Life Lessons of a Cattle Herder - Reflections From the Boardroom

By Dr. Nomvuselelo Songelwa

This book is a pause and reflection or even freedom for me and you. Today we are busier than ever, thanks to technology and the information age we are in. With our world rapidly evolving, most of us race through life carrying many thoughts and ideas in our minds, not to mention the continuous pressures of life. 

 

Is there time to think about our journeys or unpack important life teachings? 

 

This is a question we must all ask ourselves for our serenity and sometimes sanity. 

 

I wrote LESSONS OF A CATTLE HERDER: REFLECTIONS FROM THE BOARDROOM during the panic of COVID-19, lockdown, and universal restrictions. Layered with my own experiences, from herding cattle in a village to leading teams successfully in boardrooms, this book takes you on my journey. More that that, I hope to inspire you to appreciate the rich tapestries of your own narrative, culture, experiences, and history. 

 

In this second edition of my revised book, you will find, at the end of each chapter, an invitation for you to reflect on your past (mostly), present, and future. The lessons and questions will help deepen your engagement with this book. I want you to know that your unique story matters and deserves to be told or heard) even if the lessons are not new. 

 

I have made my story count, now it's your turn. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nomvuselelo Songelwa
• Release date: Nov 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9780620930048

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Iam so excited that you are reading the second edition of my book which is more revised. To start our journey, let me introduce myself and what I represent before we proceed further. My name is Nomvuselelo. I am big on education, self-improvement and maintaining a healthy mind and body. All these  are very close to my heart. Nurturing talent and developing potential is one of my most prized attributes. My biggest passion is people, my prized possessions are the power to impact and inspire others in ways that transcend them to better versions of themselves.

The journey of my career has not been a straight path – layered with opportunities, pauses and leading roles in new environments. Fulfilling several critical roles throughout my career enabled me to develop my expertise in strategic and operational support. These include the role of Chief Operations Officer at Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, as well as Managing Executive: Operations at South African National Parks (SANParks). As I transition into Leadership Coaching, I worked as the Chief Executive Officer of Jurni. I am passionate about transformation and pioneering new projects without fear of venturing into unknown territories.

But I have been battling for years to put my thoughts and experiences down in black and white. My battle was as a result of not knowing what to share from my compiled catalogue of experiences. Yet, after a lot of soul searching, I decided to focus my writing on the life lessons I have learned.

You may be wondering why at this age and stage.

Since I have realized that 55 years is identified as old age for most women, it is the best time for me to reflect through this book. I am birthing this book while my mind is still active and after a year of having decided to liberate myself.

At the beginning of this year, my friend, Judy Jennings, invited me to a retreat in Cape Town for a weekend. There I had one of the most impactful interventions in my life. The retreat was called Smiling Souls and it was run by Brett Shuttleworth, an amazing fellow.

As part of that retreat, I dotted down two things which were always in my mind. Two things I wanted to do this year. I wanted to register for a coaching course and start writing my first book.

Boom! The most unprecedented calamity in the world happened, the global shutdown due to the Corona-19 virus.

As the world shut down, I found myself locked in my house. Whilst most of us felt overwhelmed with learning to e-meet through digital platforms and work harder on top

of attending back-to-back meetings at home, I did what I perhaps would not have done. I successfully registered for a 3-month Executive Coaching course at the University of Cape Town. Then I started to write the first sentence of my book. The same book you are reading today.

Indeed, there is always a learning opportunity in every challenge.

Releasing this book now feels so right. At my age one can write and speak freely without inhibitions and worrying about being judged. I also realized that the same way I was able to leverage my time due to lockdown, I could effectively reflect on the lessons I learnt throughout my life for the first time. These essential lessons prepared me for who I am today.

I can now see that the challenges of my life’s episodes were all pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Each one came to me to complete my life in some kind of way. Although they all happened unexpectedly and sometimes threw me off the boat, each created a unique experience for me and built my character for radical woman I am today.

By writing this book, I hope you will also understand that whatever you are going through right now - the timing, depth, scope and severity of your challenges - is meant to happen for the completion of your own life story. All the episodes of your life, whether good or bad, are meant to

stretch your capabilities, open your eyes and make you grow.

I know it is easier said than coping with whatever life throws at you. But once you accept the things you can’t change it is easier to focus on the solutions of the things you can change.

As I am writing today, I have a lump in my throat because of a couple that has been renting my place for 4 years and are now refusing to leave my house. This couple has not been paying rent for the last 6 months. If you are aware of the South African law for rentals, you will understand the pain landlords have to suffer pursuing the legal route of eviction. Furthermore, the lengthy processes to get unpaying tenants out of your property are bias towards the protection of tenants.

I have suffered financially and emotionally through this experience. In fact, I have been so traumatized even as I have come to accept that this must happen. I am picking myself up by finding solutions, consulting and overcoming this struggle by clutching onto every lesson I find. This is nothing but a life lesson.

Even though many books and talks have cautioned us about life lessons in challenges, I believe that every story is still worth narrating and sharing. Each story delivers diverse perspectives and contexts that enrich and expand the horizons of any reader or listener. After all, there isn’t a

general script or formula by which you can attend to life; living life teaches you what no school or university can. Parents, teachers, mentors and coaches guide you, but you are the only person who has to navigate through the messiness and merriness of your life.

Through this book, I share with you my story in my own voice, as a way of inspiring you and those who will come after me with the idea that life is worth living despite its obstacles. May I inspire you to see that life is always preparing you to cope and create in the next level and (even more) most fulfilling times of your life experience.

I want every reader to be aware that each chapter in this book is organized to narrate my own story as I recall it, my own perceptions and experiences. This book uncovers my own truth and the lessons I have learned.

At the end of each chapter, I have penned down what is a popular myth to dispel, and lessons I have drawn from my experience (as the core message of this book). I am also hoping that, as you read, you will have a chance to reflect and share, in writing, thoughts and reflections, which parts of your life experience taught you those valuable lessons. The questions set out at the end of each chapter will guide you in doing this.

I believe that we all have a duty to impart knowledge and experiences as a contribution to humanity and society.

C H I L D H O O D L I F E

Often