Welcome to yet another week and a countdown to a looming election in Kenya where citizens get to choose their leaders for the next five years. This is a season when public speaking skills are under test by the various publics. I love that Kenyans have embraced televised debates. Lights, camera, unseen beads of sweat, action! As a stage confidence coach, one of the topics we cover extensively is body language. That by looking at a leader on stage, one can tell if they are candid or not. That by observing their micro expressions, one is able to determine if they are lying or not. Leadership is a calling and it is not for the fainthearted. Not only do you find this out when things go wrong but you also discover your authentic self in the process. Leadership is for self aware decision makers.
Let me tell you a true story of unswerving courage in the face of grave danger. An acquaintance I met during Covid-19 had just returned home having worked for an international company, deep in the forest lets call it Wakanda forest where they were sourcing raw materials. Let's call him Kip. Being an area with rich resources, rebels controlled sections of the forest canopy area and encountering rebels with big guns in hand was becoming common place, but not initially. No. Seeing a new face, my face for the first time at the beginning of the assignment meant a big gun was pressed firmly to my head before they could establish exactly who I was. It didn't help that my blue-black complexion made the rebels think I was a local from an enemy camp. When I spoke and trembled at the same time, sweat beads threatening to slide the metal further down my face, I felt like I was in a movie scene only this time, it was real.
Shortly thereafter which felt like forever and being grilled in a war-like foreign tongue which sounded like gibberish, they realised I was a Kenyan. That was my first close call. Thereafter, the organisation I headed and their equipment were safe for the next few years. So with this new found safe passage, I got wind that the area was going to be attacked from beyond. And that I didn't have much time. Time to evacuate the entire crew out of Wakanda. What happened next sounds like a script from a blood diamond movie.
Of priority was the staff, the human resource. People's wives, husbands and mothers. I had to get them out and fast. Cash is king in unstable economies. Especially dollar bills that are not from Zimbabwe. Evacuation options were reduced to one light aircraft that could only carry a limited number of passengers. Telephone calls were made with satellite phones and before long, the first flight shuttled the ladies out to safety in a neighbouring country. Nairobi was too far.Believe you me, the ladies travelled light. Makeup bags were excess baggage. The air was thick with the smell of adrenaline, foreboding and war. A few hours later, the aircraft returned for the next lot of evacuees. The dudes. I still couldn't leave and hop on the jet until everyone was evacuated. My money man, the chief accountant and myself eventually took the very last charter flight out at the end of a nerve wrecking day. As the jet took off into the sky before dark, away from the smell of war and the feeling that an explosion is imminent, that your every move is being monitored, I couldn't help but think, "what if we're shot down? I opted to stay away from the small window overlooking the dilapidated airfield. Instead, I set my face and my focus toward the setting sun as if to draw in every ray of hope that I would see my wife and kids again.
When we made it past the border and rejoined the rest of the team in a neighbouring land that was already at dusk, I was met with admiration and accolades. Now I could breathe. Let's just say many years later, I have friends for life even though our paths led us in different directions after that. My crew still look for me. That was a demonstration of courage under fire. Authentic leadership. As for the equipment we left behind, I'll leave it to your imagination what the news headlines read like the following morning in our former country of duty. Eventually, I flew the entire team back home to Nairobi on a commercial airliner. And yes I saw my wife and kids again.
Since we're on aviation mode today, did you know that even in the unlikely event of a commercial jet crash landing with survivors, the commanding pilot aka the captain should be the last to exit after walking around and ensuring all persons are safely evacuated from the aircraft? Leadership is for the brave. Think about that the next time you admire the wing emblems on their hats and the 4 golden rank bars on your skipper's jacket. To whom much is given, much is required. The next time you're on a flight and the captain comes over the PA system, pause and listen. When the commander picks the intercom, it overrides all other ongoing communications onboard. Leaders are trained to communicate succinctly before they take action on your behalf. This puts passengers at ease especially in the face of anxious moments and abrupt change, both being likely scenarios that have happened and continue to happen on machines that continue to defy gravity. I have said this before and I will say it again, only leaders should occupy the stage. In the stories I have told today, each leader used their stage to communicate effectively and demonstrate leadership by leading their teams to safety. Authentic leadership is demonstrated.
In order to become an authentic leader with great communication skills, a good place to start would be reading books with true stories of how local billionaires you admire today passed the test of courage in the face of political uncertainty and rapid change.These stories can be found in my book, "Bouncing Back & Thriving:-Titans' Secrets to Rising, Thriving and Staying on Top of Your Game." buy now on www.nuriakenya.com. To sign up for a leader's stage confidence masterclass, click here: www.bouncebackpod.co.ke.