Changing lives of future leaders
THIS year LeadSA aims to change the lives of future leaders as they focus on leadership development, in commemoration of Mandela Day.
LeadSA has facilitated one-onone coaching sessions in Cape Town at the Graduate School of Business’s Centre (GSB) for coaching, and in Joburg at the Gordon Institute for Business Science (GIBS), as part of celebrating the day.
The sessions are designed for individuals and organisations to better their leadership skills, with an experienced leadership coach.
Primedia Broadcasting station manager in Cape Town, Colleen Louw, said Mandela inspired the world with his leadership abilities.
“Every South African carries the memory of Madiba in their heart, and to honour and pay tribute to this great man’s legacy, we have facilitated over 100 free leadership coaching sessions in Joburg and Cape Town. We are very excited to partner with GSB and GIBS on this project, which is making a substantial investment in building the leadership talent in our country.”
Cape Argus editor Gasant Abarder believes leadership is characterised by succession and mentorship. That is why the Mandela Day Leadership Project is so important, he said. “Especially in the context of the transferring of skills to those young leaders employed in the private sector and those who are self-employed. Our greatest leader, Nelson Mandela, was shaped by his own mentor, Walter Sisulu. Madiba, in turn, throughout his life, carried on that proud tradition of ‘each one, teach one’.”
New Ventures West, one of the US’s leading coaching organisations will take part in the project.
UCT graduate school director Walter Baets said the collaboration from the business school and LeadSA was a “natural fit”. “At the UCT Graduate School of Business we are in the business of training future leaders who are not just great business minds, but values-based and ethical too – because that is what the world needs. In common with LeadSA we strongly encourage our graduates to be bold, to make the sometimes difficult choices, and be part of building a more equitable and just society.”
GIBS associate director: Personal & applied Learning, Alison Reid, said the project was about motivating people with a range of expertise to make a positive contribution to society. “GIBS has the business and learning expertise, with specialists who understand processes of human and social change. Our NGOs work creatively and tirelessly to make a difference at critical points for society. Putting our heads together (literally!) is a powerful way to catalyse positive forward movement for South Africa.”