Leadership and Spirituality

Oturuponkeeke
Ohanrin keekee
Let's give hunger to hunger 
Let's give suffering to suffering 
Let's give up our grudge so we can become the leader of the house...
- Holy Odu OturuponOwonrin

Two people cannot drive a car at once. And while most mature adults intellectually understand the need for leadership, not everyone is ready to allow another person to lead. Vanity and self-centeredness are habits that prevent most people from being able to recognize the limitations of their ideas. Stated differently, just because you have an idea does not mean you have a plan. And just because you have a plan does not mean you have enough experience or resources to carry it out. 

Here is the struggle, people who lack experience also lack the values that result from direct experience. If you have never built a house, run a business or managed a team, you will not fully value the expertise of somebody who has... until you reach the end of your rope. When the house crumbles, the business fails or the team degenerates into mutiny, then you have all the proof you need that you were not prepared for the task at hand. 

This is why the Yoruba say, when the child acts like a child, the adult must act like an adult. In other words, it is the responsibility of the more experienced person to anticipate the habits of those who are less mature, less experienced and less prepared. Leadership is not just telling people what to do and even less telling them how to do it. Instead, superior leadership is characterized by your ability to communicate your vision in ways that others can see themselves in it. Likewise, it is facilitated by your ability to create strategies, methodologies and processes that support your vision and reward participants for carrying it out effectively. 

The 2nd annual Orisa Lifestyle Retreat will bring together leaders of every level of development and experience to share best practices for transcending differences and building success in our homes, shrines and communities. Register today and save $100. When 3 people register together, the 4th attends for free. Find out more at www.OrisaLifestyle.com/retreat

Obafemi Origunwa, MA | www.OrisaLifestyle.com

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