You can only grow yourself by helping others grow

The Ubuntu principle has always been close to my heart and was used often by one of the world’s greatest leaders Nelson Mandela. He describes it as a model of leadership and: “… the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world, it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievements of others (Richard Stengel,?Nelson Mandela: Portrait of an Extraordinary Man, p.229 – 231.

Ubuntu refers to the importance of community; “a person is a person through other persons".

As leaders we can only really grow and develop ourselves if we can grow others – our teams, our peers, our networks, our community. When you do well, they do well and vice versa.

The Ubuntu philosophy is the opposite of power, greed, indifference, and ego in business. It supports the values of caring, relationships, collaboration, and connection. It empowers leaders to transform their teams by inspiring meaning, a sense of purpose, and esprit de corps.

Networking groups help leaders feel connected to like-minded people who share similar challenges and environments. It gives us more courage when we know we are all in this together.

They provide rich relationships and a sense of community where you are not judged and you can be yourself. They are also a valuable source of skills, knowledge, and business connections. Networks are structures of support that can help advance our careers and simultaneously offer guidance to achieve organisational and team goals.

If you can grow and support others to be their best selves, you build your best self.

Do you have a network and community of leaders that you engage with to help you grow, and where you support others to grow?

#networking #leadership #trimyoursails #ubuntu #leadershipdevelopmentcoaching