Tuesday Essay #1 on Alaka‘i: Why Self-Leadership?

And, what are the value-drivers within self-leadership?

Here is an email response I received from a gentleman who had read my Day One Essay on Alaka‘i, within which I’d said, “This month, you will find that my Tuesday Essays will primarily talk about SELF-LEADERSHIP.” Could it be that others are feeling the same way?

“I feel a bit cantankerous Rosa —if everyone leads who follows? I’m a great believer in self caring, self maintenance, self monitoring, self regulation, self satisfaction and a few other self stuffs but I have a problem with the concept of self leadership. I like the old mantra of ‘lead, follow or get out of the way’ as a visualization of how small groups of productive people function together. It may not fit into Kākou but it gets the job done.”

My initial answer may surprise you; I somewhat agree, and I’m not feeling cantankerous about it at all. I see self-leadership as a necessary prerequisite to those “small groups of productive people [who] function together.”

In today’s essay, I’ll take a stab at defining self-leadership from the Alaka‘i viewpoint. But first, I think it will be helpful to consider two value-drivers I think are very closely related to the leadership of Alaka‘i: Kākou and Lōkahi, both of which we have studied here before. [See footnoted links.]

The Kākou Connection

Kākou is the value of togetherness and inclusiveness; it is “the language of we,” and I think that mantra of ‘lead, follow or get out of the way’ does speak to Kākou, if we are to consider that it is a mantra which asks this important and valid question;

“Are you with the rest of us or not?”

In fact, I would argue that the type of following most leaders hope for is very passionate and emotional; it is devout. However it is clear and purposeful too. It is not fractioned, muddled or confused, for that leads to misdirected efforts, or at worse, mutiny (just ask Captain William Bligh).

I do not believe that following is passive; following someone’s lead calls for an intentional decision, and more often than not, a commitment to action. It also calls for specific focus and how-to clarification; what exactly are you following along with? What are you expected to say and do as a good follower? What part do you play in the efforts requested? How would you support a leader, and conversely, how would you detract from their cause?

Those decisions, and that best-possible followership, actually calls for self-determination before any following can happen. Would you say that the decision-making of self-determination and commitment to definitive action are part of self-leadership?

I would.

Leaders may seem to be individual champions, but at some point, they are looking to champion teamwork and entire movements. Yet they fully realize (at least the smart ones do) that they cannot personally manage the masses they are hoping to marshal together and mobilize: They need the self-led believers among the troops. They need those with the personal value-drivers of Alaka‘i, Kākou, and Lōkahi.

The Lōkahi Connection

You will recall Lōkahi to be the value of collaboration, harmony and unity. The pairing of Kākou and Lōkahi are the MWA values of teamwork. They are the value-drivers of the followers that leaders dream of inspiring.

From Managing with Aloha, under a section heading called “the role of the individual” (page 107);

“Most of the Hawaiian values really speak to personal endeavors, and the concept that all starts from within you. We are responsible for our own attitudes, our own choices, our own happiness and our own success. While Lōkahi speaks to the behavior of people within a group, its core assumption is that the group’s effectiveness comes from the choices made by the individuals within it.”

“Lōkahi asks these questions: Are you a bystander or are you truly engaged? Does your reach include the entire team, and are you being cooperative? Do you seek to understand everyone’s opinion while sharing your own? Are you looking for mutually beneficial agreement or are you settling for negotiation or compromise? Do you understand the role of every person, and are you respectful of their participation and involvement? Are you fulfilling your own role and responsibility, so that you make the contribution that is expected of you? Are you supportive and positive?”

In other words, are you a team player, and will you be the best you can be on the team that your leader of choice champions, so that when called upon to do so, you can take your turn leading too?

Let’s define Self-Leadership

Nothing changes until something shifts or moves.

For the most part, I like change because it is vibrant and alive; it defies stagnation. I say ‘for the most part’ because there are times for calm and for stillness, but those are times for reflection which leads to rejuvenation, and for fortifying our energies for the next leaps of movement.

Nothing changes until someone shifts or moves.

That someone is the self-led, the one who chooses self-leadership first, so they need never depend on the leadership of another to free them from any stagnation or inertia; they do so for themselves. That someone is the leader, the one who chooses self-leadership as their first experience, so they can then empathize with the needs of others they will eventually ask to follow them.

Some key words and phrases:

The self-leadership of the value of Alaka‘i is about strong, self-impelling initiative.

It is the ability to self-energize so you always have reserves to call upon when you need them.

It is the ability to self-motivate, for motivation is an inside-job: If we’re completely honest, we will admit that no one can motivate us; we must do so for ourselves.

Self-leadership is a quest for learning more about what is possible. Therefore, there is an impatience and sense of urgency about self-leadership, for those who quest know that something bigger and better exists to be discovered or created.

The self-led have the burning desire to be the one who will do that discovering or creating.

Is that the person you are, or the person you hope to be?

I do believe that at some point in everyone’s life, they can answer, “Yes.”

Alaka‘i may not be the most consistently called-upon value that we choose when it comes to our personal values, but I do believe it may be one that we universally share much more than others. We have it: It’s more a question of when we choose to invoke this value, and about which of our passions, and about whether that passion is one we champion or choose another leader for.

What are your thoughts? What do you believe to be the key words or character traits of self-leadership? I would love to hear from you!

~Rosa

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Photo Credit: Join the QuEuE on Flickr by maldita la hora.

From the MWAC Archives:

• Our Day One Essay this month: Alaka‘i, Chiefs and Indians.
• From October 2007: Kākou. Communicating with the Language of We.
• From September 2007: Lōkahi and Your Greatest Team.

Comments

[Stephanie]

Hi Rosa,

I am constantly having to remind myself that the one-size-fits all approach is an illusion we create to satisfy our quick fix antics. At 5'2" small just isn't quite small enough!

The more I read, the more apparent it becomes that for as long as I can remember, I have been looking for others to provide me with clear answers rather than developing them on my own. In fact, I am truly grateful to the gentleman who inspired your post since I often get stuck thinking about mantra's as law.

So what does this have to do with leadership? For me, the lead or follow mentality seems limiting. Much like in partnerships, where only two people are involved, it's about taking turns. In other words, it's about being a team-player, just like you expressed. The best leaders understand this and know when to stand down.

In an environment where all members are respectful the leader rises to the occasion with ease. Nurturing an environment that enables every member to shine is not always easy, but that is certainly my goal.

Thanks for the thought-provoking post!

-Steph

[Rosa Say]

Thank you for commenting Steph: I always appreciate hearing from you. You choose your words with such care and thoughtful reflection.

I don't think there is anything wrong with looking to others for help with answers; we seldom work alone or in a vacuum, and collaborative and synergistic work is what great teams engage in and thrill to.

And you are spot on about this: "In an environment where all members are respectful the leader rises to the occasion with ease." The goal you have to nurture such an environment is outstanding.