top of page
Dr. Brenda Hattingh

Day 3.Nelson Mandela Week. 5 Reasons why tribal leaders cannot lead and how to solve it

Updated: Jul 31, 2021




With the support and inspiration of Madiba and the people, the South African Springbok rugby team, with Francois Pienaar as captain, brought home the World Cup in 2005. It was at a time that Nelson Mandela had just become president, the conflict and chaos had subsided, and a new era of peace and cooperation was being introduced. The joyous occasion brought a new kind of energy to a country that needed healing at a delicate time.


Changing gameplan

However, less than two years later, the same Springbok team lost their matches to Australia and New Zealand and returned home defeated. The question is, Why? What changed?

The reason was that during that time, the World Rugby Board (WRB) had changed, updated, and implemented new rugby laws. Australia and New Zealand had taken the new developments very seriously. They realigned, redesigned their game plan, prepared, and trained their players and referees in the new rules and laws that secured the game we know as rugby (or football). The Springbok team didn’t. They lost mostly by penalties.


Currently, the same is happening to our global community. The Covid pandemic is just one of the wake-up calls.


Change is escalating

Currently, the rate of change is speeding up. New rules, values, and a new game plan for life are emerging. This is not only a fundamental paradigm shift, a shift in mindset, but it also includes a shift in heart-set, values, and even a shift right down to a DNA level. Humanity is currently undergoing a major leap. Some will choose to make the leap - others will stay behind.


The Question is. Will our people, especially current leaders, be able to keep up? The most important question is, Will all our current ‘tribal’ leaders be able to lead us into a new, and brighter future? What responsibility does each one of us have? This calls for a deeper understanding.


The tribal mind


The ancient Mayans were a very evolved culture. Their insight into time, processes, and levels of functioning was at a level that still astounds people today.

On the left, you find the Mayan nine-step map of human evolution and the waves of changing consciousness to emerge. The higher we climb, the better we can see. This means we need to move beyond the lower strata.


Unfortunately, many people get stuck on the lower levels and fewer and fewer people have the ability to break through the barriers to access the next level. This means that only a few people can see far and have a future vision that looks different from what we are currently experiencing. Such a man was Nelson Mandela.


Importance of the tribal stage

From this, we also find that although the tribal stage is important, we cannot stay there if we are to secure a new and more evolved future. This means that we need a new kind and quality of a leader, especially a tribal leader, who has the responsibility to lay a sound foundation for the steps, levels, seasons, and generations to come. This includes maintaining relevant tribal values while instilling a new vision and movement forward, and upward.

This must be someone who not only has roots within a family, tribe, and culture, but also has the flexibility to move beyond traditional programming and reach for the global and universal levels. They need to have a vision of a new and better future that also benefits national, international, and even our planet (planetary). This means we are looking for leaders who hold the progress of their tribe as well as humanity, in high regard.


Such a man was Nelson Mandela.

What are ‘tribal leaders?

‘Tribal' refers to any group, family, tribe, community, society, population, or clan. It could include religious, political, cultural, business, family, sports groups, or any other group that gathers around a specific core value and/or action. 'Tribal' laws and rules give structure and direction to those in the group or tribe, just like the rugby rules and laws. Now humanity is undergoing a major shift and the rules of life and living have changed. This means that many tribal laws, just like the rugby laws. need to change in order to keep up. We need a kind of leader and leadership.


What is a leader and leadership?

'Leader' comes from the word 'leido', meaning 'to show the way'. An authentic leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way to authentic living and a quality life that benefits all. Shadow ego-leaders are not interested in 'showing the way' to a better life, because their main concern is self-preservation.


What went wrong?

With a world in chaos, we have the right to ask, What went wrong? Why have our political, religious, cultural, family, community, and economic leaders not prevented the downward spiral? Why have our 'tribal leaders' failed in creating a new and brighter future? Why did everyone wait for the chaos to erupt before they come together? Isn't prevention better than cure?

Here are five reasons why tribal leaders cannot lead.


Five reasons why our traditional tribal leaders cannot lead us into a new future

1. Ignorance

Most people, especially leaders, are ignorant of the changes taking place. They are, or ill-informed, ignorant, nonchalant, or stuck in their tribal mindset of tribal laws and values. A future vision is lacking and very few have the ability to take the big picture into account. This is caused by a paradigm or brain-blindness. Here we find the blind leading the blind.


2. Arrogance

Arrogance means ‘an over-investment in your own importance’. Many tribal leaders place their power and position above all else. This includes the laws of the land. We find these leaders become 'power gods', not only to self but to their followers. Power gods become warmongers. Many followers need this kind of energy because they find it difficult to think for themselves. They will also blindly follow a power-god wherever it leads. This leads to destruction and implosion. This is the cause of the current chaos.


Two examples of current leaders who thought their tribal and power position is above the laws of the land, are Jacob Zuma, who is currently in prison, and Donald Trump, who has been banned from social media. Unfortunately, their followers portray the same abuse of power with acts of violence. Loss and destruction mark their path. Many people are addicted to this energy. They will do anything to maintain the conflict and chaos as they feed off the negativity.


3. Complacency

Complacent people are people who sit around complaining but do nothing constructive. They blame and shame without solving the real problem and/or transform the situation. This not only includes family, cultural, political, government, and/or business leaders but also our religious leaders.

  • · Religious complacency

Religion is a tribal-minded institution created by people who need a ‘religious tribe’ to belong to and where they can find guidance. These are very important cornerstones. When these foundations are laid correctly, it can take people to higher levels. However, much confusion is found within religions and between different religions. For example, a religion like Christianity has more than two billion followers and 46 000+ different Christian denominations, globally. All are working from the same book, the Bible, that brings the same message. Why? How do we solve this discrepancy?


The answer is, We go back to basics. We go back to the truth.

Other places of complacency include our families, communities, and cultures. All need to make the decision, Are we part of the problem – or part of the solution.

  • · Moving from dogmatic religion to universal truth

Nelson Mandela didn’t openly adhere to any specific religion. However, he lived universal truth and brought a wisdom that changed the world. Not only did he move beyond tribal laws, but moved beyond religious programming. We have back-slided. Now it is time to take up the responsibility, once again.


In the future, religion and religious leaders will need to go through a dramatic fundamental transformation as dogmatic religion moves to universal truth and oneness. Already traditional religious structures are changing and/or falling away. The challenge for all regions is - Teach your people to love and be loved.


4. Lack of vision

Most people, including tribal leaders, lack the vision of the infinitive possibilities now on our doorstep. Ignorance, misinformation, arrogance, brain-blindness, negativity, self-preservation, fear, anger, resentment, and complacency are all barriers that need to be overcome before we can move forward.


5. Lack of love and compassion

The lack of understanding, love, and compassion is the most important blockage that tribal-minded people and find difficult to create a new, positive and brighter future.


Our most prominent religions all have the same basics of, Love God, Love Self, Love others as self. Nothing should be easier than that. Unfortunately, very few people are invested in teaching this fundamental truth and get side-tracked by ego-driven opinions, assumptions. and perceptions.


The question is, Why haven’t our people been taught to love and be loved? Their tribal leaders didn't teach them that it was important. The shadow ego-self will not allow this truth of the power of love and compassion, to surface and take hold. Nelson Mandela thought differently. Above we learn, 'If people can learn to hate, they can learn to love'.


Now that we know some of the problems, we can identify the solutions


Solutions and call to action

  • Open your mind and ask for the truth

  • Heal the shadow ego-self. Get over yourself - your lower shadow ego-self.

  • Overcome arrogance and self-importance with service

  • Stop complaining, blaming, and shaming and start doing something constructive

  • Revisit your roots – cut off that doesn’t serve you anymore

  • · Re-root and re-route. If your cultural, political, religious, or even your family tribe are on a destructive path, you have the right to let go, walk away and find a new path.

  • · Stop supporting ego-driven power gods who are only interested in self-preservation. Remember, they can’t survive without your energy and will need to change or fall away.

  • Identify your fears. Redefine your core values. Change as necessary

  • Open your heart. Learn to love and be loved

  • Come from a place of love and respect

  • Create a new vision of a positive future and share it with others

  • Commit yourself to transformation and change.

  • Start with yourself, your relationships, your family, your friends, social group, culture, community, and country. Change starts just where you are. Ask all these groups Can you love and be loved? Why? Why not?

  • Ask yourself, What are my core values. If it doesn’t include honesty, truth, love and compassion, you will need to reconsider. Design a new game plan.

  • Make new choices. See the video 10 steps ....

  • · Be part of the solution. Be the solution

  • Become the real, authentic leader the world is waiting for - just where you are

Invitation: Join the growing group of solution-creators, pathfinders, and mapmakers HERE and receive a monthly newsletter with new solutions.


Becoming the solution

Start here:

Most people want to remember the suffering Madiba endured. However, after everything he went through, Madiba died a happy man. In a 14-day course, we can once again learn from Madiba that the end can be better than the beginning. With the right choices- your end can be better than the beginning. Not only does Nelson Mandela provide us with solutions, but he also shows us the path to health, wealth, and happiness. Here is a 14-day course that will blow your mind. Enroll here: 10 Lessons from Nelson Mandela that elevate you to happiness


Nelson Mandela Week. Day 4. Curing Corruption. 7 things you can do to solve the real pandemic of our time


Till then


Stay safe – stay connected.


Brenda Hattingh


ooo0ooo


Commentaires


bottom of page