What are the connections between Leadership & Organisational Development and Truth & Reconciliation?

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC), sanctioned by Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, was established in Cape Town in 1995 and held restorative justice hearings.

The Truth and Reconciliation Committees in South Africa and Canada both aimed to address historical injustices and foster healing within their societies. In South Africa, the TRC was established in 1995, following the end of apartheid, to investigate human rights violations and promote national unity through restorative justice, allowing victims and perpetrators to share their stories in a public forum.

Similarly, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which operated from 2008 to 2015, focused on the legacy of the residential school system, where Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families. This commission aimed to acknowledge the harms inflicted on Indigenous communities, promote understanding, and guide steps toward reconciliation and healing. Both initiatives emphasised the importance of truth-telling as a pathway to justice and societal transformation.

These sessions provided a platform for individuals to share their testimonies about human rights violations, allowing their experiences to be acknowledged, recorded, and, in some cases, leading to amnesty.

The TRC aimed to create an environment where personal experiences could be validated, where truth could be uncovered, and where forgiveness could be prioritised over prosecution, and reparation over retaliation.

How can we help established managers and leaders recognise the necessary changes and take concrete steps toward improvement?

🚫 Avoid blame.

🚫 Steer clear of training that feels punitive.

🚫 Don’t ignore issues and hope they resolve themselves or dismiss them as unchangeable aspects of personality.

Instead, we should create a safe space where:

✅ Egos can be coat-checked.

✅ Human truths and feelings of shame can be explored without blame.

✅ Support can be action-planned to scaffold a future self with tangible steps to bridge current and future identities.

Leadership development is not therapy or counselling.

However, it’s essential to recognise that the brain cannot learn under threat, and that change is unlikely to happen without honesty and recognition.

Non-judgemental listening and non-violent responses foster an environment where individuals feel safe to acknowledge their current realities and envision a better future.

Honesty encourages transparency and builds trust, both vital for meaningful transformation. When individuals and organisations confront their past actions and experiences, they lay the groundwork for understanding and growth.

Creating a safe space for recognition, admission, learning, and imagination increases the likelihood of lasting positive change.

If we can co-create these types of environments with leaders, then we stand a greater chance of real transformation genuinely occurring.

If you're ready to cultivate a candidly honest space for growth in your organisation, get in touch!