15: Beyond Ubuntu: What the World Can Learn about Building Community from Africa

The general global leadership literature has had little to say about African models of leadership. Despite this, the continent of Africa has deep and rich traditions of relational leadership that have been practiced over centuries to honor individuality, broker difference, and foster unity. This chapter shares a number of these practices and illustrates how they have been used to nurture community at the African Leadership Academy and the African Leadership University. We conclude with our perspective on the relevance of these practices to building community in the wider world.