Another week has gone by,and there have been so many lessons, so many questions answered but alot more questions remain. We visited tons of museums,but one that stood out for me was the National Gallery of Art-we saw works by Raphael,Leonardo Da Vinci and Picasso. Its amazing how certain works of art and sculptures designed in the 16th century are still intact and still look majestic.Joyce,gave us a guided tour,and we were even joined by bystanders due to her brilliance and eloquent responses to challenging questions.
On tuesday,we had our annual Woodrow Wilson Center-Thato,Velani,Lauren and Kessler all engaged in a meaningful panel discussion about South Africa,and the great structural challenges still facing South Africa. They made the whole team proud, I was inspired by Velani’s words when he said that Business in South Africa should stop engaging in zero-sum ‘behavioural engagements’ he mentioned that we all need to find collaborative ways in which we can all win whilst working together. I am proud to be representing my country in foreign shores,more so given the fact that I am constantly engaging with the brightest of the bright leaders. Singing the national anthem after the panel discussions made me emotional-the words reminded me of back home but also served as a reminder of my purpose here in Washington DC.
During the latter part of the week-we had the honour of meeting Congressman Clyburn and his daughter Commissioner,I took down notes profusely and listened to the vast amounts of knowledge they both had to share. The session was hosted at Carol and Tom Wheeler’s residence.Here are a few lessons.
-Your experiences are different and because they are different your views of the world will not be the same.
-There is no limit to what you can achieve if you don’t get hung up on who gets the credit. -If you still breathing you gotta keep going.
-When it seems like your darkest hour it truly is not.
-When you win brag gently and when you lose weep softly.
The Clyburns inspired me to embrace who I am, to accept my flaws and to combine that into my daily approach to life. Life becomes so much easier,and we ourselves become much more effective,when we accept the beauty of who we are as individuals. My last lesson,is based on two things that Congress Clyburn told me, he said I won’t be an effective leader,if the people I lead-dont feel me,and secondly he told me to understand the individuals I seek to lead,instead of the other way round. I have to understand their dreams,hopes and aspirations in order to fully deliver meaningful solutions to them.
Heres to another leadership lesson…..those I lead shouldn’t necessarily understand me but I must understand them. As the title of my blog says Vires acquirit undo - “It gains strength by going” -this captures how I feel in DC…I am still going and still growing……