to get results, or do you use results and the work environment to enable you to care for and grow your people?” This question made us realise that we could be using our people merely as a means to an end.
This realisation confronts one with one’s own worldview. One’s view of the world determines one’s intent and consequently one’s attention, which manifests itself in all relationships. The scary part is that we are not always aware of our own worldview and how it affects our relationships. With this philosophy, Etsko helped us at FirstRand to understand the difference between being in the world to get, to give in order to get, or to give unconditionally. This new insight into benevolence in social systems and the bottom line of a company had a great impact on our organisation.
The understanding of his views on the legitimacy of power in a relationship is crucial for any leader. I have witnessed the impact on a financial services group, but I can imagine the difference it could make in the sporting arena. Think of a future with coaches embracing this philosophy!
The power of his theory lies in its authenticity. This is not just another guideline or inspirational book – it speaks to the fundamental value system of a leader. I support Volker Hooyberg’s view on one of Etsko’s earlier editions: “The insights that he so ably articulates in this book are fresh, basic and consistently helpful to all those who reflect on what they can do for others”.
— Francois Hugo
— FirstRand
Foreword
When Etsko Schuitema asked me whether I would like to write the foreword for INTENT, I was delighted and honoured, and accepted immediately. Only later did I realise how difficult it was going to be. It is hard to state simply and in few words the effect that the ideas presented in this book have had on me as a person and on the organisation that I work for.
I first met Etsko around 10 years ago when I attended one of his leadership courses. Since then AEL has been heavily involved in implementing all on the ideas presented on that first course. Etsko’s thoughts on leadership have been thoroughly enunciated in his two prior books, Beyond Management, and Leadership. These books set out the material covered in his Leadership course, and introduce us to the concept of leaders being there to give rather than to take. It is by their ability to give – to make the contribution that is required of them – that the strength of a leader is judged. It is a values-based thematic which brings forth the conditions under which people work for the leader becaus they want to, rather than because they have to. Simply put, the role of the leader is to care for his/her subordinates and to grow them in the deeper sense of the word. Care and growth is now an integral part of the fabric of the organisation in AEL.
While we were implementing the Leadership programmes and cascading the ideas from the top of the organisation to the bottom in AEL, we found the need for a Personal Excellence course that would go hand in hand with the leadership thematic and would build the personal characteristics needed for unconditional giving. “How can you lead others, if you have not even attempted any degree of self mastery yourself?” The ‘growth’ in the CARE AND GROWTH model, we discovered, does not only refer to the growth in terms of size of job or level of responsibility, but refers to the inner growth – the maturation process. We needed some input, a process, that would enable us to give people a framework for this inner growth. It seems that we were not alone in this situation, because Etsko had started working on these issues in parallel with our evolution in AEL, and after a number of pilot projects the Personal Excellence course was born. This book is the backbone of the Personal Excellence course and over 80 of our managers have attended this wonderful, intense and incredibly enlightening experience that is usually held in the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa. It has been a life changing experience for many of them, and, critically, years after people have attended the course they still remember the essence of the teaching and have made progress on the personal issues that surfaced for them during the process.
There are many books on personal excellence, just as there are many books on leadership. Many of them cover what to do and how to do it, and are backed up with research that is not always conclusive or easy to follow. Also, the issue of causality is not normally dealt with to any extent. If, for example there is a statistical correlation showing that leaders who communicate well have low absenteeism and better productivity, is it the communication causing the low absenteeism and better productivity? Or are all three of these the result of a fourth factor, that was not measured by the study? After years of working with the concepts in this book, we would argue that the root of all of these is this issue of intent. Intent is very subtle, it is not easily measured statistically, but it is instantly recognised by the people working in the organisation. It drives the behaviour of the individual and results in the same behaviour being interpreted in different ways by subordinates. It is the essence of what personal excellence is about.
This book is not only for leaders, it is for everyone. In a business context it is especially relevant for leaders, but the concepts obviously apply to everyone. It gives us a framework for our growth as human beings throughout our lives. It is refreshing in its logical approach and is applicable in our personal lives and our work lives. I have grown immensely as a result of the material in this book, and still continue to get benefit from the concepts. It has truly been a life changing experience for many of us as we move along the path towards maturity. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a genuine interest in using everyday life experiences to grow in a holistic way as a human being.
— Graham Edwards
— CEO African Explosives Ltd (AEL)
