The project Management Institute (PMI) recently celebrated their 50th anniversary in style at the De Zalze Lodge, with the WTC’s Claudio Chiste invited as guest speaker to present a talk on Warrior Leadership at the PMI’s Western Cape Chapter (other guest speakers included the co-founder of Snapscan and Luno Crypto, Carl van Wyk). The highly regarded PMI, with its head office in the USA, is regarded as the gold standard among project managers, well known for publishing the Project Manager’s Body of Knowledge, which describes the practices that are common to “most project, most of the time”.
The primary objective for project managers is considered to be the ability to a complete a project which complies with the client’s objectives. This is not possible without teamwork. The team need to work according to specific goals, meeting criteria at a specified time. The team assigned to the project may be likened to a tribe; a community of people, which are clearly bounded and stable. The leader of a tribe would need to possess certain qualities to ensure sustained success, a blend of traditional leadership (ensuring survival) and servant leadership (to avoid the temptation of usurpation by their followers), with a focus on engendering a sense of leadership among each member of the tribe by taking ownership of their assigned responsibility, no matter what the level of “importance”. In the ecosystem of a tribe, all tasks could have an impact. Not waking up in time for the hunt could impact could result in the tribe not having a meal on that day… Enter the concept of Warrior Leadership. There is an enormous amount of leadership theory in the public domain, warrior leadership takes a radically fresh look at leadership, looking at it in its “pure” form, cutting to the bone of what it takes to lead and succeed.
Speakers:
Third from left: Carl van Wyk (Co-founder of Snapscan and Luno Crypto)
Fourth from left: Claudio Chiste (with host Melvin Engelbrecht)
Seventh from left: Joubert Tulleken (civil engineer)
Group Photo: Some PMI Members pose with Speakers and Guests
The PMI’s Ayanda More with Claudio
Staring in the Eyes of a Warrior Leader: King Moshoeshoe
The thought of a warrior often evokes images of a man clad only in animal skins, running around with a spear and shield in hand. This however is to be regarded merely as a symbol of the power of human spirit, to overcome obstacles and adversity, with primary reliance upon a strong mind-body connection, not having the comforts and luxuries often associated with the world of convenience we live in today.
Our history abounds with examples of warrior leaders which adapted and overcame, prevailing in the face of adversity. Moshoeshoe, being a fine example of a leader who built a powerful tribe from scratch, displaying well centred warrior leadership. He reportedly took in the destitute and down and outers, on condition they shared his values and recognised him as their paramount chief, building his tribe into what is today the Basotho nation. His nous for strategy ensured that attacks were repelled from mighty foes such as Queen Mmanthatisi of the Tlokwa, Ndebele (formerly part of the powerful Zulu kingdom headed by King Shaka), the Boers and British. Even after the fiercest of battles, he was known to show diplomacy to his foes, winning over hearts and minds.
Based on Jung’s archetypes, it can be said Moshoeshoe displayed centred, well-balanced warrior-leader characteristics
As the cohort of MTR2’s embark on this new phase of their naval careers, entering “middle management” roles, the first step before implementing this leadership model is to know thyself, implementing “personal leadership” within their own lives. Knowing yourself, in terms of what your strengths and limitations are, what stimulates you, what your boundaries are and what drives you ensure that you can live a congruent life, expressed as authentic leadership. Mastery of self (personal leadership) begins before of all else.