ASA July Cover SQ 2024
Editorial
Leadership is such a simple word, yet speaks of such strength and power and holds so much potential that it can literally turn the world around – in a good way or a bad way. You may be a leader yourself today, perhaps even with hundreds who report to you, yet there was probably a leader or two along your journey who made a significant impact in your life and career, from whom you gleaned wisdom from, and who helped you to get where you are today.
The leaders we remember are those whose actions not words defined their integrity and trust, those who listened to us and encouraged us, yet knew when it was time, like the parent eagle, to ‘push us off the cliff’ so we could soar.
Sadly, in South Africa, many who we define as leaders have let us down, but there are those who fought to make a difference. In this issue we interviewed Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, the first black South African to qualify as a CA(SA), and who recently published his third book, Purposeful Leadership. And the title says it all. He says, ‘I feel that I have a duty to serve the public; it’s the rent paid in return for being protected by law, and receiving an education that developed my potential.’
In this issue, we also have a special focus on the public sector. We commend those who are making a difference in this space. SAICA’s presence and work in the public sector has grown over the years and has seen the amount of activity, training offices and members working or specialising in the sector increasing. This growth has seen the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) becoming one of the largest training offices and employers of SAICA members in addition to the training and employment of CAs(SA) by the national and provincial treasuries, metropolitan municipalities and state-owned entities. You can read more about the SAICA Public Sector Career Mobility Research Report on page 42.
Great leaders can get their teams to achieve the impossible. As John Maxwell says, ‘If we want to be good leaders we must come to the table, sit in the middle without choosing a side, listen to others, and work to bring people together.’
And we’re half way through 2024, so there’s still some time to go out and achieve the great!
LYNN GRALA
Acting Editor: Accountancy SA
