Secrets to leadership roles
THERE are quite damning statistics for local companies, particularly those that are listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE), that show that indeed the struggle is real for aspiring female business leaders. Until February 1, 2015, when Mrs Clara Mlambo was appointed the managing director of British America Tobacco (BAT) Zimbabwe, only one woman — Mrs Grace Muradzikwa, the managing director of Nicoz Diamond – held fort at the helm of an enterprising public company. There are more than 60 companies that are listed on the — bourse. So scaling such heights for a local female business leader is quite a mean feat. But is Mrs Mlambo any different from any of the other women who are still on the lower rungs of the corporate ladder? Our business reporter Enacy Mapakame (EM) recently caught up with Mrs Clara Mlambo (CM) to get an insight into who she really is. EM: Who is Clara Mlambo? CM:I was born in Rusape and raised in Harare as the first daughter of Ernest and Prisca Matienga. I am married to Clemence Mlambo and we have two beautiful kids — Ashley Rukudzo and Sydney Funase. I have been with the British American Tobacco Group for over 18 years. I joined the company as a management trainee and went further to hold the positions of head of brands, head of trade, and marketing manager in Zimbabwe. I was later seconded to British American Tobacco South Africa, then Kenya, where I held various marketing roles and finally to Zambia where I was appointed managing director of British American Tobacco (Zambia) Plc. EM: ZSE
Out of over 60 companies, you
stand out as one of the few female CEOs. How does that make you feel? It really seems like a male-dominated environment at a time the world is calling for increased participation for women in business. Do you see yourself as a lone-ranger given the current situation? CM: It is correct that there are fewer women CEOs running companies on the ZSE. That said, I also know of powerful women, some of them who have mentored me who are successfully running large companies that are not necessarily on the ZSE. Based on the foregoing, I see our society slowly accepting the importance of gender diversity in leadership of businesses. We are reaching that point where truly result-oriented boards are not concerned about the gender of the CEO who is running their company. The only requirement that matters is whether the person can achieve the results or not. On my part, I have been fortunate because the British American Tobacco Group is a diverse company and an equal-opportunity employer. As an organisation, British American Tobacco understands the strength of diversity and believes that men and women should be afforded the same opportunities, based on merit. For illustrative purposes, the board of British American Tobacco Zimbabwe is 40 percent female. One of our non-executive directors, who also happens to be one of my role models, Professor Hope Cynthia Sadza, was recently awarded the SADC North and Zimbabwean Lifetime Achiever in the education and training sector. As a board, we are extremely proud of Pro- fessor Sadza’s achievements and continue to be inspired by her passion and drive to empower the girl child. EM: How do you balance all the roles of being an MD of the second largest company by market capitalisation, family and other social activities? CM: There are the obvious challenges of being a wife, mother and career woman. The key to achieving the right balance has been in using my time wisely and having a good and understanding support network both in my home environment and in the work environment. EM: The stereotype of a successful MD is of a man in a suit with a briefcase, sitting on a boardroom table with other similarly dressed men negotiating business deals. But you are not a man and yet an MD of a large company. What does it take for someone like you to successfully run an enterprise? CM: I believe that stereotype is rather old fashioned and outdated. The reality is that I am not a man and I have no intention of acting or dressing like a man. The beauty about diversity is that everyone brings and leverages their differences. Female leaders have a lot to bring to the table because as women, we are natural leaders due to the central role that we play in the family set-up. It is therefore not a contentious question
whether or not women can lead. In fact, studies in the United States of America in 2011 concluded that female leaders excel better than their male counterparts at most key management competencies, including nurturing or developing others, building strong business relationships and detailed analyses. Against this backdrop, it is therefore sur
prising why Zimbabwe companies have
fewer women in leadership roles. There is no rational business justification for this. My view is that organisations should be encouraged to mainstream gender diversity because this brings better leadership. On the other hand, women should not be held back, but rather encouraged to dream and venture into all those previously male-dominated professions. Our schools and universities should teach gender mainstreaming as part of their syllabi to both girls and boys. To quote one of my mentors, “Once you get to the top floor, it is your responsibility to send the elevator down for the others.” Therefore, as female leaders, we also need to do our part by encouraging and mentoring the girl child. We should take as many as we can under our wings. Coming back to Zimbabwe, I have been impressed that there are a number of women on the top floor like Professor Hope Sadza and Mrs Divine Ndlukula, just to mention a few, who keep sending the elevator down to pick up some more to the top floor. I salute these women. EM: You became BAT’s MD at a time the economy is experiencing serious challenges that affect company earnings. What strategies do you have to keep the company in the black and show the ship has a worthy captain? CM: One of our most significant strategic advantages as a business is our remarkable brand portfolio, which we believe offers our consumers a choice of products that satisfy their needs. Going forward, we will seek to leverage on our brand equity to ensure that we grow our market share, albeit in the context of a
challenging economic environment. The enterprising spirit of our employees has also been instrumental in the company meeting and surpassing shareholder expectations in the past. We have in place a competitive human resource management strategy which involves performance management as an integral approach to its people practices. EM: On a lighter note, what do you do
during your free time, if you are ever CM: You are right, with the many hats that I wear, free time doesn’t really exist in my vocabulary. When I do have a few moments to myself, I enjoy reading books on empowerment. For young women interested in getting ahead in their careers I recommend “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg and “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office” by Lois P.Frankel.