Many of the points that Zimbabwean Patrick Kuwana puts across are from situations he’s already seen. And while both, SA and Zimbabwe are not identical, there are many lessons to be learned. In his latest piece, Kuwana looks at knowledge and how it’s no longer a differentiator, as everyone has access to it. Instead, wisdom is the new competitive advantage and it’s defined as the ability to use one’s knowledge and experience to make good calls, something South African leadership is seriously lacking. Kuwana refers to a proverb – ‘Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.’ And he says South Africa, and the rest of Africa, can ignore this proverb at its own peril and that of its children and future generations. – Stuart Lowman
By Patrick Kuwana*
The last few weeks have seen more ‘comedy’ in parliament, the universities light up and burn again (literally) and the spot light falling on the progress (or lack of it) that the country is making economically as the next credit rating agency evaluation looms. So where is all this going or maybe not going depending on how one looks at it?
South Africa is awash in knowledge but appears to have a huge deficit in wisdom. Knowledge is everywhere; it is a commodity that almost everyone has access to. Everyone supposedly knows what needs to be done and why it needs to be done, but what seems to be lacking is the definitive answer to the question – how do we do it sustainably and in a way which does not ‘shoot ourselves in the foot’? Equally of importance is do we have the right caliber of leadership who will take the solutions and convert them to action – those who will ‘just do it’ instead of ‘just talk about it’, or worse still ‘just complain about it’.
Could the escalation of confrontational methods (violence, anger, destructive protest and civil unrest, etc.) to dealing with the problems that South Africa is facing be evidence of the deficit of wisdom? A people in a democratic dispensation who are so frustrated with the status quo but without a clear vision, a viable plan and the leadership required to get them to their dream.
Knowledge is no longer a source of competitive advantage at business or national level – wisdom is.
The Cambridge English dictionary defines wisdom as ‘the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments.’ Another version says: ‘The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight.’ In today’s world of complexity and constant change, it’s not what you know – it’s all about how well you can use what you know that matters. We all have access to knowledge, the differentiator for the future however belongs to those who cultivate the wisdom of how to use that knowledge in the proper context. The most valuable skill is in understanding that sometimes it’s more important how or when something is done and who should do it than what is actually done. Those who take the time to fully understand the needs of others before formulating solutions or displaying their brilliance are the ones who will offer ‘priceless’ value to society. Wisdom is fueled more by active listening than talking. Wisdom is more inclusive in its search for solutions because sustainability, insight, context and common sense are the key elements it seeks to find.
Active listening
The very term ‘active listening than talking’ is sadly non-existent at the highest platform of national debate in parliament and is equally absent in the university crisis and in most other issues of national importance. The art of constructive dialogue is sorely missing in the present national discourse. Why does one group of people (race, tribe, political party, gender, affiliation, etc.) think they exclusively have the answer to a problem and therefore decide not to listen to other groups? Is this not a symptom of the excess of pride that is flowing in South Africa and causing a country with so much potential to stall (and maybe even move backwards)? Interestingly there is a passage in the bible that describes this phenomenon quite well – ‘Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves.’ The truth of the matter is that ‘fighting to keep our own way’ always eventually leads to loss for both/all sides as evidenced by what has happened in Zimbabwe. “Pride will cost you everything but leave you with nothing.”
A place called humility
For common sense to prevail and for inclusive and sustainable solutions to be co-created it will take all stakeholders to step into an uncommon and little talked about place called humility. This is the place where relationships are built so that the collective intelligence of all stakeholders can be harnessed to find sustainable solutions that will benefit all. The future of the nation could very well be dependent on the collective ability to move from a position of pride to one of humility. Humility breeds wisdom; and wisdom together with good leadership is what will take a nation from its current reality to its desired future as all its latent potential is unlocked and harnessed for the common good of all.
Going back to the definition of wisdom – South Africa is in desperate need right now of leaders who can actively listen, apply common sense, make good decisions and judgements and implement sustainable solutions. There is an ancient proverb that says – ‘Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.’ Humility is a prerequisite to wisdom. We can ignore this proverb at our own peril and that of our children and future generations.
It’s time for wise leaders to stand up – you will be easily recognizable by your humility. South Africa needs you.
- Patrick Kuwana is founder and CEO of Crossover Transformation Group. You can contact him at [email protected]. You can also find him on twitter @kuwanapatrick.
