Leading as a young person
As I reflect on my journey in a leadership role, I am realising how interesting it has been. Interesting in the sense that there have been fulfilling moments but also extremely challenging and difficult moments. It is however an experience I would never trade for anything.
Mr Freeman Nomvalo (CEO: SAICA) describes leadership so well. He refers to it as being dangerous. When I look back at some of my experiences in the role over the years, but mostly recently, I am beginning to understand what he means. Generally, and especially in academia, leadership is characterised by seniority (golden age). It is a completely different case in the department that I lead. Even my three predecessors were young. That is something very special within the department, and across the entire university. At my relatively young age, I have more than half the staff complement being older than me, including a professor, and a good number of staff members with more experience in academia than I have. This is compounded by the fact this is a team of intellects and really smart individuals, making it the most dangerous and complex space in which to lead.
I lead a team of 43 staff. Interests are never always aligned. Information and decisions are never received the same way. There is therefore a constant need for diplomacy in the approach in dealing with such differences and attempting to align them. This is a special skill that I have had to learn fast.
In meetings (institutionally), you often are the youngest person in the room. It takes a lot of courage to give input in discussions, wondering whether your views will meet the standards of the learned and experienced people in the room. Surprisingly, my experience at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) has been the complete opposite. Of course, at first it was a struggle. But over time I realised that WSU has created an enabling and developmental environment which does not discriminate against junior staff. This is further supported by WSU’s ‘Grow Your Own Timber’ initiative. Furthermore, institutional support has been one of the significant enablers in the role, something that you don’t find everywhere.
To put some additional context: WSU is currently in a transition journey (new management, restructuring of faculties and campuses). Change management is at the centre of everything. Having to manage the change for yourself but also manage it for the rest of the team has been a whole ‘sport’. The balancing act between strategic matters, operational matters and people-related matters (staff and students) becomes a big challenge. WSU has its fair share of challenges, especially as a historically disadvantaged institution (HDI), such as a lack of resources and infrastructure. How do you then stay motivated, and keep the rest of the staff and students motivated? It is a big challenge. But it also creates an opportunity for creativity and innovation, and to be part of the formulation of solutions and rebuilding of the WSU brand.
The leadership role has indeed been a special opportunity, one which is rare to other professionals of my age. My colleagues in the department have played an instrumental role in creating a conducive space for a young professional like me to lead in our pursuit of excellence.
