The influence of social norms on the psychology of leadership is hard to imagine. Two cultural models, for the most part, stand in the way of leaders striving to excel in Ghana, my motherland.

Two notions of leadership come to mind as I reflect on the letter ‘J’ in my leadership alphabet. Some pursue leadership as a competition to the top of a social ladder. Leaders who employ this technique ruthlessly trample on others in total disregard as long as it offers an advantage in the race to the top.

On May 27, 2017, I was among thousands of British Airways passengers at London Heathrow airport whose flights were canceled due to system failures. Travelers looked relaxed as airport and British Airways officials managed the situation in the first couple of hours.