I recently had the opportunity to attend a breakfast where Chris Gardner spoke. You might not know who he is, but you probably know his story. In his lifetime, this successful against-all odds stockbroker was the inspiration behind the Academy Award-nominated film, The Pursuit of Happyness. He has accomplished many things – overcoming a violent…
I recently read an article about Jeremy Stoppelman (the founder of Yelp) and how he succeeded by doing things his way. Stoppelman also features prominently on this year’s Fortune list of top 40 young business stars. When Stoppelman was applying to Harvard Business School in 2003, he asked his boss at PayPal, Elon Musk, to…
September marked the onset of spring and South Africa’s Heritage month, celebrated through arts and culture events around the country. As South Africans we are blessed with a beautiful natural heritage rooted in our plethora of natural beauty and resources. Our diverse cultures are woven into a colourful mosaic of human heritage deeply informed by…
South Africa’s ethnic diversity is the fabric from which our colourful rainbow nation is woven and we are mainly tolerant of our differences. Visitors marvel at the street parades of wildly disparate clothing styles and food choices embedded into our daily culture. But a more sinister culture is clawing into this happy picture. Corruption is…
TONIA JACKSON – Mixing Art and Creativity with bottom line – accountancy offers a new approach to Life Skills Coaching. A true artist at heart, Tonia Jackson CA(SA) innovatively set to work blending together her business and aesthetic skills. Now as a personal and business coach, she has a vocation she finds incredibly fulfilling. If…
This report is compiled by Transparency International and it lists corruption trends in various countries. We highlight some of the key trends. Country/Territory % of people who report having paid a bribe to 1 of 8 services Australia 1 Finland 1 Japan 1 Spain 2 Portugal 3 Norway 3 New Zealand 3 Belgium 4 Italy…
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” These words by Maya Angelou are timeless words of wisdom. In an era where social media make borders porous and anonymity obscure, true leaders and role models are in short…
In recent months numerous high profile ethical failures have featured in the media. It is “normal” for frustrated readers to question where accountability lies for the rampant damage that large-scale unethical behavior impacts on society. Many eyes turned toward our leaders, from the heads of government to CEOs of corporates. Universal demand for ethical leadership…
Some say that these are three attributes that a great leader must demonstrate. Motive is the reason why you chose the role you have. Passion is what makes you laugh and what makes you cry … or occasionally angry. Spontaneity is the ability to answer a question you haven’t heard before. The quality of executive…
This month ASA focuses on investment. When planning this editorial, Warren Buffett came first to mind– which is why I’m sharing this story about him written by Evan Carmichael. Buffett started his investment business in 1956 when “seven people wanted me to invest their money for them.” Although he admits not having a strategy at…