Nomadic people : (Greek: νομάδες, nomádes, "those who let pasture herds") are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. (WIKI)
A nomad is a member of a people that moves from place to place. That pretty much characterizes my own life. I have pitched my tent in the Canadian cities of Calgary, Regina, Stony Plain & Toronto, the Indonesian cities of Bandung & Semarang, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and currently Kuwait City.
You still hear the word ‘Bedouin” around here in the Middle East- a term many of us associate with the nomadic life. Here it’s more than a term. They exist as a people and some even with influence in government. In the 1950s as well as the 1960s, large numbers of Bedouin throughout the Middle East started to leave the traditional, nomadic life to settle in the cities of the Middle East, especially as home ranges have shrunk and population levels have grown. Government policies and oil production in the Middle Eastern region, as well as a desire for improved standards of living, effectively led most Bedouin to become settled citizens of various nations, rather than stateless nomadic herders. A century ago nomadic Bedouin still made up some 10% of the total Arab population. Today they account for some 1% of the total. (source: Wikipedia)
Not many traditional nomads left in this world. Yet a nomadic spirit is a contemporary need.
This blog is entitled the “Nomadic Leader”. I have chosen the title carefully. It is firstly a personal reflection of who I am: my wanderlust and passion to experience the world, its people and opportunities (my friends interpret this as “restlessness”). However the title also addresses my passion of leadership and in particular, an aspect of leadership spirit necessary in contemporary institutions and businesses. Effective leadership requires a nomadic spirit.
For various reasons traditional nomads sought new territory; better grazing, more fertile land, peace, etc. The “contemporary nomadism” I endorse for leaders is a response to the ever-shifting opportunities and challenges presented by a world that is increasingly defined by the global highways that carry people, ideas, beliefs, traditions and commerce. Those who lead any type of organization must therefore be somewhat ‘nomadic’ in their thinking; able to view the landscape, respond to multiple cultures, see the potential threats and opportunities, be ready to move when the need arises. Fixed thinking and strategies, while they provide security for a while, will relegate a leader and his or her organization to the sidelines.
Just what this ‘nomadic leader’ might think and believe and do is the ongoing quest of this blog. I want to reflect with anyone out there on this emerging topic. I think a nomadic leader comes out of his/her proverbial ‘tent’ most mornings and ask questions like:
- Where is there new ‘land’ to explore and utilize?
- How can we find new pathways to engage employees & team-mates more effectively, helping them ‘find their voice’ in this world as Covey says. Where is there better pasture for them to feed on and become better people and better employees?
- In what ways can we better engage multiple cultures in our organization?
- What is coming our way as an organization and how nimble must we be in response?
- When is it time to get a new tent?
Looking forward to a nomad’s journey across the global information highway...
Harv Matchullis – currently in Kuwait
