Good Grounds For Dogma

"When you inspire people, they will do the impossible" he said with a sparkle in his eyes. The group shivered in excitement and smiled at each other at what I thought was yet another hollow statement.

I followed one of our Company Executives last month to deliver an energising speech to one of our North Africa organisations. When leading such developing organisations (as was the case) Westerners become modern colonists, bearers of the ultimate truths of Corporate Wisdom. And the local crowds (until they mature an independent view of the goods and bads of our Corporate world) love that. Westernisation after all is not without a wish from the local group to move towards a more Western-like system and culture.

What leadership qualities bring the most energy and drive from people at those early stages of Westernisation? I will submit it is not the challenging, profound and involving leadership that works, but one fuelled by a large amount of beliefs and Corporate Dogma.

There is a relation between the cultural (read Corporate culture) levelling of leader vs. team and the amount of Corporate Dogma required for successful leadership (as shown in the chart below). When leading from a cultural highground, the group will have a greater need for unchallenged truths. At equal cultural grounds the group will disengage if preached with dogmatic statements.

At the early stages of my career, I still remember the big American boss that visited our country office one summer morning. This was the mid 90s and the office was all fired up in excitement, books had been dusted, tables clean, suits and ties carefully chosen. He stood much taller than anyone in the office and had a relaxed style unlike any I had seen before. He spoke about leadership and success with grand words and a powerful voice to an audience paralised in delight. I remember sitting at the back of the room with the rest of the junior team, no paper or pen at hand, listening in awe, hungry for this man's words as if they would contain the ultimate insights of the Corporate America we all aspired to become part of.