CREATORS OF NATIONS
find your limit and go beyond it
On my second day of sailing, I fell in love with it. It was that quiet kind of happiness, stillness, and oneness with the sea after having feared it for most of my life.
By Lungi Mchunu
I have a soft voice. I recall my instructors during my Yachtmaster training telling me to be more loud and aggressive. I understood what they meant and their reasoning, but for the life of me, I didn't know how to tap into that persona. It was incredibly difficult. It took conversations with my friends for me to realize that not being aggressive didn’t mean I was a bad leader, but that I was a different kind of leader. My leadership style is setting a clear vision for the crew and having continuous communication. Briefings before setting sail are key to ensuring that everyone is on the same page. During a passage, it is a matter of calling the crew to the cockpit to chat about what's next. This approach is in alignment with who I am as a person. Once I embraced that, it became easier to progress in my training.
Like most people, I have experienced being under horrible leaders who thrived in terrorising others. People who do not realize we are a team, and if one of us fails, we all fail. Even women can lead like this. It is a toxic environment that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I have also been fortunate to be under the leadership of incredible women. This has been such a liberating experience that I was even able to outperform myself. This proves the statement true that people generally give more when they're valued and respected. I'm reminded of a line in Drake's intro to 'Home,’ "Make it hard to spot the General by working like a soldier.” That is the kind of leadership I naturally respond to and gravitate toward.
Make it hard to spot the general by working like a soldier.
We were leaving Beaulieu River minutes before low tide, I had been panicking because many boats go aground if you don't get your secondary tide calculations. I was ecstatic because I got us out of there on time. And the guy is Andy McKenzie, my instructor, who was also just as happy.
In my encounters with different leaders from corporate, I've often found that how people deliver instructions and messaging is often overlooked. Yet, it is very important because that is where you gain people's trust and respect. Most of your time as a good leader is spent listening and asking the questions. This enables people to come up with their own solutions. Then, as a collective, we decide on the way forward with clear roles and responsibilities. Each individual is allowed more space in their part of accomplishing the set team goal.
The pandemic has brought more light to the collective ongoing daily responsibilities of women, which is alarming to say the least. I recall seeing a cartoon of the many thoughts a woman has throughout her day. The lists were long, from every single thing in her household like how much was left of the toilet roll, to the annual medical checkups and diet of her family, to what she needed to do at her day job. It shows how attentive women are. My Mom, to this day, knows the difference between the puffiness of my eyes from normal sleep and from crying. Mind you, I haven't lived with her for over a decade, but she'll know immediately. These might seem like little things, but these are some of the attributes I have noticed in those that I consider great leaders. They pay attention.
Creators of nations is my preferred term for women. It is not only a biological reference, but because women symbolize and are enculturated toward unity and cooperation. Traditionally, we are pivotal to the survival of a family. Noting again from my Mom, her ability to unify my brothers and I after disagreements was impressive. She continually managed to bring diverse minds together toward a common goal. Creators of nations are nurturing, have empathy, and are great listeners. This effectively makes us great communicators. These traits are often traditionally overlooked. To me, they are essential qualities in leaders. It is unfortunate that societal conditioning and limiting beliefs have taught us otherwise. I'm happy to see women reclaim their power and embrace all versions of themselves. It's a beautiful thing to witness.
This type of leadership sees diversity as an advantage to secure balanced, and unique relationships in a group. They lead by unifying diverse interests, attitudes, and desires inherent in a group. They value respect and acceptance. It means understanding every person is unique and helping them to identify their individual strengths. As a Skipper, you're responsible for your boat and crew. You are accountable for everything that happens, and a leader who understands the value of accountability never puts the onus of any loss or blunder on the individual members of a team. The leader shoulders the responsibility. They motivate the team members to undertake any tasks without any fear. They have the ability to look on the positive side of the conditions and continue to encourage the team throughout. Optimism leads to development of confidence. At the core of confidence lies faith and trust. People tend to give more of themselves where they're valued, and creators of nations have an ability to make you believe that you are limitless, which is true. I look forward to seeing more women in leadership, and men taking cues from their strengths in the days ahead.
FROM WOMEN WHO SAIL NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 4. | NOVEMBER 2020.
TO RECEIVE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS, SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER.
Lungi mchunu
Sailor and Polar Explorer known to many as the first African female to sail to the Arctic. She has battled fear, pushed past her limiting beliefs and social conditioning, hitched a ride to the ends of the earth, came face to face with death BUT, yet she's still filled with love, enthusiasm and determination to continue on her path. She's currently working towards completing her Pole to Pole ambitions which will be done in March 2022 with Homeward Bound #6 cohort and sailing around the world solo through the in 2024.