Tag: leadership

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has moved quickly from novelty to everyday business infrastructure. It now sits inside email platforms, document systems, customer service channels, finance tools and analytics environments, influencing how decisions are prepared and how work gets done.

From the sawdust-covered floors of a small Krugersdorp joinery to Johannesburg’s boardrooms, Forged in Grit tells an extraordinary story. Barry Philip Lok, founder of William Tell, traces his journey from humble beginnings in the 1970s to building one of South Africa’s leading publicly listed manufacturing businesses.

The Golden Thirteen were the first African American men commissioned as officers in the United States Navy. Their story is more than a historical milestone. It is a powerful example of how teams can perform under pressure, overcome systemic barriers and create lasting change.

For years, one question has dominated the conversation around women ascending into leadership positions - how do we enable more women to reach the top?

If there is one compliment South Africans hear more than any other, it is this: "South Africans are so resilient". We wear it almost as a badge of honour. We have endured economic uncertainty, political shifts, load shedding, global disruption and constant change. Furthermore, we adapt because we have to. But I often wonder whether we've misunderstood resilience.

When COVID-19 emptied offices in 2020, remote work wasn't a carefully designed workplace strategy. It was an emergency response. Kitchen tables became desks, meetings moved online, and businesses adapted faster than many thought possible. In the years that followed, flexibility became a defining feature of many workplaces. But for some, the pendulum is swinging back globally once again. Amazon introduced a five-day office expectation in January 2025.

Read our exclusive cover story titled Mission focus – does AI enable strategy or create distraction? by Steven Ambrose, CEO, Strategy Worx Consulting, plus a host of other topical management articles written by professionals, consultants and academics.

Why do some people create an extraordinary impact while others with the same ability stall? This book lays out four fundamental principles grounded in science. They have a multiplier effect on life and leadership and explain this paradox. It turns out it's not what talent you have, it's how you use it. The Four Principles are counterintuitive but accessible and learnable. Their significant multiplier effect is also explained and mathematically demonstrated.

What separates average managers from exceptional leaders? In today's fast-changing and highly competitive world, technical expertise alone is no longer enough. Organisations need managers who can inspire people, navigate complexity, communicate effectively, make sound decisions and lead with confidence and integrity.

Patches is a powerful and deeply human exploration of healing, belonging and self-discovery. The book takes readers on a compassionate journey towards healing, belonging and self-discovery. Through intimate coaching stories and personal reflections, Alicia Pieterse gently guides readers as they explore the hidden wounds that shape their lives. These include people-pleasing, shame, burnout, trauma, perfectionism and the longing to feel enough.