Slave versus the Conqueror
“Such a familiar landscape!” Nihal exclaims as they drive down one of the most crucial road networks in the country. “Year on and on we pass the exact same stretch on this main road, but what has changed? I mean, I used to take this road when travelling to school. Yes, there are new buildings of course, but does it speak of prosperity? Seriously, what have we done for ourselves?” Nihal says to Kumar on their way to visit a factory.
Kumar, who is Nihal’s boss and mentor, smiles at the random outburst. “Sometimes society tends to forget that we too are responsible for where we are today. I’ll tell you what the problem is – free health, free education, but have we really given proportionately back to the very place that nurtured us for many years? Yes, you’re right. What have we done to ourselves?”
Laughingly, Nihal replies “We blame the politicians of course! But for those of us in the organisations, have we ourselves done enough to change the mindset of our own people in the organisation? The communities we operate from? Most of us are guilty of having done nothing or too little or with an ulterior motive! We say that the problem is at the top. But what if we are the top – the top 10 per cent in the socio-economical pyramid?”
“What if the top still thinks like someone at the bottom? The power position has changed but has our thinking changed to lead and change what is not right? I think the problem is that we still think like slaves”, Kumar adds with a grimace.
Kumar’s explanation is controversial. It’s been years since we as a nation achieved independence, and many would attest that the country has developed in many ways. Larger proportions of the population are now getting educated, the state universities and private institutions churn out thousands of graduates annually, and technology and media play a central role in most citizens’ lives today. In the face of these developments, how can an individual challenge that we still carry a slavery mindset?
From a historical sense, let’s look at the characteristics of the slaves (pardon me for using this word). Slaves were made to fear and comply with the system to avoid punishment. So over a period of time, slaves learnt to conform; they worked out of an obligation. As long as they did the work and followed the orders, their very basic needs were met; so they worked for a wage. They had low expectations and were easily satisfied. As they were kept at the bottom- most level of the needs hierarchy-, they were unable to dream beyond the comfort zone of earning a living. Due to lack of responsibility given to them, they failed to be accountable. Going against the herd was a risk, so they learnt to think the same and be the same. Risk-taking was frowned upon and they knew the consequences of such audacious behaviour. But if one was elevated above others to give power, he/she turned against their own kind.
Now compare and contrast this to some of our organisations today. Times may have changed and we now see ourselves as conquerors (the exact opposite of a slave) but has our thinking changed? Even at the very top, what happens when leaders still operate from a slave mindset? Lack of empowerment of employees, unjustifiable systems and bad practices because no one speaks up, teasing people with momentary incentives to get a vote, authoritative and Machiavellianism spelling out that it is better to be feared than to be loved and because fear generates more fear, there is a better chance of the same people reigning at the top. Our managers and employees who fail to take responsibility when things go wrong and palm it off to people who are at his/her disposal because we were never trained to be accountable? People who have the potential and opportunity to be a part of a great cause that requires them to step out of the comfort zone, but won’t do so because it is risky? People who work to avoid penalisation, punishment and missing a promotion or an increment? People who don’t speak up when something is wrong?
People who don’t speak up to defend the innocent? People who are jealous of someone else’s progress because slaves are all supposed to be at the same level? People, when promoted, who crush the very people they used to work with to keep them from rising as this would threaten their power position? Oh! The captive amongst the captives! Are we all enslaved by a germ planted throughout history from dynasties of kings to colonizers?
Conquerors as opposed to slaves are more risk-taking, willing to make sacrifices in the name of a bigger gain for themselves and others. They are not scared to fail and in fact expect failure on the way as it is part of the journey. They capitalise on their strengths and know that their past or current circumstances are not weaknesses or setbacks but factors that had prepared him for battle; the battle that will change the history for him/her. Prosperity and progress we are looking for requires an inversion in how we think, a revolution in mindset from a slave to a conqueror that will define not only how we fight the battle for us and for others but also what the battle is in the first place.
True independence is the freedom from a mindset that spells out slavery. Appreciating that some organisations are changing the trend of thinking through empowerment, delegation, responsibility and entrepreneurial innovation (some of whom realise that finding people who want to rise up to that challenge are not easy to find), it is well to consider how far we need to go as a nation in the organisational world to create a workplace of a conquering spirit. It could be our own shadow that is keeping us in the dark!
(The writer is an Organisational Psychologist, the Founder of Forté Consultancy and the author of ‘From Crisis to Character’. She can be contacted on rozaine@forte.lk)