Leading with Courage and Integrity Answering the Integrity Call Whole-heartedly

By Dzikamai Bere

?Address to the 2024 School of Integrity on 11 October 2024 at Mandel Training Centre, Harare. Hosted by Transparency International Zimbabwe

Introduction

At ZimRights we have four values. These are:

·????? Community

·????? Activism

·????? Integrity

·????? Excellence

When I was asked to speak to you, these values quickly came into my mind. Integrity stands out and yet they are all connected. Every time I am asked to speak, I first ask myself, who am I on this matter? And why am I qualified to transmit this message? It is an opportunity for introspection and the key question being: do I live the message that I wish to share? Do I live the values that I wish to propagate?

I believe I try, to the best of my ability. Otherwise, I would not be here. So, I reflect on my own response to the integrity call, the obstacles I faced and the lessons I learnt. In this reflection, I share with you five things that I have learnt in my life that I believe can help you in answering this call.

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A world desperate for you

Our world is desperate. It is desperate for you. It is desperate for young man and young women who will stand for what is right, especially in difficult times.

Mahatma Ghandhi said, “There is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed.”

Pope Benedict XVI said, “There is a poverty at the root of every serious human problem and that poverty is lack of love.”

Every year, our country loses over USD2.5 billion to corruption. That is a significant chunk of our national budget.

We live in a continent that is the richest in the world, and yet it has the largest part of its population living in poverty and violence.

That, my friends, is a poverty of love. We have leaders who have no compassion for the people they lead.

We are, as a continent, desperate for leaders of integrity, who serve with love and care and compassion.

I encourage you to answer that call. I know it will not be easy. And so, I share with you five things to accompany you on this journey to leading with integrity.

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1.??????? Be the one to take action.

It is action, not position that defines leaders of integrity. There is too much silence in our world. Leaders don’t just talk about change. They drive it. These are the words of Jamie Kern Lima. “Actions build confidence, confidence builds momentum.” And John C Maxwell says, “Momentum is a leaders best friend.”

But here is the trick.? The world fools us that only giant steps matter. In the fable Makinga, Chi chiazzo teaches us, ‘We shall be giants in our small steps.’ And Robin Sharma confirms this, “Small daily seemingly insignificant improvements, when done consistently over time, lead to stunning results.”

Take the action today towards leading differently, with integrity.

2.??????? Embrace courageous leadership.

Being an integrity champion means stepping into a leadership role. But there are leaders all over the place. What type of a leader must you be to lead the next integrity revolution?

Be a courageous leader. Courageous leadership is not a buzz phrase. It has clear characteristics which I will give you in a moment. But before I do that, let me tell you this. The work that needs to be done requires you to stand up differently, knowing that you will be persecuted every day, but you have to do this.

We are grateful to Brene Brown for unpacking for us what courageous leadership is in her book, ‘Dare to Lead: Brave work, tough conversations, whole hearts.’

She calls this ‘Daring leadership’. There are four skills you need to master for daring leadership. These are: rumbling with vulnerability, living into your values, braving trust and learning to rise. Learn these four and you are on your way to lead with integrity.

Brene says, “Daring leaders who live into their values are never silent about hard things.”

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3.??????? Be authentic

You message is as good as your life. I am inspired by the story of John C Maxwell. In his latest book, ‘High Road Leadership’, Maxwell reflects on his leadership journey and writes,

Some of my closest colleagues say that people often ask them what I'm really like. They want to see behind the curtain, and what they want to know is whether I'm the real deal, whether my internal character matches my reputation. That's a good question for me to ask myself every day. If my reputation exceeds my character, I'm in trouble!

I wrestled with this issue as a young leader. I had the desire to look better than I actually was. For a season, I wore glasses to look more intelligent. I grew a mustache to look more mature. I spoke on subjects others expected me to address, even though I didn't hold strong convictions related to them. As a result, when I communicated, my words did not ring true. That meant I was forfeiting whatever moral authority I had gained at that early stage of my career. I senser that I needed to make a change. At the age of twenty-four, I mad the decision to put my character first and align my actions and word with my beliefs. Alone in my study, I wrote the following words:

"I will only teach what I believe.. This gave me passion.

"I will only teach what I experience." This gave me moral

authority.

"I will only teach what I live." This gave me authenticity.

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4.??????? Build your inner circle deliberately.

The first among our values at ZimRights is ‘Community.’ When I chose civic leadership as my life commitment, I became a very lonely man. The times were tough. I chose a different set of values. In 2019, I was appointed to be the National Director for ZimRights. A lot of folks congratulated me and promised to be there. But when tough times began, I became very lonely. I would not be here to tell this story had it not been for a small group of cadres who shared my values and decided to stand with me. It mattered not what time of the day it was. When I picked up a call, they were there. And for some, before I called, they answered. I will give you their names one day.?

John C. Maxwell calls this the law of the inner circle. In his 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell says, "Who you surround yourself with will influence your thinking, your feelings, and your actions."

5.??????? Believe you are the one.

The bible tells us the story of a beautiful dialogue that is recorded in Matthew 11:3. This is when John had sent his disciples to Jesus to ask a pertinent question. And they asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else.” (New Jerusalem Bible).

At ZimRights Youthzone we have unpacked this important question which emerges from what we call the messianic syndrome. Expecting that someone else holds the key to the solution.

So my charge to you today as the newest integrity champions in our community is this. ‘Believe you are the one!’. Yes. No one is coming. And you, you are the one we have been waiting for. Believe it and live your life knowing that you are the one.? Be the one to lead the charge. Be the one to answer the call to lead with integrity, always remembering that your greatest achievement in this journey are not the external territories you conquer, nor the corporate ladder you climb but your greatest achievement will be the person you become, and the values you represent as a person.

Conclusion

I believe in you. That you are the one we have been waiting for. I believe in your courageous leadership that is being born as we speak. Don’t distort it. Remain authentic because you are actually the real deal. Your inner circle will help you secure the best version of you. I believe you are the one, the one to take action. We are desperate for you, but we celebrate that you are here now. Congratulations.