To name 2015 a roller coaster year would not be amiss. Most of us witnessed or experienced
disruptive occurrences on the international, national and personal front which rendered us feeling a
little more vulnerable and a little less assertively confident than before.
Beginning with SONA in February 2015, ending with the diplomatic tensions surrounding AGOA in
the final closing of the year on 31 December, with a long list of traumatic and disruptive incidents in
between, 2015 has left us feeling battered.
At strategic planning sessions, social gatherings and in the media we try to imagine what 2016 will
bring. It is often a conversation filled with trepidation and a sense of ominous foreboding. Already,
the New Year has started with rumblings of racism on social and national media; the debate is
cranking up, and as South Africans we are entering the uncertain and anxious space of deep diversity
work, amongst many other challenges.
At a glance, the world seems a desperate, hopeless and depressing place to be. And yet, at closer
observation, maybe it is not. Before we think politics and bigger system, these uncertain and
anxious times should also bring each of us to a personal reflective position. In particular, becoming
aware of our self and the impact we each have within our own sphere of influence, regardless how
small or large the circle may be. The world does not happen out there; it happens right here, within
my sphere of influence as a colleague, leader, subordinate, or friend.
We need a positive tipping point, and by now we are beginning to realize this can only be created by
ourselves. Large scale change often consist of myriads of smaller, even miniscule, change efforts
confluencing to bring about the required shift.
In the role of leaders, we are called upon to speak our truths courageously in a consciously affirming,
respectful manner and to build relationships. Particularly it requires awareness of our own influence
and contribution to creating a particular kind of reality, and to hold ourselves firmly accountable for
this. Paradoxically, this kind of self-awareness often flourishes in times of uncertainty when
equilibrium is unbalanced. Therefore, rather than scrambling for dry land, it may hold greater
benefits if we work to tolerate the anxious and uncomfortable uncertainties optimally in order to
discover the gems of possibilities which may evolve.
I am looking forward to 2016 and the challenges of, together with you, building relationships for the
good of your organization and the individuals populating them.
Warmest regards,
Hanna