Nigerian Visionaries

Coaching in Nigeria is fascinating! I’ve had a front row seat to some really breathtaking developments!

Consider the huge challenges this country faces - widespread corruption, poverty, AIDS, deforestation, the list goes on. It is the world's 5th largest oil producer, yet sometimes the citizens wait in line for days to buy gas. It is the most populous country in Africa, and I have read that it is often considered the tipping point for the entire continent - that if healthy leadership can develop here, it will take the continent up with it, and sadly the reverse is true as well.

Given this situation, it is stunning to be in the position to meet the very leaders who are in the position to create this change. And it's truly and honor to hear what goes on inside of them, what their passions and fears are - and to see that they are much like mine. The beauty of working with the Integral model is that it allows for the uniqueness of every person to be honored, and at the same time there are some important and useful themes that we are noticing. This information can help us and others doing similar work to more fully understand how to meet people where they are, and to provide the most effective guidance - rather than just assuming we have the answers.

In our intake meetings we have heard each leader describe his or her vision, as well as the challenges they are facing within themselves. They are chiefs, future senators, journalists, NGO directors, and other visionaries. In a culture that is largely at an ethnocentric worldview, many of these individuals are struggling in various ways to assert themselves and their visions into the group. At this worldview, individuals look to the authority of their group for rules that are considered black and white. It is oriented towards the collective, where a successful path is determined by the group's hierarchy. Work is done and decisions made on behalf of the group – which is a very important developmental step from egocentric, wherein things are done only on behalf of oneself.

 

All people and all cultures go through these steps, and as such it is very important that we are able to support this happening in a healthy way here, and not to impose our value systems. For example, rather than trying to get a chief to believe that all people are equal, we can support him in his own desire to see things from other people's perspectives. The gifts of this worldview are very important, such as dedication, loyalty, faith, and surrender to something greater.

 

And at the same time, it poses some interesting opportunities for development for leaders seeking to be at the emerging edge. In a culture so focused on the group, what happens if I have a vision other people don't understand, or don't like? What if I am too educated, too bold, too different from what people are used to? Many participants have shown up for their intake meetings with goals around communication, planning, or confidence. As James digs into what is limiting them from being the way they want to be, many of them are facing a challenge in bringing themselves forward as an individual into the group. This shows up in different ways. Some have expressed a fear of being seen as intimidating or too powerful. Others have explained that if they change too much, others may see them as a threat and try to cut them down. This is very different than in North America, where we usually feel that striving to be a strong individual is the way to go. 

 

What I love about Integral is that we can include all of this, and target each person’s growth. While some participants are working to develop at healthy ethnocentric, others will have programs that will support them in moving towards a more world-centric view. It is very important to both honor and include the gifts of each worldview as someone grows; the loyalty and dedication of ethnocentric doesn’t go away, rather it is included and then transcended into something more encompassing.

 

For example, one participant has invested so much time and energy into her group that she is now realizing she barely knows herself. While she was quick to be hard on herself for this, James pointed out that this isn’t a weak point, it’s an opportunity to take her leadership to a new level by investing in herself. She realized she could remain with her passion, acting on behalf of the impoverished women she serves, while also bringing herself as the visionary.

 

The song we played in the opening presentation has proved very useful for making this point, as the lyrics go from “May I be strong, May I be wise” to “May we be strong, May we all be wise.” In this way, James is illustrating that through strengthening themselves as individuals, they can actually bring this back to their groups; that a stronger ‘I’ contributes to a stronger ‘we.” This song seemed to really touch people, so it’s great to see it woven into the coaching meetings.

 

Now comes the very labor-intensive process of making their coaching programs. I can’t wait to see how they like them!