Tag: leadership

Somewhere between the third Wi-Fi troubleshooting call of the week and an unnecessary standoff over the cleaning rota, South Africa’s most capable leaders are quietly becoming something they never applied for: facilities managers. A new trend has emerged in 2026. It goes by the name of conscious unbossing. I think it is about time we embraced it locally.

Most books about creative work teach you how to do it. However, Great Callings asks why you have not started yet. The point is not to "make it". The point is to let the work shape you. Walk toward the fire and let it forge you. Then say, "This is what I saw when I was alive".

In several major global markets, accounting firms are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a steady pipeline of qualified professionals. Fewer graduates are entering the profession, and progression to senior levels is taking longer. At the same time, firms face greater technical demands.

Digitalisation has brought, and continues to bring, sweeping advancements in how companies go to market and how customers engage with brands. Agentic AI is now poised to disrupt even these developments. As a result, organisations are scrambling to invest in the "next big thing" because they fear being left behind. However, history shows that when speed becomes associated with winning, companies often blur the line between operational effectiveness and strategy.

In many organisations, the monthly reporting cycle still follows a familiar pattern. Finance teams close the books, extract data from multiple systems, reconcile discrepancies and consolidate figures across entities. They then check reports, make adjustments and eventually compile a board pack.

The Chief Marketing Officer role has transformed - but most organisations are still hiring as if it hasn’t. Artificial intelligence (AI), smartphones, social media, influencers and shifting customer expectations have transformed the way growth is achieved. Yet many organisations continue to misunderstand the evolution of the role.

Most mining losses do not come from commodity prices. Instead, they come from operational friction that compounds across every shift. Mining companies can tell you exactly what they spend on diesel, explosives or labour. They can quantify the cost of downtime, track commodity price fluctuations by the hour and model production scenarios years into the future.

In this captivating collection of essays, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke invites readers on a journey. The journey begins with his eventful boyhood in Soweto. It continues through his life-changing upbringing in Limpopo. His heartfelt reflections on mothers, grandmothers and aunts stand at the centre of his story. He also explores their roles in his childhood and in the upbringing of his peers. In doing so, he highlights how these women shaped heroes and heroines across communities.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the professional world. It is transforming how businesses operate and how employees remain competitive. AI is no longer a futuristic concept discussed in boardrooms, universities and science fiction movies. It has quietly moved into our offices, our workflows and increasingly, our decision-making processes. Whether we realise it or not, AI is transforming the modern workplace.

Much of the current conversation around Artificial Intelligence (AI) focuses on technology choices. Organisations ask which platform to use. They also ask which model works best. In addition, they debate which tools will replace existing systems. Across boardrooms and IT departments, leaders race to decide on AI platforms, copilots, automation layers and infrastructure upgrades.