Week 9: Demonstrate Ubuntu

“Through this act of immense open-heartedness, he

“In a more collective society we realize from the (Mandela) was to become the embodiment of what in
inside that our own well-being is deeply tied to
South Africa we call Ubuntu. Ubuntu, I am because of
the well-being of others. Danger is shared, pain is
shared, joy is shared, achievement is shared, you or people are not people without other people.”
houses are shared, food is shared. Ubuntu asks us (Varty 2013, counter/timer: 3:00-3:30)
to open our hearts and to share. And what Sully
taught me that day is the essence of this value. This quote captures the essence of both Mandela and of Ubuntu,
It’s animated empathetic action in every moment.” which is the collective good of the people. This is the natural
– (Varty, 2013, counter/timer: 8:56-9:29) counter, the ying to the yang, of western individualism. It is the
great benefit of collectivism. Collectivism has a dark
This quote further defines the nature of both underbelly, just as individualism does. But Ubuntu is the
Ubuntu and collectivism. Noting that all things are positive aspects of collectivism.
shared equally among the people. Not just
tangible things, but a full range of emotions and
experiences. Ubuntu is, as the quote says,
animated empathetic action in every moment.
Whether that manifests in shared resources or
shared emotion or shared experiences; the
essence is empathy.
Week 9: Demonstrate Ubuntu (cont’d)
“Collaboration is a critical competency for achieving
and sustaining high performance.” (Kouzes and Posner
2017, pg. 197)
I see collaboration as a key element of Ubuntu. When
applied to the business world, I’m reminded of an
acronym, which I believe captures both collaboration and
Ubuntu. T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves More
“To build and sustain social
connections, trust must be reciprocal
and reciprocated. Trust is not just
what’s in your head; it’s also what’s
in your heart.” (Kouzes and Posner
2017, pg. 198)
Another connection I see with
Ubuntu is trust. The empathetic and
collectivist nature of Ubuntu is
implicit of trust. Trust, as noted by
Kouzes and Posner, must be
reciprocal. Trust runs both ways.
This is true in Ubuntu and in other
relationships.
Week 9: Demonstrate Ubuntu (cont’d)
“…two elements of the potlatch have in fact been
attested to: the honour, prestige or mana which
wealth confers; and the absolute obligation to make
return gifts under the penalty of losing the mana,
authority and wealth.
(Mauss 1966, pg. 7)

The sense of obligation of reciprocity in gift giving or

service acts seems to become perpetual. There is a
sense of doom and guilt that accompanies the one on
whom the latest give resides. The only way to escape
this “losing of the mana” is to give a gift (or service
act) back, thus perpetuating the cycle.
Week 9: Demonstrate Ubuntu (cont’d)
“…there is a series of rights and duties about consuming and repaying
existing side by side with rights and duties about giving and receiving. The
pattern of symmetrical and reciprocal rights is not difficult to understand
if we realize that it is first and foremost a pattern of spiritual bonds
between things which are to some extent parts of persons, and persons
and groups that behave in some measure as if they were things.”
(Mauss , 1966, pg. 12)

“…the exchange of presents did not serve the same purpose as trade or
barter in more developed communities. The purpose that it did serve was a
moral one. The object of the exchange was to produce a friendly feeling
between the two persons concerned, and unless it did this it failed of its
purpose…” (Mauss, 1966, pg. 19)

Some gifts are given merely to forge and sustain friendship. They are not
always accompanied with obligation. Rather, they are given for the joy of
giving.