She came from a humble single parent household in a crime hotspot in Central, but today, 36-year-old Brigette Hyacinth is teaching T&T and the world how to be a good leader. A former bank employee, she has written a book called “The Edge of Leadership: A Leader’s Handbook for Success”.
Hyacinth, of Chase Village, Chaguanas, who has a Masters degree in business administration, said a lot of the information in the book is original and comes from her own experiences.
According to her, people in the corporate arena all over the world are astonished at the teachings in the book and amazed they are coming from someone from the Caribbean. The interest in her teachings are so keen that she has 70,000 followers on LinkedIn, twice the amount world leadership guru John C Maxwell has, she said.
She has founded her own motivational company, MBA Caribbean Organisation, and with a staff of about 20 consultants visits schools and companies across T&T giving lectures. So what’s in this book that’s fascinating the corporate world so?
Hyacinth may mash some corns but she said true leadership is not about power. She even lists her own version of the “seven deadly sins” that will eventually crumble leaders, whether in the workplace, politics, the home or wherever. Giving a holistic definition of a good leader, she even said practising good health habits is important for success. “A leader is supposed to motivate, inspire, lead. It’s about finding a solution and having a vision for the future. It’s not about power, it’s about dealing with the needs of your followers,” she told the T&T Guardian.
“A good leader is supposed to listen to his followers and take feedback. A leader does not talk down to his staff. A good leader will not underestimate the power of followers.” The seven deadly sins that will, sooner or later, crumble someone in a leadership position, according to Hyacinth, are lust, pride, jealousy, greed, wrath, gluttony and sloth.
“A lot of CEOs all over the world fell because of these sins,” she said. Inspiration is another major fact of good leadership, Hyacinth said.
“Those who know about the wisdom of failure and the glory of rejection make better leaders,” she said.
“Wisdom is one of the greatest teachers. Sometimes, you cannot do something without falling first, like a child learning to walk.
“Rejection is one of the most painful stakes to the heart but there’s a flip side to that coin. If you don’t focus on the rejection but see it as a bend in the road and make a turn, you will come out.” Something she developed which is not found in any other leadership manuel, she said, is the leader’s tool kit. A leader uses the level, hammer, needlenose pliers, screwdriver, socket wrench, cordless drills and bits, cross cut saw, tape measure and utility knife (for trimming and cleaning).
Her leadership book is really a life lesson, she said. The recession is doing her business good, she said, because companies are no longer bringing down foreign consultants but are sourcing them locally to save money.
Hyacinth said employee morale in many T&T companies is low because of cost cutting exercises going on. Asked if she could offer some advice to workers who had lost their jobs in recent times, said, “Take things one day at a time. Don’t look to the future, it can frighten you. Don’t look back at the past.”
She said stringent budgeting is needed. Told people may not even have money to budget, she replied, “Not preparing for the future is part of the Trini culture.” She has walked the hard road to success, she said, and recalled she did her Masters without a computer, printer or vehicle.
“I came from a background of nothing. My mother did washing, ironing and ten days to take care of us.
“Don’t despair. This is not the end of your story. You have the power to write the ending.”