UBUNTU!
June 5th, 2008Welcome to SeekingTrueNorth.com! Here you will find information about our book, the authors, and an interactive forum discussion about Seeking True North. Of course, if you came to buy the book, you can go directly here.
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Tim Walther and Erick Erickson
Greetings Everyone! The Celtics are in the NBA Finals with the LA Lakers, and there is quite a buzz about this unique pre-game mantra that they have adopted this year. The mantra is Ubuntu! Many of you may be familiar with this phrase from our Grand Dynamics events. Heres a bit of history and why this is so important.
About 7 years ago I sat on the porch with my good friend Erik Kampe. We were talking about a greeting that we could open Grand Dynamics programs that would capture the essense of leadership, teamwork and a culture of coneecting with each other as a foundation for engaging in our programs, business and life. We were big into The Fifth Discipline, by Peter Senge, at the time and in fact, Ubuntu is referenced in the Fifth Discipline Field Guide and tells of the Africal Zulu culture and the meaning of Ubuntu being “People are people because of other people.”
Soon enough, Erik and I were dancing around in my back yard, chanting and moving to the elements of what is now a hallmark opening ice-breaker for Grand Dynamics events.
I think it is awesome that the Celtics (I grew up in New Hampshire) have taken this on and believe it has a great deal with their comeback and record year! Ubuntu, at the core, is about the pholosphy of acknowleging others, and a system for working together positively in a community. Yet another method of Seeking True North!
Nelson Mandela once described Ubuntu this way: “A traveler through a country would stop at a village and he didn’t have to ask for food or for water. Once he stops, the people give him food, entertain him. That is one aspect of Ubuntu, but it will have various aspects. Ubuntu does not mean that people should not address themselves. The question therefore is: Are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you be able to improve.”
Here’s a video of him describing the concept. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx0qGJCm-qU
Here are three articles about the Celtics and UBUNTU!
Article #1 http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=2497
Article #3 http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hbvPxTmN0gXTk18y0ohZZnNqwEOgD913H1SG0
Have an OUTSTANDING DAY! UBUNTU!
Tim Walther -
June 9th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
As you are aware Tim I am very familiar with Ubuntu! I find myself referencing the meaning and the experiences surrounding my ice breaking moments with GDI. You can imagine my joy and familiarity when working with Kent State recently they asked if I could help to create a program that would flow into the work of Nelson Mandelas’ grandson who is speaking at Kent State. The name of his presentation - you guessed it - Ubuntu!! Classic eh?!
Keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Matt