Lakewood's bogus Pledge, the yellow Porsche, and the Presidents: A Lesson in Real Leadership
Last weekend’s G20 was historic. The inaugural G20 held on African soil. Less elitist. More inclusive.
Yet also, a storm brewed on the other side of the Atlantic. A Yankee circus enveloped in a spectacle of diplomacy wrapped in ego, tantrums, and noise.
And in the middle of all that thunder, many of you wrote to us with one question:
“How does any of this relate to me? I’m not a President.”
So today, I want to tell you a story. A story from my own life. A story about leadership, ego, humility — and the quiet power of a soul-led decision.
My hope? That as you read this, you see pieces of yourself, your family, your company and your team in this story… and the role you play in shaping the world around you.
Because you matter more than you think. Much more.
The Story of Lakewood
Many years ago, long before G20 declarations and global headlines, my family and I decided to create a sovereign family fund.
A simple idea: Let’s help each other in times of need. Education. Medical needs. School fees. Seed capital for businesses. Emergencies. A cushion for life’s storms.
It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t glamorous. It was service.
Our first task was to form the Constitution — the backbone of the fund. Who would govern it? How would decisions be made? Who carried the responsibility?
The whole family came together at a family reunion and appointed the Trustees. Shortly thereafter, we held a meeting — Doctors, Engineers, Bankers, Accountants, Entrepreneurs, and even a housewife… but she showed up. She smiled. She listened. She contributed.
And then… there was Memon Lakewood.
Let’s call him that. Not his real name.
Lakewood arrived with the roar of a yellow Porsche and the swagger of a man who believed charm was a currency. A high-school dropout who built fast money and fast stories — and used volume to replace value.
He sat at the table. But he couldn’t truly contribute. Not meaningfully. Not structurally. Not in a way that built the fund for generations to come.
But he masked his complex with his usual over-bearing domination.
And when I reflected on G20, I remembered him.
Because what happened in the family is exactly what played out on the world stage.
The Parallel With G20
At the G20, South Africa’s President Ramaphosa — a calm, steady, soul-led presence — invited the U.S. delegation to attend the summit he was leading for 2025. Protocol. Respect. Diplomacy.
But Trump refused. More tantrums. More theatrics. More my way or the highway. Warnings and threats should a Declaration be signed and sealed.
And President Ramaphosa? Did he panic? Did he bow? Did he tremble?
No.
He simply moved forward — firm, humble, grounded — and delivered a declaration that was agreed upon and signed by leaders in the room.
Just like our family Constitution. Where Lakewood boycotted the process…we continued anyway. Quietly. Respectfully. Steadily.
So when ego storms out, soul moves forward.
The Pledge That Never Arrived
A few months later, during a family reunion, we presented our progress and milestones to the family. Lakewood stood up again. He made a grand pledge. A symbolic contribution to the fund. There was applause. There was hype. There was theatre.
It was beautiful… until it wasn’t. Because the pledge never reached the bank account. The promise stayed in the air.
It reminded me of last week, when Trump threw a $4.6 billion pledge into the global fund to help people with HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria — a stunt dropped on the sidelines of G20, designed to steal thunder, grab attention and steal headlines.
But pledges are not deposits. Headlines are not hospitals. Words are not vaccines.
It’s the same behaviour. Micro vs macro. Same movie. Different screen.
Ego vs Soul: How People Show Up
Trump and Lakewood lead from ego — loud, impulsive, dramatic.
Ramaphosa leads from soul — steady, grounded, and deeply aware of the collective.
And I’ve tried to lead that way too — in my family, in my work, in Elysium. Not perfect. Not always polished. But present. Humble. Open.
I’ve learned that ego wants to be seen. Soul wants to serve. And service wins every time.
You felt this in last week’s newsletter, so I’ll bring it back here:
Emotion creates entanglement. Entanglement creates engagement. Engagement creates alignment, Alignment creates trust. And trust… trust is coin. Real coin. The wealth that outlives markets.
This is the currency of leaders who move from soul, not noise.
Macro and Micro Reflections
Here’s the leadership x-ray you loved — now woven into this story:
Every reader can place themselves somewhere on this x-ray. Every leader can recognize their own evolution in this mirror. And that’s the point.
Leadership is not a title. Leadership is a frequency.
You know the leader who storms the stage. And you know the leader who holds the room.
You know the leader who promises the world. And you know the leader who delivers quietly at dawn.
This isn’t about good or bad. It’s about resonance. What resonates builds worlds. What doesn’t… collapses on itself.
So Where Do You Sit?
Here’s where you enter the story.
Can you see yourself in one of these patterns? Do you recognise someone in your company, your team, your family?
Have you ever shown up like Lakewood? Loud, confident, but not ready for real contribution?
Have you ever shown up like Ramaphosa? Quiet, steady, anchoring the room?
Have you ever felt torn between the two?
Tell me in the comments. What spoke to you? What would you do differently? What part of this story touched your truth?
And This Is Where Elysium Comes In
If you’re reading this, you already know which path speaks to you. You already know which energy resonates in your bones. You're already halfway in.
If your leadership comes from soul — or if your soul is trying to reclaim your leadership — then Elysium is your home. Your space. Your tribe. Your sanctuary. Because when leaders move from soul, impossible becomes inevitable:
families heal,
companies grow,
communities transform,
trade swells,
nations rise, and
futures open like doors.
The world doesn’t need more performers. The world needs more presence.
Every Black Friday people rush to buy TVs, gadgets, toys… things that lose value the moment they leave the store.
But leaders? Real leaders? They invest in something else entirely:
Themselves.
Not ego-development. Soul-development.
And that’s what Elysium is — a home for soul-led leadership… a place where your soul gets to sit at the table… and your ego learns to take a breath.
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But if that’s not your space yet, we have Elysium Circle — group coaching designed to shift you gently, powerfully, unmistakably. This isn’t information. This is transformation. And it never goes out of fashion. Its for the digital nomads. And if you're a corporate gladiator, click on this link, read the content to see if there is alignment and resonance, get in touch with us for a no-obligation chat, and then present it to your Line Manager/Human Capital Officer at your next professional development discussion.
Your leadership matters. Your soul matters. Your presence reshapes your world.