Egypt and Women’s Rights: Fluke or Possiblity?


All eyes have been on Egypt and its process of transformational change. With the sexual assault on news reporter Lara Logan, attention has turned to the issue of Egypt’s treatment of women, and the discussion poses a significant question about the dynamics of transformation. Was the temporary absence of sexual harassment of women during the uprising a fluke or an illustration of the power of shifting people’s focus to a larger issue, a higher goal?

Historically, women in Egypt have been living under the threat—and reality—of frequent harassment when out in public, and even within their families. However, during the uprising, women report that they did not have that fear; they were a part of a larger force for change, side-by-side with men, fighting for something they ALL believed in. They walked the streets, participated in huge gatherings, and even slept out in tents on behalf of the declaration they were making for the downfall of the old government. They experienced the possibility of a transformed social norm, a partnership of equality with their fellow Egyptians: mutual, cross-boundary respect between men and women.

With the assault on Lara Logan, we know that even in the celebration of the success of the uprising, the reality of sexual harassment was still present. Her assault has brought the issue to the media spotlight—an awful and harsh experience for her, but a positive step for the women of Egypt. It appears from subsequent media reports and interviews with various Egyptian women that the old pattern still lives and the fear has returned. But the issue of the treatment of women now has attention, and women’s new-found courage to speak the truth of freedom for all needs to extend explicitly to Egyptian women as well as all of Egypt. It is not just the government that needs to transform; it is the social reality that the government condoned. Even though the harassment behavior seems to have returned, the larger issue is still present. The question is whether these old ways are what Egypt wants in its new reality.

Was the temporary absence of the fear of sexual harassment and disrespect during Egypt’s 18 days of demonstrations a fluke, or something more? Isn’t it possible that the uprising allowed a new reality to be experienced?       

WIN-Win-Win Model, Key to transforming mindset and behavior

WIN-Win-Win Model, Being First (c)

When people shift their attention to a larger cause or higher goal, their old behavior, patterned to serve their prior “lower” focus, changes. Their new behavior aligns with the higher outcome they aspire to. This is an illustration of the WIN-Win-Win principle we teach in transformation: Committing to a higher goal that serves all of us, first and foremost, changes everything. We behave, treat each other, make decisions, and act differently living from the larger perspective—the Big Win. When we align to what is best for us all and that becomes the top priority, then we easily work collaboratively across boundaries to achieve that goal, allowing “me” to win and “you” to win as well.

This is what took place on a grand social scale in Egypt, at least during the uprising. The commitment and priority of the greater goal of freedom and respect caused men to view women as partners in the struggle, and not as targets of their disdain. Their behavior changed—albeit unconsciously—because of their commitment to the Big Win.  But why has the old behavior apparently returned? Is it not possible that the Big Win commitment can be proactively and consciously used as the new government and social reality realigns? How can this new behavior be named, celebrated, and sustained?

WIN-Win-Win is a simple dynamic that has enormous implications—for relationships, teams, organizations, communities, politics, society, nations, and the world. We witness commitment to the Big Win most often in times of crisis—massive fires or floods that consume communities, the earthquake in Haiti, the miners in Chile. The issue is how to sustain that commitment after the adrenaline of the crisis subsides…after the uprising succeeds and life “returns to normal.” But in transformation, we don’t want “normal!” That has us backslide from the ground we just gained.

The key is helping the collective become conscious of the value of the new behavior, on behalf of the better social or organizational outcome it chooses. The work of leading transformation is making the Big Win overt and naming it as a priority and ultimate goal, embedding it, monitoring it, celebrating it and reinforcing it. These are the dynamics we need to master and carry out as conscious change leaders.

The temporary shift of social mores in Egypt, as a reflection of its Big Win, is a demonstration of something the Egyptian people are capable of collectively co-creating. In the coming months, the question is how to use the awareness of the initial social change to sustain progress. What would it look like for Egyptians to become conscious on a mass scale of the change that happened, then collectively choose it, and work together to sustain it because it serves them all and the higher outcome Egypt as a nation benefits from? The plans made and carried out by the organizers of the uprising were nothing less than brilliant. Now, can that same intelligence be used to evolve the society of the new Egypt going forward? Can their Big Win be sustained for the good of women as well as the rest of their freedom agenda?

What are your thoughts about this? Do you think what occurred in Egypt was a demonstration of the Big Win? Do you think it is possible for the people who lived it during the uprising to make it a conscious choice for their new collective reality? For Egypt, for women, and for us all, I hope so.

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Endorsements

With this extensively upgraded second edition, Dean Anderson and Linda Ackerman Anderson solidify their status as the leading authorities on change leadership and organizational transformation. This is without question the most comprehensive approach for leaders who are serious about making change a strategic discipline. Beyond Change Management is an intelligent book by two of the most knowledgeable and accomplished masters of their craft, and it’s one that every conscious change leader should adopt as their guide to creating more meaningful organizations.

Jim Kouzes
Coauthor of the bestselling The Leadership Challenge and The Truth About Leadership


Read this great book by Dean Anderson and Linda Ackerman Anderson and learn how to use their multi-dimensional approach to lead transformation masterfully and consciously!

Marshall Goldsmith
World-renowned executive coach
Author of the New York Times best-sellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There


An important move toward a more integral business consulting approach, very much recommended for those interested in the topic and ways to actually apply it. 

Ken Wilber
Author, The Integral Vision, A Brief History of Everything, and over a dozen other best-sellers


Dean and Linda are core to the field of conscious change leadership, and continue to stretch and push its boundaries in this rich and deep compendium. This is a must read from two consummate thought leaders who have devoted their careers to developing highly successful change leaders. Read it and immediately improve your change leadership or consulting success.

Bev Kaye
CEO, Career Systems International
Author of Love 'em or Lose 'em: Getting Good People to Stay


This book is about mastery of leading the transformational change process written by masters of the craft.  For corporate leaders and consultants who consider themselves committed students of the process of organizational change.

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Chairman, Conner Partners
Author of Managing at the Speed of Change and Leading at the Edge of Chaos


Beyond Change Management is a timely how-to guide for leading change in the 21st century. It provides both a conceptual roadmap, and practical tools and techniques for successfully transforming organizations.

Noel Tichy
Professor, University of Michigan
Co-author with Warren Bennis of JUDGMENT: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls


Once again, Dean and Linda have nailed it! Beyond Change Management is an extraordinary book examining the shifts in change management that have occurred over the years. This book offers real, practical solutions for change practitioners to become extraordinary conscious change leaders.

Darlene Meister
Director, Unified Change Management
United States House of Representatives


Powerful business solutions to the current chaos facing many organizations today. Dean Anderson and Linda Ackerman Anderson get to the heart of change, the human touch, by using timeless techniques and tools.
Ken Blanchard
Co-Author of The One Minute Manager and Leading at a Higher Level


Having applied this methodology for two years to manage change inside Microsoft, it has been instrumental in our ability to land change effectively, engage employees and deliver results quickly. The Change Leader’s Roadmap allows us to lead change with precision and minimal outside consulting, while at the same time growing change leadership capability internally. This is the most complete change methodology we have found anywhere.

Pete Fox
General Manager, Corporate Accounts
Microsoft US


This newest edition of The Change of Leader’s Roadmap is an invaluable, comprehensive and practical guide for envisioning an organization’s desired future, designing the structures and practices necessary to make it happen, and implementing them effectively. The book describes the change process in nine distinct phases and outlines the activities and tasks that need to occur in each phase. It provides change leaders with an essential map for successfully traversing the complex and uncertain terrain of transformational change.   

Thomas G. Cummings
Professor and Chair, Department of Management & Organization
Marshall School of Business
University of Southern California


This is the next best thing to having Dean, Linda and the Being First team riding alongside your complex change initiative. The Change Leader’s Roadmap breeds confidence in senior executive “Champions” to guide not just a successful transformational change, but most importantly, to develop the mission critical organizational CULTURE that will ensure unparalleled return on investment. Nothing I have seen in my 32 years of leading change comes close.

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Former CEO, Common Wealth Credit Union
Mayor, City of Lloydminster


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Director COO
Valcon Management Consultants A/S
Copenhagen


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Robert J. Marshak, Ph.D.
Senior Scholar in Residence
MSOD Program, American University
Organizational Change Consultant