domingo, 6 de diciembre de 2015

E-leadeship in Europe

 

E-leadership is a permanent issue in European organizations. But in this word, the important letters are no “e-“ but “leadership”. E-leadership in Europe can simply be defined as a disaster. But, what can you expect from e-leadership when you put it in the framework of jus “leadership in Europe”?
The Greek example of how NOT to manage a critical situation is a good showroom of our leadership abilities around Europe. As in previous European conflicts, as in any problem around the world, the European lack of leaders is a constant: Palestine, Kosovo, Nigeria, IS, etc.
Another constant is the role of USA: while Europe debates and debates the problems for months doing nothing –while people in some countries die and others see that economy sinks- , it comes to a moment when USA says “Stop losing time and money and let’s act. If you don’t do it, I will do it”. This creates a final scenario in which Americans have gained a reputation of being too “rude”, and Europeans are more dialog oriented.
… If my house in on fire I don´t want firemen who debate openly, friendly and for hours about the situation; I want someone to take an action to extinguish the fire.
Greece is right now a good example of this. Varoufakis is not a good boy. Some manners training would be very appreciated. But Greeks are European citizens, part of the European family. And when in a family you have a bad boy you don’t abandon him and let starve.  You take care of him, train him, feed him, give directions. That is intelligence, that is love, that is common sense.
At the end, the Greek problem will be solved by the pressures of USA, or directly by the Americans (two warnings already, there will not be a third one!). Shame on Europe again.
So, there is no leadership in Europe (Europe is a kind of big concentration in Puerta del Sol with better dressed people), too afraid of doing anything politically incorrect while the situation gets worse and worse. Now you can understand why extreme political movements from right and left mobilize voters.
This is the leadership scenario in Europe (if you add a bit of corruption in the South, there you have the full panorama!: hunting, commissions for buildings, giving doctorates in exchange of administrative concessions, Honoris causa to members of the Board of Counselors of your own institution with land properties interests, events organizing, false invoices, etc.)
Now, what do you expect from e-leadership? We expect just LEADERSHIP from a group of guys who love technology. And this makes things even more complicated. But more exciting. “A más moros más ganancia” (more risk, more benefit) is said in a 12th century Spanish book (Cantar de mío Cid). These geeks have two problems: First, they love their work; this leads to a great intellectual concentration that is little compatible with responding with a smile to futile requests from business. If you are the coal engine´s master of the Titanic, you will probably be quite an awful dancer when they invite you to the main deck! You are awesome controlling the proper feeding of coal into the engines!
Second: you are a great dancer…  so nobody will believe that you are a great coal engine’s master.
(Let’s translate these thoughts into clerical language: ITC staff get no business skill at Universities, and business staff get no ITC skills – sorry, bad news, getting the latest iphone watch paid by you IT dpt. is not IT skills).
The Solution. I could say I have the answer to this problem. I could say the solution is: 1. Give business skills to the ITC graduates 2. Give ITC skills to the business graduates. (Great, Joaquín!). I’m sorry, the big problem of e-leadership in Europe is a cultural problem.  Europe had great leaders in different times of History: Greeks, Macedonians, Romans, Spanish, French, etc. centuries ago. This is the time for other cultures (USA, China, Israel), probably in future Mexico, Turkey, Japan, Poland?
Bad times for old Europe. Too elderly, too conservative even in their more extreme political leaders, too egoist. But Europe is just a place, people are people and people are from nowhere, just citizens of the world.
Africans come to Europe and we close the frontiers and make them jump a ridiculous fence that, depending on where you fall down and depending con centimeters and how many bones you break, you have reached Europe or you go back to Africa. Try again, we´re daily open!. Europeans go to USA and they close the frontiers promoting in Mexico the most powerful mafias. Rohingyas go to Thailand and become slaves. The biggest opportunity in this world is opening frontiers, opening minds, sharing, being generous (being egoistically generous, in the end).
What you give is what you get (this is Cristian, Islamic, Jewish, atheist, liberal economic thought). Do it!
Maimonides (Moshé ben Maimón, Spanish doctor, 12th century, said: “The aim of all societies loyal to God must be the development of man, not of wealth. Man improves when he develops thinking in plenitude”.
 Now, when you think about ITC, forget about bits and bytes and think about people. They are your business. ITC is not your problem, it’s your opportunity!




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