Life and Business Leadership Insight
- September 04
In this issue:
“The Spirit of the "Digger" in Life and Business"
Recently I received a book for Fathers Day which made me think about what it means to be "Australian". More specifically, what characteristics do we have as a collective group of people that imbues us with a "national cultural" identity that trademarks our life and business pursuits.
The book is titled " The Spirit of the Digger...Then and Now" by Patrick Lindsay and it explores how the term "Digger" began and what it really means to our national pride and psyche.
The book describes a series of "Aussie Digger" attributes and my interest is to see whether it is possible to amalgamate these characteristics so that they could evolve into a "success" culture within organisations and businesses.
The qualities are, I think, highly desirable but sadly lacking in too many people and businesses. It should be remembered that these attributes built a reputation that was respected and revered throughout all of the military campaigns our "Diggers" were involved in.
With most businesses competing in a global marketplace it makes sense for "Aussie" business professionals and self-leaders alike to embrace some of these universal principles and reap the rewards both individually and collectively as a business team. So what are these "Aussie Digger" characteristics and how could they make such a difference?
In no particular order: mateship, compassion, courage, selflessness, devotion, endurance, loyalty, resourcefulness, independence, audacity, coolness, larrikinism, ingenuity and humour. From looking at these characteristics it is possible to see how "The Digger" is a key piece of the complex jigsaw puzzle that makes up "The Australian Way"
Well what of these qualities and could they be used more effectively by all of us if we knew how and when to apply them and if applied correctly could they have far reaching consequences both for "social" and "business" culture.
I think so, although a lot depends on how altruistic your interpretation of each characteristic is!
If I look at "mateship" for example, that could be interpreted as loosely as sticking up for my mates no matter what the circumstances yet an even more powerful interpretation would relate to ensuring that your "mateship" was linked to common value systems and altruistic ideals that would further the common good justifying your stand for your mate.
The same could be said for "larrikinism" which literally translated means "troublemaker" yet when you relate it to an "Australian" individual it implies a person who is extroverted and loves to have fun and live life by pushing the boundaries of what is accepted, admirable qualities indeed when looking for an edge in business. Of course true "Australian" larrikinism, in my opinion, is something that works within the law and not outside of it.
“Courage” is something that every individual and business could benefit from; the courage to stand by your decisions, the courage to stand up and say what you mean, the courage to defend your values, morals and ethics and the courage to fight for your dreams and aspirations in business and life.
“Selflessness” literally translated means acting with less concern for yourself than for the success of the joint activity or business/sport objective. Literally speaking putting the good of the team in front of self…I am sure that you will agree with me that is one of the crucial strengths of a great leader and once again highlighted by the gritty characteristics of the quintessential “Aussie Digger!”
When reviewing the list of admirable “self-leadership” qualities that the “Digger” used and claimed as his own during times of struggle and hardship it is worth taking some time and seeing how many of these attributes do you use and how many are characteristic of the business environment you currently inhabit.
In the dynamic ever changing world of life and business there are very struggles that are a matter of life and death…thankfully, but all of these “Digger” characteristics will ensure a more enjoyable and successful experience but like all new behaviors it takes persistence to train and fight for a better quality of life.
Richard
Australia's "Self-Leadership Specialist"
Some of the information found in this newsletter may have been adapted from the Crocodiles not Waterlilies Self-leadership Program with kind permission from Roger Anthony.
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