Pressure to meet changing needs

Steven Covey

AT a motivational talk earlier this week based on the thoughts of leadership guru Stephen Covey, the speaker traced the four major shifts in human civilisation, from being a hunter/gatherer to an agrarian society, followed by the industrial era and now the knowledge economy.

As a result of these shifts, it is no longer enough to tell someone to do something "because I am your boss and I told you so".

To unleash someone's full potential today, a manager or leader needs to fulfill their needs in terms of body, heart, mind and spirit. Whether they realise it or not, human beings don't just need to live (body). They also need to love (heart), to learn (mind), and to leave a legacy (spirit).


This principle applies not only to a corporation or organisation, but is also relevant on a personal and social level.

The ongoing unrest spreading through parts of Africa the Middle East, I believe, can be traced to a deficiency in one or more of these basic needs.


Rising unemployment and low wages impact people's livelihood directly: "How do I put food on the table to feed myself and my family?"

Authoritarian governments and restriction of liberties can push people into a corner when they feel they cannot express an opinion or participate in civil discussion of things that affect them.

They feel no connection to their leaders' vision, and as a result will not contribute towards society, or worse, rise up against everything their leaders stand for. As we've seen on the streets of Cairo, Bahrain and Libya, these uprisings can turn tragically violent.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned earlier this month that social unrest could get worse as global inequalities worsen. Global unemployment remains high, and 400 million youths are expected to join the workforce over the next decade.

"We could see rising social and political instability within nations - even a war," IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said in one report.

By forcing a change in government, protesters hope that the next person in charge will take steps to fulfill their needs - create jobs, pay them higher wages, give them more freedom, which will help them better contribute to their societies.

This will be a top priority for whoever takes over from the leaders brought down by these street demonstrations, especially if they don't want to suffer a similar fate.

But as events in Egypt have shown, people can also be impatient, and with advances in technology and greater connectivity through the Internet and social networking, organised resistance is easier and faster to establish than ever before.

Change can happen, but it will be a race against time.