Power Struggle

This weekend, George Bush's picture is plastered all over the news. His comments on the need for a power sharing agreement and his endorsement on sending Condaleeza Rice's to Kenya next week has put him in the spotlight of Kenya's political issues. Even though Bush and Rice are far from the situation and like us, know little about the history of the underlying issues, there voices are incredibly powerful. We were at the park yesterday enjoying a picnic and reading a book. The gentleman next to us was talking about next week's meetings with the two negotiating teams and he was adamant in saying that “Condi Rice is the world's third most powerful person” (behind Bush and Cheney). I guess that I had never thought about it that way, but perhaps he is correct. It sheds another source of light on the importance of November's presidential election. Whether we like it or not, our votes dictate the selection of not only the most powerful people in the US, but throughout the world.

This whole scenario has brought me back to a question that I have been dealing with for a while on how one leverages power in a way that draws from the strength of the party that is underpowered, promotes the use of power that is in the best interest of those that are powerless and fosters a long-term relationship in which the past use of power does not need to determine the future. In this case, what role does the US play in the Kenyan political crisis? This is a Kenyan problem and requires a Kenyan solution, but what about other countries (the US included) that have endured the growing pains of democracy? Do they play a role in all of this? I have no reservations in saying that this level of corruption from both sides would not be tolerated in most other nations. Is it ever OK for a powerhouse to come in and flex its muscles on behalf of the best interest of the citizens of a country? I have always been an advocate for the US to stay out of other country's business, but is there ever an appropriate time? Especially when decisions are being made on behalf of a few elitists with little concern for the majority of society. If there is power exerted, what implications does this have for future foreign relations?

The same question remains pertinent on a personal level. How is that we leverage power, or release it in a way that honors those that we interact with. We continue to grapple with when to push and pull or when to release and let things happen naturally. This is very tricky cross-culturally as there are many layers that can interfere. One of the more recent situations that I have analyzed is the Kenyan concept of time. To be honest with you, I enjoy not having to be on a tight schedule all the time and may have gained back a few hairs on my head for not feeling bad about being late. However, as we think about how to combat the enormous gap between the mainstream and grassroots leaders here in Nairobi, we can't neglect the concept of time. When we have a meeting with both parties and the mainstream leaders are on time and the grassroots leaders are 90 minutes late, what message does this send? As a representative of power, what is my role in addressing this situation? I think that all of you that are involved in teams and organizational structures, in particular those that are in positions of leadership, deal with similar power struggles on a regular basis.

We are hopeful, although slightly nervous, in how the US uses its power to promote peace in Kenya over the next week.