Oneness in Business - what we can learn from the African concept of UBUNTU

Togetherness.

Imagine a renovated sports center in a rural township near Cape Town, the smell of home cooked food mixed with the smell of sweat from kids, teenagers and grown ups is in the air. People chanting and dancing all together in a circle, creating a vibrant energy of togetherness that gets carried through the building and the nearby houses. A feeling of community, completeness and joy puts a smile on everyone’s faces.

On that day, I was taught a word that stayed with me ever since and shaped my life in the most unexpected ways: UBUNTU, literally translates to ‘I am because we are’ and is the Nguni Bantu term for ‘humanity’ or ‘the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity’. The concept of UBUNTU was largely shaped by Nelson Mandela, and Barack Obama describes it as the ‘recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others and caring for those around us.’

A leader who embodies the concept of UBUNTU sees that everybody is naturally resourceful, whole and creative. Leading from this authentic place, our true self, allows us to see that everyone is a leader. We find purpose in what we do by seeing life and work as one. Embracing Oneness in Business naturally increases collaboration and creativity, and you will do good because this is who you are.

“If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together” (African Proverb)

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