My Turn to Eat, or My Turn to Serve?

If you ask John C. Maxwell, the world-renowned leadership expert and bestselling author, he will tell you that everything rises and falls on leadership. He echoes the wisdom famously captured by Alexander the Great: “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” Leadership is what gives talent, resources, and collective effort the direction, purpose, and discipline needed to turn potential into meaningful results. Why do some companies thrive while others collapse under the exact same market conditions? Why do some countries, despite a scarcity of natural resources, manage to build immense prosperity, while others blessed with absolute abundance continue to struggle?

Generally, when people are asked to speak about leadership, there is a tendency to focus on politicians—their unfulfilled promises, stolen or misused resources, and neglected responsibilities. While accountability is important, this approach can reduce leadership to a critique of those in political power, leaving little room to reflect on leadership for what it truly is or on the kind of leaders we ourselves are becoming. Genuine leadership begins with self-introspection: honestly examining our strengths and weaknesses, confronting our shortcomings, and deliberately building character. Alexandre Havard, in Virtuous Leadership: An Agenda for Personal Excellence, argues that leadership is not merely about character; leadership is character. This inner foundation transforms personal leadership from self-mastery into a means of serving others. Similarly, in his seminal 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader,” Robert K. Greenleaf challenged traditional views of leadership by arguing that great leadership begins with the desire to serve first. Later scholars, including Larry Spears and Kathleen Patterson, further developed frameworks connecting personal virtue and self-mastery with service to others. Ultimately, true leadership is not defined by titles, positions, or power over others, but by character, self-mastery, and the willingness to use one’s influence in the service of others.

These reflections do not merely apply to those who occupy positions of power; they challenge all of us to consider the kind of leaders we are becoming and, ultimately, the kind of society we are collectively creating through our understanding and practice of leadership. They compel us to look beyond the familiar criticism of political figures and turn the mirror inward. If leadership is fundamentally about character, influence, responsibility, and service, then the conversation must move beyond who holds power to how that power is exercised, and beyond what leaders take from society to what they leave behind. It is in this sense that leadership becomes deeply personal: What does it truly mean to lead, and what kind of responsibility does leadership place on each of us?

It was against this backdrop that the 2026 Leadership Summit gathered hearts and minds under the transformative theme, “Ethical and Transformational Leadership in Africa: Leading Beyond Power and Position,” at the Nairobi Club on 11 June 2026. Organized by the Rotary Club of Ngong Road and the Rotaract Club of Ngong Road, the summit convened diverse voices from academia, business, media, and leadership practice to examine what it means to lead ethically on a continent confronting complex social, economic, and institutional challenges. The distinguished panel featured Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Executive Dean of Strathmore University Business School; Patricia Ithau, Leadership Practitioner and “The Perennial Optimist”; Dr. Julius Kipngetich, Group CEO of Jubilee Insurance; and Carole J. Kimutai, Creative and Story Lead at Burson East Africa.

The perspectives shared by the panelists revealed that leadership is not a single formula, but a practice shaped by responsibility, values, experience, and the willingness to act for something greater than oneself. Patricia Ithau championed an optimistic and deeply human perspective, emphasizing personal responsibility and the power of young people to disrupt established norms. Her optimism was rooted in an unyielding belief in human goodness and the boldness of a generation uniquely capable of creating change. Dr. Julius Kipngetich analyzed leadership through the lens of institutions, education, and civic responsibility, stressing that sustainable transformation requires citizens and leaders who understand their role in building, rather than merely criticizing, societal structures. Carole J. Kimutai brought the conversation down to everyday life, reminding participants that leadership is ultimately reflected in how we treat people: with dignity, empathy, fairness, and respect.

At the heart of Dr. Caesar Mwangi’s contribution was a call to reconsider what leadership means and what it demands of those entrusted with influence. For him, Africa’s challenge is not fundamentally a shortage of resources, talent, or opportunity, but a crisis of leadership and values. He identified individualism, materialism, and hedonism as destructive forces that turn leadership into a pursuit of personal gain rather than a commitment to the greater good. Against this, he presented leadership as custodianship—a privilege accompanied by a profound responsibility to those who come after us. In this view, a leader does not own the position, the institution, or the resources entrusted to them; they are temporary custodians whose success must ultimately be measured by what they build, whom they empower, and the positive impact they leave behind. Leadership, therefore, is not an entitlement to be enjoyed, but a responsibility to be exercised in service of others. For Dr. Mwangi, the distinction could not be clearer: when our turn comes, is it our turn to eat, or our turn to serve?

By Michael Jagongo