RAINMAKERS
RAINMAKERS
WHICH KIND OF ‘ HERDSMAN ’ ARE YOU ?
By Dr . Clifford Ferguson
Academic debates rage over the meaning of management and of leadership and over the relative merits of training and of development . I instead want to share some experiences with you , the reader .
I recently worked with an organisation in East and West Africa as well as Southern Africa which has three core values which predicate all that they do . These were to be Open , Challenging and Enterprising . The adoption of these by people at all levels is making an already excellent organisation an outstanding one in which results follow the actions of caring for , developing and training people , ensuring their safety and going beyond legal requirements in reward and recognition .
Leaders in this organisation ensure that they are accessible to people at any time , welcome challenge and encourage the delegation of authority and decision making to the lowest levels , seek to catch people doing things right and celebrating successes .
‘‘ In my country , Scotland , the shepherd and his dog walk behind the sheep and the sheep are encouraged to go in the direction that the shepherd wishes by the actions of his dog which rushes around barking , nipping the legs of the sheep and essentially compelling them to go where they are intended to go . The shepherd and their dog act as managers , ensuring performance by exerting control over the animals . ’’
These managers not only manage , they lead by example . By giving power away they become more powerful . They are market leaders , profitable and amongst the best employers to work for in their country and are constantly seeking to improve .
They remind me of the comparison I often use to illustrate the different styles of dealing with a flock of sheep or herd of goats in different cultures .
In my country , Scotland , the shepherd and his dog walk behind the sheep and the sheep are encouraged to go in the direction that the shepherd wishes by the actions of his dog which rushes around barking , nipping the legs of the sheep and essentially compelling them to go where they are intended to go . The shepherd and their dog act as managers , ensuring performance by exerting control over the animals .
In other cultures the herdsman walks in front and the goats or sheep follow . No dog to bark , bite ankles or legs is needed . The animals follow willingly . Why is that ? The answer is that they know from the behaviour they see that they are being taken care of , there
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