The Launch of ‘’Breaking Barriers Building Your Future’’ Webinar Series and the Strathmore Executive Magazine

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Nelson Mandela.

On the 25th of February 2021, the webinar series dubbed ‘’Breaking Barriers, Building your Future’’ kicked off with an inspiring session that focused on ‘’Making your Mark as a Leader.’’ The panelists included Dr. George Njenga, Executive Dean of Strathmore University Business School, Mr. Adil Popat, Executive Chairman of Simba Corporation, Ms. Anna Shanalingigwa, Managing Director of Private Agricultural Sector Support Trust in Tanzania and Mr. Amos Wangora, CEO of Kenya Trade Network Agency.  These seasoned East African leaders explored legacy building and shared experiences from their personal leadership journeys. The speakers provided valuable insights on how they had broken barriers to achieve success and imparted valuable leadership nuggets to those wishing to follow in their footsteps. Their collective wisdom has been summarized in the sections below.

Leaders Have Something to Offer

In his opening remarks, Dr. Njenga remarked that ‘’If you do not have anything to offer then you are not a leader.’’ He went on to explain that Leaders offer new innovative ideas or tools that help transform industries, sectors, society and help people fulfill their dreams and solve their problems. Another important factor that you must take into consideration when you set out to offer your idea to transform the world is how many people will be impacted by that idea.  However, Dr. Njenga asserted that people rarely understand the impact their idea may have in the future. He illustrated this point by using the example of cell phones and how they now serve as powerful communicators of information including digital money transactions which may not have been foreseen when they were first designed. Do not underestimate the power of your idea. You become a leader over time not because you set out to build a legacy but because of what you offer society which does not necessarily have to be a product or an idea but can also be the impactful service and self-sacrifice rendered to society during your lifetime.

Leaders must create solutions that stand the test of time or their contributions will be ephemeral and will not be remembered. The effects of your solution on society should be powerful and truly transformative. If the effects are only short-lived then your legacy will evaporate just as quickly.

Great Leaders Inspire People to Realize Their Vision

Speaking during the webinar, Mr. Popat remarked ‘’The vision comes from an ability to see well ahead of where you are in the world.’’ He went on to explain that in his case his vision started in 2007 when he took over as CEO of Simba Corporation as he carefully strategized how he could take his organization to greater heights. If a leader thinks small then the vision will reflect that and the organization will remain small. Therefore, it is important for leaders to be unafraid to think big. Mr. Popat said that leaders should not be scared of failure because without trying nobody can succeed. Failure is part of the process.  He also went on to say that having the right people on board with the right philosophy, skill-set, and attitude is key to realizing a leader’s vision.  Take the time to do an audit of the necessary skill-sets required and identify any gaps that need to be filled and outline the milestones that need to be achieved to work towards the vision you have set. Always ensure you maintain the highest ethical standards and hold people accountable for their actions. Invest in the best technology and accounting and financial control systems you can afford to support your business.

It is also imperative that leaders invest in the well-being of their employees. The people that work hard to support the leader should be considered a precious asset to the organization and be treated as such. Promote work-life balance and listen to the concerns of your employees. Investing in youth development and employee training will help you build a workforce that acts as brand ambassadors for the institution and powerful implementors of the vision.

Family units play a fundamental role in the success of society. Strathmore University Business School has invested in creating Women’s Leadership Centres to empower women and equip them with the skills they need to become business leaders. In order for women to break through the glass ceiling created by traditional thinking that limits the roles of women in the workplace, organizations need to create supportive environments that help women fulfill their critical roles as mothers as well as their leadership duties.

Leaders have to be Good Salespeople

Mr. Wangora mentioned that ‘’One of the biggest challenges for leaders is to convince resource bearers to support their vision.’’ In order to garner critical support and secure the buy-in of key stakeholders, one of the traits of great leaders is the ability to sell their vision continuously. Leaders must have persistence and not shrink in the face of opposition. State your values right upfront so that people know what you stand for and can get behind your vision. When a leader can articulate his or her vision with passion and exhibit patience when things take longer than expected, then they can break through resource barriers and move ahead.

Great Leaders Give Back to Society

Legacies are created when leaders give back to society. Your legacy should outlive you. Organizations should create structured ways of routinely giving a percentage of their profits back to society by setting up foundations with good governance structures. Some of the powerful legacies that were started by past leaders still live on to this day and continue transforming society.

During these uncertain times as a leader, you must give yourself adequate time to see through the fog of uncertainty and not act hastily during a crisis. Ensure you are not operating out of fear. As a leader, you must have faith in your foresight and maintain a positive outlook as you work with your team to navigate the crisis and break through the barrier of fear.

Great Leaders May Not Always be Visible

Great leaders are often hidden. In our society today, there are many who seek public recognition and want to demonstrate their power and achievements. However, true leaders are not overbearing, they are busy working with their teams putting in many hours of service, and rising above failure to persist in achieving their vision. They are humble and willing to listen and train themselves to continuously improve and invest in building not only their own capacity as leaders but the leadership capacity of their people. These leaders are grooming the next generation of leaders to carry the vision into the future.

Ms. Shanalingigwa, a panelist during the session remarked that ‘’I see myself as the product of the many people that have been there before that nurture the talent of others.’’ Great leaders create successive generations of leaders as they pass the baton to others to break more barriers and advance the frontiers of knowledge, innovation, and industry.

The Strathmore Executive Magazine 

The Strathmore Executive biannual magazine showcases an array of thought leadership articles from our renowned faculty, alumni, staff, and students. Additionally, the magazine aims to educate readers on events, news, service to society activities, and the academic accomplishments of our faculty and students. Articles on the Research and Innovation initiatives of our faculty, postgraduate and undergraduate students as well as our joint projects with our top tier global education and industry partners are also featured.

This magazine aspires to be a tool for transformation by educating the wider community on all our initiatives and ideas to positively impact and transform society and invite people to partner with us to continue breaking barriers as we inspire and develop the next generation of great African leaders.

You can access your free copy of the Strathmore Executive Magazine here

Article by Shailja Sharma, Executive Editor, Strathmore Executive Magazine

Would you like to share an article? Write to sbscommunication@strathmore.edu