The language of leadership is dominated by English. This episode reveals just what a flaw this is.

12 members of the expedition translate the definition of leadership we have adopted for the expedition into their mother tongues. Or rather they try to. Selvie Jusman admits her translation doesn’t really mean anything and falls back in love with her own #bahai. Uma Chatterjee reveals that none of us will ever really know her unless they speak #bengali. Isata Kabia just has fun in #creole. Hinemoa Elder introduces us to #personification in # Māori. Katya Guryeva avoids the problems of a gendered language in #russian. Maria Karageorgou reveals that catalyse (the first word in the #english definition) has two polar opposite means in its original #greek. Ana Luz Porzecanski gets back to scientific basics on catalysing with #spanish. Fatima Zibouh comes round to the word catalyse in #french. Rouba Mhaissen has adopted catalyse big time in #arabic. Anna Kuk has to decide whether to go for the faithful or the beautiful in #polish.  And Erica Su makes an extraordinary and beautiful breakthrough in #chinese.

Those of you who think translation is simple, listen to this episode. It illustrates the opposite and the source of many misunderstandings.

English is so helpful as a common language but has huge limitations which many are blind to. This episode is an advanced class in #culturalintelligence #cq

[00:00:31] We'll be successful so that women the world over will be able to say If that's leadership, I'm in.

[00:01:29] It's not gendered. Leadership, men and women, whatever the definition, is, not gendered. What we propose is that how you deliver the leadership that may be quite gendered and may possibly be very different if you're a woman, but leadership itself is not gendered. So our definition is as follows. Leadership is catalyzing people's talent, ideas, and actions with purpose and momentum to reach goals and realize a shared vision.

[00:02:55] The... one of the few criteria for being chosen to be one of the women on the expedition is that you had to speak more than one language. Now I was always really, really clear that that that was needed and and sometimes struggled to explain exactly why.

[00:03:40] But if you listen to this episode with 11 different translations of our definition, I think it begins to make you realize just how much English both empowers people and deeply disempowers people. All the members have been involved in this, but it's been very much the germ of this particular idea, and this episode came from two members, Hinemoa and Ana Luz.

[00:04:31] Hinemoa: Okay. Um, so kia ora, kia ora, Julia kia ora everybody. Um, I've been working as part of the cultural and linguistic diversity group really exploring how we we're grappling with the tyranny of English you might say. It's, it's on one hand, it's the common shared global language of our expedition and of much of our lives.

[00:05:24] So we felt that without focusing on the cultural and linguistic diversity of our group and our global aims, in terms of the English language that we're using to communicate, we could miss out on some other really fruitful discussions and perhaps some quite challenging ones around how we express ourselves in the context of this working definition that has been developed.

[00:06:21] And she'll explain why she feels she's only got 80% there so far.

[00:07:14] Julia: So if you just translated it, at the moment, rather than in the future, what would it, what? Do you have any sense of what it would sound like?

[00:07:33] Julia: Erica, we'll come back to you. We'll come back to you right at the end of this episode because by then you will have found it.

[00:07:51] Julia: my money is on Erica. She will find it. Next we're over to Isata in Creole. She starts her, her definition, and I emphasize the word, her definition here. You'll see what I mean.

[00:08:23] And I ended up falling in love with the word in Creole 'ep' when, when I speak Creole, I usually say help, you know, as, as in English. But, um, ep. I wanted to use that word in a sentence.

[00:08:56] Isata: Mm. All man. Yes. So all man means everybody. Yes. So this is where you have this, you know, man used as people as opposed to yeah. Yeah. All man means everybody. For make all man better. So everybody's lives are improved basically, you know? Yeah. So [__], you didn't catch that one. Um, that's another one I like.

[00:09:57] Julia: Thank you isata. Next is Katja who jumps straight into Russian.

[00:11:32] Julia: Katja, it does sound wonderful in Russian. Let's, let's move on and, and, and actually move back to Hinemoa, translating our definition of leadership into Maori. She tried two approaches, two different approaches, two very different approaches, and and in so doing, introduced us to the concept of the agent emphatic.

[00:12:25] We also like to use personification, so, the way I started, uh, my first translation is, [__] so what what that shows is that I've personified the word, the, the verb purpose or to the, the noun purpose. Actually, I've personified that and made it a capital. So purpose is an actor, is a person, and by [__] personified of the, of the catalyst. So what you can also see already that I've positioned those aspects. The purpose and momentum come first of the catalyst, the activity of the group.

[00:14:26] And then I, I must say, I thought that that might really not and so I, I also reflected on some of the proverbial sayings, the [__] and [__] that we have in our language. And so one, again, you see the agent emphatic here, which I think also exemplifies what we're trying to say, is goes like this, [__]. And what that translates to is unyielding perseverance is the catalyst for success, but literally it's actually the nose and the dirt. The hard work of the nose with the mucus that's the young or the the novice becomes the clever nose, becomes the successful person. So clearly the nose, uh, was a very important metaphor for people, um, in our culture in times gone by.

[00:15:53] Selvi: What I'm trying to figure out is what does actually capitalise mean, even in English word, and try to figure it out. And therefore, from there, I can come up with a more simpler or more localized kind of, um, language and vision. So vision in Bahasa, I have it as [__], which is a real Indonesian word, but it is very complex in a way like, I mean complex in a way, even in English. What do you mean by vision?

[00:16:30] Selvi: Because it is very foreign. But who use it other than corporate. I have a lot of word for people. Like...

[00:16:41] Selvi: [__].

[00:16:43] So [__]. So [__] means men. [__] is the repetition, which means people. So ...

[00:16:55] Selvi: Um, so [__] is very, both are gender neutral. Even like we don't have he or she, it's just gender neutral. Interesting. Uh, first round of translating yeah? I will say... [__].

[00:17:52] Selvi: Yes. Direct transition.

[00:17:58] Selvi: Yes. So the whole thing just sounds off.

[00:18:05] Selvi: Lose the big words.

[00:19:07] Maria: [__]. So one of the words is [__] and this is the catalyzing, people's talents and ideas and actions. Eh, catalyzing in Greek, it has, um, it's a double meaning word. It can be used with, um, a negative sense. And it means that, you know, back in the ancient Greek moments, it was like, uh, for instance when you had democracy somewhere and somebody was able to go and remove democracy and put another person there. However, eh, catalyzing is also used in chemistry. And in chemistry it has exactly the same meaning as it has in English.

[00:20:09] Maria: Yeah. When this word is alone, you can play with it and you can take it in every way that you want. But when this word is surrounded by other words, then it can also always change the meaning.

[00:20:27] Maria: The second word, which is actually very interesting and... as I... is the word momentum. Now, the momentum is coming from the Latin. Eh, in English, momentum, it has, uh, a very special meaning, and like I said, surrounding this, it can bring very, you know, something which is very powerful in this sentence. In Greek, it means [__], momentum. Now, [__] like I said, it can show that I am jumping towards something. It's coming with force. I'm coming with force. It takes everything with it.

[00:21:29] Thank you. Now we're onto Ana Luz. And she approaches the word catalytic in a very, very simple way as a scientist. And has complete clarity on what it means. But she starts first with, um, a translation into Spanish.

[00:22:01] As many of you may know by now, I have a scientific background. I'm a scientist. What's interesting is that catalyzing, you know, enzymes, catalyze chemical reactions, for example, and when they do that, they do multiple things. They bring things together that normally wouldn't have come together or might have taken much longer to get together.

[00:22:59] So for a chemical reaction to happen, you need initial activation energy. And when you catalyze, you reduce that original hurdle of the activation energy that you need to make things happen. And I think all of that is a beautiful metaphor, really for what we're trying to say here about the role of a leader.

[00:24:08] And so, and then finally momentum, you know, again, given my science background, I would've been fine leaving it as it was. It's a Latin word, uh, but in order to make this more accessible, I really wanted to find a Spanish word, and I went with [__]

[00:25:04] Exactly.

[00:25:12] Anna: [__] The aspect of language, um, different languages is very interesting for me. Um, especially because I was, uh, studying, I used to study philology, which is the, the, the knowledge of about the language. And also I studied music, which is also another language, and as a poet, as well, I know that, uh, there is a, there's a joke, um, that either, uh, the translation has to be faithful or beautiful.

[00:26:18] And um, and it was really like something that just, I was thinking I'm, I'm very limited. I'm kind of like paralyzed with this, uh, this kind of laboratory, uh, laboratory, uh, definition. In Polish, when I, when I, when I saw the exact definition of the word catalyzing, it means, uh, it refers only to to the speed. So making something move faster or slower.

[00:27:48] And idea is more like a creative space. But if I would Google it, uh, translate, Google Translate direct, it would give me the, the not a good word.

[00:28:24] Fatima: Always with you, Julia. Cause you, uh, yes. You, we, we have to think out of the box, so it's not common. Because catalyzing for me, it's a view, it's, no, it's not, um, in French, uh, a common world. I don't use this word catalyzing, um, because in French, catalyzing is [__], so it's the same word in French and it's, it's, it's like a synonym of, to empower, to give more strength, to give more uh, power, uh, for leadership. So, uh, yes, it's, uh...

[00:29:09] Fatima: Yeah. And I asked myself, when we use catalyze, uh, catalyzing, it's for energy to give more energy. Uh, catalyzing is something that... something to amplify. So something, yes. If you see this image catalyzing it, like, uh, it's like a comet, like a star, you know...

[00:29:38] Fatima: Yes. So if I translate, uh, the [__].

[00:29:53] Wow.

[00:30:03] Julia: translate purpose ?

[00:30:09] Julia: Objectif. Isn't that quite a small word compared to a purpose, which is... an objective, is a sort of a target. A purpose is something that lifts you up.

[00:30:31] Julia: lifting

[00:30:45] Julia: that's not bad. That's a good idea.

[00:31:05] Julia: That was fun. Over to you now Ruba, in Arabic.

[00:32:13] Ruba: And this is very much depending on the personality of the leader. So eventually we, we just kept that word.

[00:32:50] Uma: [__], the word catalyzing was a little difficult to translate as is. You know, in, in, in Bangla the phrase, actually, there is a blending of flavors in the word catalyzing. Uh, a blending of flavors to organize, to mobilize, to activate, to prepare. All of these come into that, you know, the pot that cooks the word catalyze.

[00:33:45] Julia: Did you make up a word or have you found one?

[00:33:55] Momentum has one element, which is pace or speed, pace. And the other element of momentum is, you know, uh, another unique element is the spiritedness in, in that movement. So there are two words actually in Bangla, which I was struggling with. Should I, um, should I emphasize pace and speed, or should I emphasize the energy and spiritedness of a, you know, when something is in motion.

[00:34:46] Julia: And maybe it needs, maybe it needs both words.

[00:35:09] Julia: What do you use your native language for?

[00:35:40] Julia: Did you, do you resent the fact that English is the thing, is your thinking. Or has to be your thinking language?

[00:36:32] So I owe so much of, uh, the feeling of peerage, friendship, wisdom to the English language. There is no doubt about that. I, I how much I have gained and learned from the, uh, from English language. Having said that, like I said, if there was more spaces of the two languages, being able to flow into each other and be able to use it together, weave it together, it would have been ideal.

[00:37:07] Julia: Uma, thank you as ever for putting your heart and soul into this. Um, you are the 11th translation. This, uh, this crazy idea has been a glorious idea, and it came very much from both Hinemoa and Ana Luz. So I went back to Ana Luz and also to just remind us about the thoughts that, that germed, this concept.

[00:38:15] Um, and I think, I think, uh, the important thing about language is that it carries though different meanings for different folks and it can carry it, um, a heavy baggage. You know, language has been used to connect, but also to oppress because it allows me to dominate, perhaps culturally, you know, if I, if I use language in a certain way. And English and other languages and Spanish have been used in this way to suppress other, other cultures and ways of thinking.

[00:39:09] Julia: Different meanings for different folks. Uh, I feel the same way. Just a thought. Before we finish this episode, you've gotta come back to Erica. Come back with me because last night she sent me a message and said that, um, she'd cracked it.

[00:39:36] Erica: Okay, so the first one's [__]. So in Chinese way it's called start with a purpose. And then the second three characters, [__] meaning, um, cultivating talent, intelligence, and action, something like that. And the last word is [__] means achieve. I think there's more to that, but in a simple way, achieve big vision.

[00:40:18] Erica: Yeah, I, I think if you, I, I really love to have this quote in a way that we could put in the social media, we see how many laughs people will get, because if they know that old Chinese like, uh, literature, et cetera, they will really appreciate this because it's, it's simple, but it's classic. It's also very, um, very, very beautiful.

[00:40:50] Erica: I am really proud and also very, um, honored and also really have a good sense of, uh, achievement.

[00:41:08] Oh, how I wish you could see Erica's face. It looks so beautiful as she reads the definition that I don't begin to understand, but I love already. And um, actually, you know, I think the last word has to go to Selvi. One last moment. Do you remember Uma said that this had been exhilarating and anxiety making and she added loving and, and I think Selvi also came back to me yesterday and added to that list revealing.

[00:42:08] Selvi: Wow. In Bahasa, it sounds so beautiful. Like the string of the words are just so like, you know, when you listen to music, it was like so nice. And I was listening to it and I was like, wow, this is so beautiful.

[00:42:49] Sindhu: To become part of our movement and share your thinking with us, subscribe to the podcast and join the Women Emerging Group on our website at womenemerging.org. We love all of the messages you send. Keep them coming.