Lift As You Rise: Speeches and Thoughts on Leadership

By Bonang Mohale

Bonang Mohale is a highly respected South African businessman, who is known as much for his patriotism and his active role in seeking to advance his country's interests as for the leading role he has played in companies like Otis Elevators, Shell South Africa and South African Airways, among others. Developed over 30 years of business experience, his insights have motivated change in organisations and individuals alike.
As CEO of Business Leadership South Africa, he frequently shares his insights through speeches and articles on the role of business in South Africa and the core tenets of leadership. Lift As You Rise is a compilation of some of his spoken and written words in which Mohale reveals the issues he is passionate about, among them transformation, people development, constructive collaboration and integrity, and how they came to define his career and his life. He looks into the ideas behind his words and offers fresh thoughts on the subjects they cover.
This well-balanced compilation is enhanced by contributions from others he has mentored or met on his journey which underscore who Mohale the man is, a fearless and energetic leader whose compassion, humanity and eternal optimism promote hope and encourage action.
There is value in this book for leaders in all walks of life, but it is Mohale's hope that young people specifically, those rising through the ranks, will find his insights and experience inspiring, for they are the country's future leaders.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tracey McDonald Publishers
• Release date: Oct 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9780639926469

Book preview

Lift.png

Speeches and Thoughts

on Leadership

BONANG MOHALE

First published by Tracey McDonald Publishers, 2018

Suite No. 53, Private Bag X903, Bryanston, South Africa, 2021

www.traceymcdonaldpublishers.com

Copyright © Bonang Mohale, 2018

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-0-6399264-5-2

e-ISBN (ePUB) 978-0-6399264-6-9

Text design and typesetting by Patricia Crain, Empressa

Narrative compilation and writing by Tamara Oberholster, Word Chef

Cover design by Ron Olivier, incynq solutions

Cover photograph by Devin Lester Photography

Digital conversion by Johan Koortzen

Printed and bound by Novus Print Solutions

Table of Contents

PREFACE

NOTE FROM THE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

INTRODUCTION

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

LEADERSHIP

THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP

Kolosa Madikizela: Putting leadership lessons to good use

WE NEED BETTER LEADERS, GLOBALLY

LEARNING TO BE OTHER-CENTRED

LEADERSHIP STARTS WITH SELF-MASTERY

LEADERS ARE OBSESSED WITH PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT

Faith Fikile Mthethwa: Experiencing ‘people development’ first-hand

LEADERSHIP PRACTICALITIES

BUSINESS THAT MATTERS

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE ROLE OF BUSINESS

Joining BLSA

Adrian Enthoven: Looking back on 20 years of friendship

THE URGENCY OF PURSUING GENDER EQUALITY

BELIEVE IN BUSINESS

THE ROLE OF BUSINESS IN PROTECTING THE NATION

Nicky Newton-King: Partnering to position business

WHY CULTURE IS CRITICAL

MANAGING PERFORMANCE – MORE THAN JUST MONEY

RETHINKING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

TRANSFORMATION

TRANSFORMATION

THE NEED FOR WHITE SHARING

OUR STRENGTH IS IN OUR DIVERSITY

IT’S TIME TO STOP BLAMING COLONIALISM

NOTES ON PRIDE, BITTERNESS AND THE WISDOM OF DIGGING WELLS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

A CASE FOR NATION-BUILDING

Busisiwe Mavuso: Working together for transformation

Dr Judy Dlamini: Still inspiring, two decades later

TRANSFORMATION WILL FLOURISH WHERE CORRUPTION DOES NOT

AFRICA, IT’S TIME TO FULFIL OUR POTENTIAL

LOOKING AT AFRICA WITH A NEW LENS

TRIBUTE TO BRA DONALD DAWORT BONGANI ‘DON’ MKHWANAZI (BMF PRESIDENT, 1987-1991)

EXCERPTS FROM MY KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED AT MR LIONEL JACOBS’ 70th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, 12 OCTOBER 2013

THE NEED FOR ETHICAL LEADERSHIP

Pheladi Gwangwa: Grateful for a gracious role model

PRINCIPLES I LIVE BY

BE YOUR SAME SELF, ALWAYS

HAVE THE COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS

Simon Phage: Focusing on the sphere of influence

TURN MISTAKES INTO ADVANTAGES

BE RESPECTFUL, ALWAYS

UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF FEEDBACK

Sizakele Mzimela

THOUGHTS ON WORK, MOTIVATION AND ENERGY

Tshepo Phakathi: Learning from a humble, energetic leader who puts family first

BUILDING A BETTER SOUTH AFRICA - FOR ALL

COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE

THE CHALLENGE IS LESS ABOUT MONEY THAN MANAGEMENT

CREATING SHARED VALUE – THE SPIRIT OF UBUNTU

AUTHENTICITY AND VULNERABILITY

Marc Lubner: Honouring a friend and brother

ACTION IS REQUIRED TO MOVE SOUTH AFRICA FORWARD

MENTORING

ROLE MODELS WHO HAVE INFLUENCED ME

MY MENTORING PROCESS

Laila Naidoo: Learning at the feet of a leader

EPILOGUE

PREFACE

When I was approached about publishing a book of my speeches, articles and thoughts, I agreed for a few reasons.

One, because I genuinely want to contribute to a culture of reading, especially in the black community where I come from.

Secondly, young people have access to instantaneous everything – they Google whatever they want to know and they have answers on tap. But, because I’m old fashioned, I think there’s still value in reading an old-fashioned newspaper, so that you can build your own vocabulary. And I still believe in reading books, not just Google results, which might be old fashioned too.

You see, I’ve always believed in the value of broadening one’s understanding of the world. When I was studying, I decided that the books I read at weekends and over holidays should be non-medicine related. The friends I kept should not only be the ones that I had met at medical school. I’ve always wanted to be a well-rounded individual and I believe that expanding my knowledge with intention is key to achieving that. I hope others, especially younger people, will do the same.

Having worked since 17 April 1984, even if I’m stupid, I now have more than 30 years of work experience, so even if I have learned only two things in that time, I would like to share them. My hope is that I can shorten the learning curves of those who are coming behind me. That’s what ‘lifting as you rise’ is all about – using one’s own opportunities and blessings to sow opportunities and blessings for others.

I hope this book will prove valuable to some of the youngsters coming through the ranks, who will be leading us all in business, politics and the social sphere in the years to come.

There’s also a case to be made about the creation of role models. You cannot miss what you do not know. For example, when you are a pupil at high school and you are exposed to a male nurse, all of a sudden it becomes possible for boys to become nurses. But until and unless you see it – that possibility – that option will never exist for you.

I have been blessed with a successful career in a country where that was previously not a possibility, purely based on the colour of my skin. For the black child growing up in a township today, I and others who have walked a similar journey have proved it is possible, and that child may now look at us and say, ‘Yes, one day I too can be a CEO.’

All of us – whether at work, in life or growing up – are trying to emulate the best amongst us. We talk like them, we gesticulate like them, we repeat what they’ve said, and we want to be better than they are.

In my case, this book is about documenting my own lived experiences, because the chances are they are the same lived experiences of 52 million other people who grew up in a township.

Life has taught us that when you think alone the skies cave in on you because of your own personal problems, and tomorrow does not look better than today.

When you talk to other people or you read about other people’s issues, you often say, ‘Thank God – I thought I was the only one!’ Then, all of a sudden, your problems seemed halved, purely and simply because you are not the odd one out.

You see, sharing builds upon an existing body of knowledge, but it also relieves the pain of others. Sharing normalises what some people might have internalised as, ‘But I can’t be normal.’

Therefore, if we want to create successful human beings, we need to inculcate in ourselves, first and foremost, that it’s okay to be vulnerable, so that others can be vulnerable too. Leadership is about authenticity, it’s about showing your true self – that’s why we speak of a true north, because all of us have an internal compass by which we are guided.

That’s why, for me, it’s important to share who we are, where we come from, our history, our values, our mores. This is my hope for this book – that it will promote and provoke hope and inspire action in you too, dear reader.

Bonang Mohale

NOTE FROM THE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I remember someone once telling me that the quickest way to become disillusioned about a hero was to get to know that person and spend a lot of time with him or her. In my case, the opposite has proved true.

My role on this project was to help collect Bonang Mohale’s many speeches, columns, letters and contributions, and to work with him to turn them into a workable book structure and identify gaps he might want to fill along the way.

Before we started, I knew his reputation and respected him as a business leader, but I was unprepared for how much I would come to enjoy his company and how my admiration for him would grow exponentially.

Bonang is one of the most gentle, kind and courteous human beings I have ever met. In fact, being a jaded journalist, I have to admit that at first I wondered if he was sincere. But he is a genuinely lovely person who cares deeply about every other person he connects with. He is also a fearless leader and someone who has an extra dose of natural dignity. He is one of the most energetic people I know and it’s contagious – I left every meeting with him in a good mood, feeling positive about life, our country and its prospects. Meetings with Bonang are the best antidote for social media pessimism I have yet found.

In our meetings, I watched him interact with people from all spheres of life, and he treated each one with the utmost respect, from the sales assistant on the phone when he was arranging to have his in-laws’ lawnmower replaced, to the staff at the building’s canteen when he was grabbing a meal between meetings, to Business Leadership South Africa board members who had arrived to discuss weighty issues like corruption and state capture.

Having interacted with Bonang, I wanted to find a way to show people who have never met him this side of him, and not just the brilliant orator who so often takes to the podium. The trouble is that he is far too humble to ever say nice things about himself, and so I proposed the inserts you’ll find dotted throughout this book, which were gleaned from those who know him best. He agreed, with some persuasion, and I’m glad, because as I spoke to people, from his mentees to his colleagues and friends, the same themes came up again and again – Bonang’s integrity, ethics, authenticity, courage and his obsession with helping people to achieve their potential.

I hope that through the voices of those who know and love Bonang, you will catch a glimpse of the reasons for the admiration and respect that he attracts wherever he goes.

It has been a delight to work with Ntate Mohale, as he is affectionately known, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know such a heroic and special person first-hand.

Tamara Oberholster

INTRODUCTION

This book is not an autobiography, but a simple collection and documentation of what I have learned over the course of my business, leadership and personal journey to date. I am sure that there is more learning ahead of me yet! But my greatest wish is to be useful – after all, in the Bible, one of God’s first commands was, ‘Be productive, multiply, and fill the earth.’

That first instruction – be productive – guides me always. I hope that by sharing my lessons with you, collected over 30 years, some through my own experiences and others gleaned from leaders who have gone before me, I am helping you to be more productive too.

As I sifted through my speeches, letters and articles, it became plain to me that there have been some broad themes that have preoccupied me throughout my career. I am passionate about people development, about transformation and about leadership. I am a patriot and proud to be African and I am a firm believer that each of us has a part to play in building the Utopia we all dream of. I believe in the value of family, and in supporting one another to grow, even if it’s in ways we had not considered.

If you get to know me, you’ll understand quickly that, above all, I value family. This goes beyond my wife, daughters and blood relations – it extends to all the people who have touched my life and continue to do so. They are my true treasures, which is why you will see inserts included from some of them in this book.

The idea was to chronicle their influence in my life, and to ask those who have worked and lived alongside me for practical ways in which our relationship has yielded fruit, whether in new ways of thinking in our businesses, challenging the status quo together, or in something I said in a mentoring conversation that may have sparked a change. We wanted to give you, dear reader, more tools to use in your workplace and in your engagements with others.

Instead, I have been touched and humbled by the contributions people have made, many of which have been deeply personal. I’m a big believer in the value of feedback, and to receive such positive input from people who matter to me has been a wonderful experience. I therefore include these inserts as much for what they mean to me as for the benefit I hope they will offer to you.

We are each a product of many inputs – the sum of how we have been raised, our experiences, our influences and our choices; what has been sown into our lives and what we learn along the way.

You will evolve because you read, you watch other leaders, you emulate good leaders, and you absorb what you can when you are in the presence of dignified greatness. You become inspired, motivated; you are touched in a meaningful way. And, by so doing, like a jigsaw puzzle, you build yourself up in pieces. You take the good from a variety of people.

May this book be another source of input for you.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

While I’ve noted that this book is not an autobiography, before I can presume to share my thoughts with you, let me briefly share my background with you for the sake of context.

I was born on 22 November 1961 in the township of Etwatwa near Benoni on the East Rand of Johannesburg. The old Etwatwa region was a mixed area – white and black, young and old. But people were forcefully removed to Daveyton and other townships under the Group Areas Act of 1950. The Act separated people based on race and assigned different regions to different race groups. I was about two years old when we moved to Katlehong township, which today falls into the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

I grew up in Katlehong, along with my six siblings. Like most young families in the area, my parents rented a municipal house – in those days, black people were not allowed to own property.

I was the fourth of seven children, and the first son. I went to school for all 13 years (back when we still had Sixth Form after what we now call Grade 12). I was a full product of Bantu Education.¹ I started school at Mogobeng Lower Primary School, then attended Reahile Higher Primary School, and then completed my schooling at Katlehong Senior Secondary School. Throughout my education, I always came first or second in my class, despite my naughtiness.

In 1976, I was part of the student uprisings,² which led to my first prison experience at the age of 15.

But most of my childhood was less eventful. My mother was definitely the strongest influence in my life as a child. While my father was a labourer, she always had an entrepreneurial bent. She started as a domestic worker, and then became an entrepreneur.

She sold anything and everything at different stages to generate income – from selling sorghum beer to construction workers in Alberton to clothing (especially men’s suits) and even meat, which she bought in bulk from the local abattoir.

In my culture, the first-born son shares an equal responsibility with his father for taking care of the family, and so I did everything that I could to help my mother. I would collect goods, market them, collect monies and generally be her business assistant. She was also the one who taught me to paint a house, plaster a stoep and even to cook.

She always said to me, ‘Even if you get married one day and your wife can cook; if she is unwell, it may be necessary for you to help. Best you learn early.’ And so I learned everything she taught me.

In 1979 when I was in Grade 11 (we called it Standard 9 then), my father passed away. That meant that his responsibility passed on to me – the responsibility to look after my mother and to provide for the education of the three younger siblings who came after me. All of that fell on my small, sinewy shoulders.

In hindsight, it’s a responsibility I executed exceptionally well. My mother, whom I called Mme, wanted for nothing, and my siblings knew that they could go as high in education as they wanted to and I would find a way to fund their studies.

I achieved this through my inherited entrepreneurial nature, which I got from Mme. From the proceeds of selling oranges and sweets at school, I funded my first ‘box’ camera. I taught myself photography and used my skills to help pay for my siblings’ school fees. Eventually, I owned five cameras, including a Nikon F1 that cost the same as my first car.

When I was 17, I decided to get married to Susan, my wife to this day. I was absolutely besotted with her. To me, she was more than just pretty – she was beautiful. I worshipped the ground she walked on. She was a gentle soul with a tough character – intelligent, industrious and African. She made it easy to love her. She was accommodating and selfless. She still is.

My excuse for getting married so young was that I needed help taking care of Mme and my siblings. Susan embraced my family as her own.

When I was 19, in 1981, we became the proud parents of my eldest daughter, Tshepiso.

Susan and I were already married when we began our studies at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). I studied medicine and she later studied social work and went on to practise for 11 years after graduating.

I chose to go to Wits, which was a white university at that time, even though there were two black medical universities (the University of Natal’s Wentworth and the Medical University of Southern Africa, aka Medunsa, in Pretoria). I chose Wits because I knew deep in my heart that I was as good as the best.

My first interview was with the (now late) Wits Medical Dean, Phillip Tobias. He asked me, ‘Why medicine?’ and my answer was crisp and concise. I told him, ‘I’m looking for a profession where I can make the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time, so I can continue to support my mother and my family.’

He told me that in all his years in academia, I was one of the first people to give him an honest answer, which was how I was accepted to study medicine. Of course, I still had to apply for special consent from the Minister of Interior Affairs to study at a white university.

There were 27 of us African students who applied, and only 11 of us were successful in our application. Some of those who were not successful had better matric results and were more diligent than those of us who were granted consent. That gave me the second taste of the rawness and injustice of apartheid (the first being having Afrikaans shoved down our throats at school).

Those two experiences planted seeds in me and ignited a spark. They were the catalysts for my lifelong activism and my mission to be a change agent and defender of democracy.

I loved Wits. But we African medical students chose not to participate in any extramural activities on campus because we believed there was no normal sport in an abnormal society. Our mission was to get the