Tag: leadership

The author returns with an urgent call to reimagine the essentials of courageous leadership. In a time of deep uncertainty, bluster, hubris and even cruelty are increasingly being accepted as acceptable leadership traits. However, the author delivers practical and actionable insights.

In a low-growth economy, organisations struggle to expand revenue. They therefore face increasing pressure to unlock efficiencies and do more with less. Consider a major South African bank. It recently celebrated a successful AI-powered fraud detection pilot. The results looked impressive. The system delivered faster detection, fewer false positives and measurable savings. Leadership felt energised.

Most South African business leaders did not start their businesses to spend their days managing customer escalations. They also did not expect to second-guess managers or complete work they delegated six months earlier. Yet this is exactly where many of them end up.

The World Economic Forum predicts that nearly 40% of on-the-job skills will change by 2030. The capabilities gaining ground are not just technical. Creative thinking, resilience and analytical thinking are also rising alongside Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data. In addition, the tasks least likely to be automated require human judgment, the ability to sit with complexity and the capacity to understand people well enough to solve the right problem.

We have entered an economy where the most valuable asset is no longer capital, technology, or even talent. It is cognitive capacity.

Two remarkable economic turnarounds demonstrate what becomes possible when countries support the right sectors, develop relevant skills and strengthen cooperation between government and business. We exist to create genuine and lasting economic opportunities for young South Africans. We constantly evaluate where we invest, what we support and why those decisions matter.

South Africa's hospitality sector faces a paradox. Guests have returned, occupancy rates are recovering, and travel demand has regained strong momentum. According to Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, South Africa welcomed 10.485 million international visitors in 2025. This marked a historic record and surpassed pre-pandemic figures.

Leading with Wisdom is a vital guide for leaders, creators and seekers asking one defining question: what does it mean to be human? We live in an era drowning in information yet starved of wisdom. Therefore, this book argues that the most powerful technology we possess is not artificial, but human.

When you stand at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) to discuss transformation, something clarifies. Not because the room is clever, although it often is. Instead, the building reflects the behaviour of markets. Capital gets priced there every day. Narratives do not move tickers; performance does. When performance disappoints, the market responds immediately. It marks you down and moves on.

In many organisations, operational breakdowns do not stem from incompetence. Instead, they stem from unclear responsibility. When problems arise in the workplace, the most common explanations are predictable: “I thought HR was dealing with that”, “Management should have handled it”, or “That’s not my function”.