Liz Wiseman said the following: “A Multiplier is a liberator, a leader who amplifies the results of people around them.”
As leaders, we often think that we have to look over people’s shoulders and play the oversight role rather than the empowering role. I think this is a critical step in a leader’s life when they transition from managing people to empowering people.
WHAT DOES EMPOWERMENT MEAN IN SOUTH AFRICA?
In South Africa, the word “Empowerment” has taken many other meanings, but the word “empower” according to the dictionary means “the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.”
Imagine if all our political leaders had the time and the will to empower the future leaders of our beautiful country. So, if our leaders are not going to do it, then we must join hands and start empowering the people in our poorer communities. I always say to my kids that with privilege comes responsibility. It truly is an honor and a privilege to live in South Africa, but with that comes the responsibility to reach out and empower people to take charge of their lives. It starts in our homes, where we teach our children to care about those less privileged than us.
Once there is an awareness and an understanding that we as a family are very privileged, then the responsibility is that we need to help the less privileged with our time and resources. The need to have more can often be a debilitating urge and it will stop us from being able to give. My late father-in-law used to say, “A closed hand can never receive,” and he is 100% correct. I have the privilege of being a Laureus Sport for Good ambassador and we often reach out to the sporting bodies in the poorer communities. Every single time I have to go to these functions, I think that I will be sacrificing my valuable family time, but every single time I get home, I feel that I have received more than I have given. The amazing thing is that we as leaders often think we need to receive recognition, money, and a title for all our hard work, but once we start giving and empowering people to look after themselves, then the reward is much greater than any title, recognition, or money.
IN CONCLUSION
So, as we hit the halfway mark in 2024, I want to urge you to get out and start giving your time and resources. Taking the time to mentor a young leader, empowering your domestic worker, or supporting a local soup kitchen with time and money is much more rewarding than receiving. The reason for this is that we start becoming grateful for what we have rather than longing or demanding more stuff in our lives. Take a few days and start planning your next opportunity to give. The opportunities are all around us, but we need to keep our eyes open to take the opportunities when they present themselves. May the month of July 2024 be the month that you become grateful and the month that you start empowering the less privileged in our communities, if you haven’t already started.
GET IN TOUCH
If you would like to get in touch with me about my key note presentation, Debunking Motivation, please send an email to corne@cornekrige.com. Visit my website to review my speaker sheet for more info. I also share my story on my social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.