Aidaneed Foundation-supporting mobility
September 1, 2020
Highlights: Symposium held on race relations
September 1, 2020

Leaders are lovers

How do you view leadership? Is it about setting the pace, showing good example, motivating others, accomplishing goals, and accurately hitting targets?

What about helping people to become their best selves, discovering hidden talents, or nurturing behaviours and mindsets which facilitate transformation?

The good news is that all of that is born of love—willing the good of the other and acting on it in creative, relevant, and even well-structured ways.

This desire to seek the good of the other reminds us of world-class Italian singer, Andrea Bocelli. His stellar vocal interpretations, empathetic, masterful control of music and lyrics and performances on stages and innovative spaces always have his audiences enraptured with his gift.

A recent first was recording for a film soundtrack, two original songs composed by Italian, Paolo Buonvino, who persisted in engaging Bocelli with his clear, lilting vocal timbre in mind.

Dr Andrea Bocelli—legal luminary, vocal inspiration, accomplished cultural entrepreneur and philanthropist, though blind, sees deeply into the mind and heart of the human person.

In a recent interview with Ascension Press, just before the release last weekend of the new film Fatima (see page 21), Dr Bocelli spoke of peace being often undermined by the “mystery hiding behind conflict and disputes”.

Conflict, he said, is a mystery, “an intellectual error”, an “obstacle which unfortunately people aren’t able to overcome”.

Peace, he said, is a “most simple and immediate thing humans should strive for”.

Here’s Jesus, the Thought Leader, and his three-part escalated conflict resolution guideline.

First, the direct, personal, one-on-one approach which effectively preserves the integrity of both persons. Both, because the ‘wrong-doer’ may decide to act up and ‘make ah scene’, perhaps unaware that he/she may have erred.

If that doesn’t work, bring in a trusted witness or two; different perspectives add value to the assessment and resolution of the problem. A triad with Jesus the Mediator creates a better chance for grounded discussion, leading to improved outcomes where growth often follows.

If issues remain unresolved, then the approach to a conclusion points to inviting the community, group, cluster, parish, work unit, professional board, where there’s agreement on the standards of shared professional or Faith practice.

This is where the maxim of two or three or many more agreeing in prayer and advisement should bring consensus. If not, crapaud smoke somebody pipe!

But then we say that no situation is outside of God’s control. God never is late. The time out brings enlightenment to all parties. Thespian Chadwick Boseman, deceased, believed this.

The challenge in negotiating our current environment—pandemic and  pressurised  workplaces, homes, relationships—is to transform our minds with an orientation to the good of the other.

Like Bocelli’s powerful vocal art performance disposition, there are lessons for invoking love in leadership. His mindful expressions, musical, business, and philanthropic explorations result in joy to hearts and lives where creativity abounds.

As leaders in Trinidad and Tobago or elsewhere, let us be intentionally loving. A local organisational and relationship guru, Adam Montserin, points to being calm in crisis, caring, understanding and honest in our communication with others.

He suggests taking time to assess where you are, planning for resilience and equipping yourselves and enterprise to get stronger.

Be open and flexible, he says, to new and different ways of moving boundaries and optimising people skills for best outcomes.

All of this is willing the good of the other, whilst caring for self. Leaders are Lovers!