I admired Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela for their work to heal the anger accumulated by their oppressed people during the apartheid years. The process of 'truth and reconciliation' accompanied by rituals of forgiveness had worked wonders and was taken up again to heal the wounds of the Rwandan genocide.
In recent years, however, I have watched the collapse of South Africa's political, financial and security system. Saddened and disappointed, I concluded that the anger had finally taken over. The next generation didn't hold it in any longer and it came out in the open. So it wasn't transformed, it was contained deep in the gut.
When I spoke to a visiting South African about this, he explained that it's not a question of anger, but of greed. People have seen the former masters take advantage of their situation, and now it's their turn. You have to make the most of it without worrying about anyone else. "Before, they took 30% for themselves and invested 70% for the good of the community. Now they take 99% and invest 1%," he told me.
But what is greed?
Greed refers to excessive greed for acquisition or the insatiable desire to possess more than one needs or deserves, especially in terms of wealth or power. This characteristic can lead to selfish behaviour and a search for personal gratification to the detriment of the well-being of others. It comes from an ancestral mechanism where the accumulation of resources increased the chances of survival and reproduction. Greed can stem from deeper psychological needs such as insecurity, fear of scarcity and low self-esteem. Often, it serves as a coping mechanism to fill a perceived void or gain a sense of control.
The Six Steps of Conscious Leadership can be applied effectively to understand and address greed by guiding leaders through a process of self-awareness, intentional decision-making and transformative action. Here is a practical example of how each step can be used:
PAUSE
A leader takes the time to listen to his subordinates and notices that he is constantly seeking to increase his profits to the detriment of his employees' well-being.
OBSERVE
He realises that this behaviour stems from a deep-seated fear of failure and societal pressure to succeed financially.
DECIDE
The business leader decides to question his habits and beliefs.
SELF COMPASSION
He accepts that these fears are normal but not necessarily beneficial in the medium term. He defines a raison d'être that touches everyone's heart and soul. Aware of the fundamental values that have led to the success of his company and the disrespectful drift of some of them, he redefines the essential and constructive values that everyone should embody in his company.
EMPATHY
He takes the time to meet his colleagues to really listen to them and starts to practise gratitude. Generous and demanding, they invest in staff development and community projects.
DETACHMENT
The CEO sets an example by showing that true success depends on the well-being of all stakeholders. They carry out co-creation projects, trusting employees who share their vision and core values by giving them new decision-making powers and encouraging them, even if the financial results are not ideal at first.
By applying these six steps, leaders can effectively address and transform the tendencies towards greed and avarice, fostering a more conscious, abundant and satisfying approach to leadership.