Lessons From The African Philosophy of Ubuntu

Written by: Nina Cashman

Learnings from M.A. in Happiness Studies / October 9, 2024 (Published January 2025)

“Congratulations, you’ve just earned a promotion.”

These words were like music to my ears, coming from a leader I admired. I remember the thrill I felt as I peered out at the foothills recently dusted by snow from the big windows in her bright top-floor office. “Chariots of Fire” may as well have been playing in the background ; ). She continued to clarify the true meaning of the moment. “On the one hand,” she said, “you can take pride in knowing that everything you have done up until this point has earned you this position.” “Uh, and the other hand?” I wondered as she continued, “On the other hand, nothing you’ve done up to this point will make you successful in this new role.”

Irrrrrrk – queue the stark record scratch. What on earth did she mean?

Looking back on that moment, I don’t think either of us knew at the time that my great leader was referencing a widely known concept in southern Africa called “Ubuntu,” meaning –

“I am because we are” (Africa W, 2023).

Until that day in her office, I had been operating at a reasonably high level as a category expert. I suppose I had mastered my craft enough to be trusted for my perspective and recognized as someone ready to lead other experts. Yet, the key ingredient to this new role was “to lead” at a higher level, and for that to go well, it wasn’t necessarily going to come from remaining a “team expert.” My boss was setting the stage to prepare me for transcendence from “individual performance” to invite a higher degree of “team contribution.”

And let’s be honest; there’s more space for others to contribute when a leader is willing to turn the spotlight away from their own achievements and, instead, shine it for others to showcase their expertise, talents, intelligence, and accomplishments.

This is quite a mindset shift in many corporate environments with so much emphasis on “high performance.” As young professionals, heck, even kids, we are groomed to strive for our personal best. And yet, the focus on giving our best can often lead to a significant block in our leadership potential. Why?

I think the answer can be found in a characteristic interwoven into the African philosophy of Ubuntu, known as: "Sahwira.”

In her book, The Awakened Woman, the inspiring Zimbabwean author and teacher Dr. Tererai Trent describes “Sahwira” as –

“Authentic in both receiving and giving. Give what is needed without being overbearing, and receive what you need without making it a duty to impress the giver” (Trent, 2017).

While one’s ability to receive seems essential to leadership, it also seems easily forgotten in our culture. Receiving involves letting go of any need to be seen as “the expert.” It is how we create space for the vast talents and contributions of others that, when combined, supersede anything we could accomplish on our own. Our ability to receive comes from the knowledge that it is not the person who creates a great leader but the contributions, health, and potential of the people around us. Trent writes,

“Even the hardest worker cannot do it on their own” (Trent, 2017).

Healthy families, neighborhoods, communities, teams, organizations, and nations deeply value one another. The easiest way to show another person that we value and appreciate them is by inviting their contributions. As Trent reinforces,

“There is another kind of power accessible to us; not the kind of power that comes from imposing our will on others, or stepping on others to achieve our dreams, or buying into the false belief that we both achieve and fail on our own, but the power to lift ourselves up by lifting each other up. This is the heart of Sahwira” (Trent, 2017).

If there was ever a great example of the power of receiving – one need not look further than their dog.

Think about it – why are humans so crazy about dogs? These amazing creatures constantly reinforce our value through their willingness to receive our affection. That’s right; your dog is never going to reject your contributions. You can count on dogs to reflect how valuable you are to them by how they always accept your love. And guess what? The more they receive from you, the more you want to give them.

Dogs are incredible leaders who naturally uplift us because they embody Ubuntu through Sahwira.

So, what is the point of all of this?

For anyone who has ever felt like they have “plateaued” in their professional development or perhaps felt “stuck” and does not understand why they are not progressing, perhaps it is worth looking at your ability to recognize and receive from the vast talent pool surrounding you.

One can always ask themselves, “Am I so focused on my own growth and advancement that I forget to invite and learn from the community around me?” There comes a point in anyone’s leadership journey when achievement alone becomes isolating (not to mention boring… zzzzzzzz).

At some point, we must recognize that our achievements do not uplift communities but rather our ability to identify,

“other forces that play a major role in our success” (Trent, 2017).

Individual success is always built by a community of people. Moreover, people are more willing to contribute to those who recognize their talents and receive their contributions.

Coming full circle, this is what I believe my great leader was expressing to me when she recognized my contributions all those years ago. While I certainly felt proud of my achievement, my promotion could have never happened without the help of others on my team and my leader’s generosity in receiving my talents. Now, the time had come for me to give space for others to contribute their gifts, achieve, and earn their moments of recognition. As Trent writes,

“Sahwira shows us that each person has an individual responsibility for the well-being of the entire community and that the community has a responsibility to the well-being of the individual” (Trent, 2017).

When we value everyone’s responsibility in the success of a larger team, we create space for the most remarkable contributions. Our communities, teams, families, and nations seem to achieve as much, if not more than we are willing to receive when we live the truth of Ubuntu—

“I am who I am because of who we all are” (Africa W, 2023).

So, I will leave you with these questions: How often do you recognize the gifts of the people around you, and how might your cause/project/life take shape if you made yourself more open to receiving them?

References

Africa And The World. (2024). African philosophy: Ubuntu a way of life

Trent, T. (2018). AWAKENED WOMAN: remembering & reigniting our sacred dreams. Enliven Books | Atria.

The Essential Yet Often Overlooked Leadership Skill Of Receiving