Editorial
True leadership is a gift as well as a serious responsibility. It’s so powerful it can make or break people, companies or countries.
Quite coincidentally, I recently I picked up Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In it he speaks about principle-centred leadership as opposed to personality-driven leadership. Principle-centred leadership emphasises one’s core character and ethics as a leader and is built on a foundation of timeless principles such as integrity, fairness, and honesty which ultimately builds long-term trust as a leader and reaps long-lasting impact. Personality-centred leadership, on the other hand, relies on one’s charisma and persuasive personality which can be regarded as quite shallow and can quite easily fall apart when the going gets tough. It is truly a book that I recommend that every leader should read or re-read!
In the article ‘The Power of Praise’ (on page 30 of this issue) the author writes that true happiness for employees at work doesn’t’ just come from getting paid but from feeling valued. Most employees don’t just want to work for a pay check but for purpose, recognition and knowing that their contributions matter. A leader recognising star performers’ hard work and efforts builds loyalty and trust and will inspire employees to become even more engaged and committed to excelling at what they do.
On this month’s cover we are proud to introduce to you Bradley Wenzel AGA(SA), an exceptional leader who has won awards for his remarkable work. He is currently the CFO of SPARK Schools, a network of private schools offering affordable, globally competitive education.
Another two extraordinary individuals I wish to highlight are Vanessa Mkhonto and Neo Hlatshwayo who are doing outstanding work at the African Professionalisation Initiative (API) to transform public finance across Africa. They are investing in and equipping accountants and auditors who manage public finance with the necessary skills to build competence and also help them understand the principles of ethics and integrity.
We also take a look at the public sector this month and commend those who are making a difference in this space.
Wishing you all a happy July!
LYNN GRALA
Acting Editor: Accountancy SA
