Flourishing Leaders with Boris Maguire & Oli Raison

In this episode of The Thermostat, Jason V. Barger sits down with Boris Maguire and Oli Raison, the founders of Safarini Leadership. Based in Kenya, Safarini guides global executives through remote mountains and deserts on foot, facilitating transformational journeys alongside indigenous Samburu tribal elders. The conversation explores how ancient African wisdom intersects with modern concepts of corporate culture, leadership in teams, and employee engagement.

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The Philosophy of Naboisho: “Coming Together”

At the heart of the Samburu culture is the concept of Naboisho, which translates to “coming together.” Similar to the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu, it rests on the belief that “we are because they are.” In this environment, leadership is not defined by titles, wealth, or personal gain. Instead, it is a collective act of service aimed at the well-being of the entire community.

This indigenous perspective offers a sharp contrast to the Western “culture of narcissism” that often rewards individual power and control. By shifting the focus from the “top-down” pyramid to a shared, value-based model, organizations can build a level of resilience that sustains them through periods of high stress and market volatility.

Flourishing Through Purpose and Connection

The guests refer to the Global Human Flourishing Study, which identifies purpose and meaningful human connection as two of the most critical pillars for a successful life and career. Boris Maguire notes that while modern society is highly “digitally connected,” it is often “humanly disconnected.”

• • Autonomy vs. Connection: Modern business emphasizes independence, often at the cost of the relationships that drive long-term stability.

  • Integrated Life: The idea that we have separate “personal” and “professional” lives is a myth. If a leader is not flourishing at home or in their community, they cannot lead a flourishing team at work.

Generational Collaboration: The Age Set System

One of the most profound lessons from the Samburu is their approach to generational differences. In the West, different age groups are often pitted against each other. The Samburu use an “age set system” where every male graduates through life stages en masse every 15 years:

1. Children: Given responsibility as early as age six.

2. Warriors: A 15-year period of military-style service and protection.

3. Junior/Senior Elders: Assuming the mantle of leadership and decision-making.

4. Advisory Retirement: A mandatory handover of power to ensure the next generation is ready to lead.

Every young person is assigned a mentor from the generation above. This ensures a consistency of values and a proactive approach to succession planning—a common pain point for modern leadership in teams.

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Notable Quotes

“Wealth is not sitting in a bank account; it’s actually in their livestock… and yet they are very content. They have a very strong sense of resilience that stems from Naboisho—coming together.” — Oli Raison

“Teams led by self-aware leaders have 30% higher engagement and 32% higher profit… the greatest way to learn about yourself is to immerse yourself in others who are radically different from you.” — Boris Maguire

“We are digitally connected, but physically and emotionally and at a human level, quite disconnected. Disconnection surely impacts leadership.” — Boris Maguire

“In the West, we tend to view time as a commodity… the Samburu prioritize harmony over speed. They only make a decision when they reach some form of consensus, however long that takes.” — Oli Raison

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E.A.T. (Empathy, Accountability, Trust) Through Storytelling

For the Samburu, values aren’t bullet points on a slide; they are anchors in oral tradition. Boris shares the story of a family that was wiped out by drought two generations ago. Because a neighbor helped them rebuild, the descendants of that family repaid the debt to the original family’s grandson 70 years later—without written records or identification.

This “eternal accountability” shows that when trust and empathy are woven into the cultural fabric, the team (or tribe) becomes nearly unbreakable.

Questions to Ponder

To help you calibrate your own leadership thermostat, reflect on these questions posed during the episode:

1. Self-Awareness: Are you willing to immerse yourself in an environment radically different from your own to discover the “good, bad, and ugly” of how you show up as a leader?

2. The 5-Day Test: If you feel you cannot leave your business or organization for five or six days to step back and reflect, is that a symptom of a deeper problem in your team culture?

3. Interdependence: Does your team truly believe “we are because they are,” or is your culture a zero-sum game of individual achievement?

4. Succession: Are you actively mentoring the generation behind you, or are you “riding out” your leadership as long as possible?

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Links and References