What is your culture? This question is asked often. Few have the answers. The reason for this is simple: you live culture. There is no such document as “our culture document.” If you have such a document, chances are that no one follows it. In 2014, I won a project to provide strategy execution support for a not for profit organization. At our first inception meeting, I asked a group of nine members of the top management team, “what is our culture here?” The room went silent. It is difficult to explain “a specific company’s culture.” For culture, comes out…

I attended Munteme Primary, a Catholic Founded school, for my primary education. Every first Monday of the week, we had a school assembly – all pupils and teachers had to attend without fail. The Assembly duration was for 60 minutes only. But a lot would be accomplished.  The standard agenda at the assembly was: National Anthem, Bunyoro Kitara Anthem, School Anthem, and Prayer. These would be followed by the Head Girl’s Speech, Head Boys, and Headmasters Speech. Thursday was a school mass day. All students were required to attend mass from 7:30 am to 8:30 am, without fail. Tuesdays were…

I’ve been offered the CEO job at a PE-backed, mature software company with 2% market share. The industry leaders control 75% of the market. I’ve never been a CEO before. Should I take it? Do take the offer with both hands.This is your time. Your opportunity to shine. Growth comes from doing things we have never done. Making an attempt to go places you have never gone. To explore. I recommend you find a mentor, virtual or physical. A former CEO in your kind of industry for hands-on practical guidance. Also, make time to read. Find great books like The…

How are leading companies innovating for sustainable growth? In this post, I explore how Amazon is investing in long term sustainability. The outsiders view. I am sure, these are the issues being discussed in the boardrooms at Amazon. Amazon sustainable growth strategy Amazon’s strategic risk: What if all the vendors/ sellers on our platform left us and instead invested in their own platforms? What if they develop capabilities to sell without listing on Amazon? How do we survive in 10 to 30 years? In response to increasing complaints from original equipment manufacturers to Amazon over fake products listing, piracy, copyrights…

Is your board effective? Good board processes and tools make an effective board. Boards add value before, during and after board meetings. Before: Do board members read the board packs? Are the board packs provided to board members in time? Are board packs adequately prepared and comprehensive for the board members to gain informed insights about the business? Board packs have different objectives: information, updates, decisions or resolutions, among others. Several board papers make a board pack. For each board paper, why is it included in the pack? Avoid giving information that is not relevant or which the board member…

The CEO is the top honcho of the business. A start-up CEO invests ‘sweat capital’ in terms of setting up the business model, systems and recruitment to get the company moving. As a start-up, the CEO, usually the owner, is in the kitchen as a goalkeeper or is the striker as marketing and PR officer or does both roles. If the CEO is the tech-guy, s/he must recruit the first staff, a marketing expert to help get the message to the market. A start-up CEO is a chief sacrifice – puts on lots of time and energy to get the…

#Mindspark “There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” —Sam Walton The only people this may not apply are some government employees. However, this morning I smiled when I heard a radio advert, I think being run by URA, that “Mulago hospital is ready to receive patients, and we thank the taxpayers for paying taxes”, along those lines. This is fantastic. But the taxpayer needs quality services when they arrive at the facility. They need short waiting times, affordable services, and exceptional customer…

You have probably heard about the big 4, right? But how did they happen? Why not the big eight, six or ten? There is power in marriage. During the 1980s the formerly big eight firms merged to create powerful few firms. The 19th century was one of the partnerships. Countries and corporates were merging and collaborating on a large scale. It is in the same century we had many countries forming economic treaties, unions and common trading blocks. In 1986 Peat Marwick and KMG came together to create KPMG. Three years later, in 1989 Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young…

It does not matter how many qualifications you have, if you don’t know how to make yourself visible, they still will not be enough. You must be visible. Tell the world what you can do. Attention has been drawn to several University students holding placards reading “What’s Next?” These have now graduated to tribal undertones insinuating exclusion of employment opportunities to some tribes and regions in the country. The University graduates on the streets must take note that NO campaign that promotes hate and sectarianism has a place in Uganda. A university graduate is a highly educated person by Ugandan…

What is next after University? Welcome to life exams. Can you start a business? can you find a job and succeed at work? What skills do you have that can easily bring you money? The fact is the majority of IT finalists cannot even look after a company computer assigned to them! It clocks 5 pm, and someone just walks away from their working station off to their evening errands. They cannot even power down the computer properly, organize their workstation, plan for what to do the following day and check-in with their supervisor on how to win. Clearly, University…

Good boards provide insights that management do not know. If the board is well composed, it provides: 1) Strategic insights and guidance on how to solve start up challenges like access to capital -equity and or loan 2) Avoiding problems that kill most start ups like poor recruitment, lack of compliance, and a bad business model. A good board asks questions to help the start up owners reflect and fine tune their business case. 3) Strategic positioning. If a start up is lucky to have a seasoned person of high repute on their board, it gives them good visibility. Imagine…

Jim Drani Drileba is the Manager of Risk Advisory Services (RAS) with BDO East Africa, a specialistaudit and consultancy firm. Jim also headed the Internal audit department at Lacor Hospital before moving as the Director of Business risk and compliance with Mazars BRJ. He met with Mustapha B Mugisa and shared his journey in the risk and investigation. Jim says if you are a person who is professional with integrity and humility, you succeed. Time management is critical in our profession. Dress for the part. And lastly, write well. Tell us about your journey. How and where did you start…

Yes. Another name for CEO is Managing Director or Executive Director or President. In the UK, the organization’s top honcho is referred to as Managing Director. If it is a not for profit organization, the same role is referred to as Executive Director or Executive Secretary. In the US, the same position is referred to as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or President. Any staff involved in the day-to-day running of the business or organization is called an Executive staff member. An Executive Officer or Director is a Director or an Officer who is also involved in the day to day…

He is currently a farmer and consultant. A seasoned Auditor who trained in the United Kingdom. A former Director of Internal Audit at Uganda National Roads Authority, Peter Kirimunda has been there and seen it all. He met with Mustapha B. Mugisa at his office about his life’s lessons. In brief: Life skills are best learnt when people are still young. For example, I learnt agriculture, the discipline of hard work and earning from your sweat. The level or place you are does not matter, it is your determination and passion that will take you where you want to be.…

If you are a lawyer in the private legal practice, google this term: “trademarkia”. You will learn it is a website that offers free web content, connects users to paid legal services and as of 2019, it helped the new law firm that started it to top the filing of trademarks — dethroning the traditional law firms… Indeed, new entrants in tech law are taking small pies from the big boys. Now is the time for new law firm strategy – where will growth come from? What is your law firms long term game? Where do you plan to grow…

Below is a memo a branch manager of a bank wrote to his team, which I was part of, after an encounter. At the time, we persistently came to work late. That was way back in 2003! It is surprising that this discipline of timekeeping is a real career trapper. In Uganda, when it rains, many programs change. People fail to move. Something called an umbrella does not exist. On my first job, it rained. I came slightly late, just checked in 10 minutes past the official reporting time of 8:00 am. Then branch manager at Nile Bank looked at…

Short answer In many US companies, the CEO is also the Board Chairman. The person who signs on the appointment of board members is the Board chairman. When the roles of CEO and Chairman are combined, it is correct to say the CEO appoints the Board. He who appoints can terminate the board members. However, when the CEO and Chairman roles are not combined, like in most companies in Europe, the CEO may merely influence the termination of the board members but cannot terminate them easily. He has to ‘play politics’ to get the bad apples out. Regardless of the…

“Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptizing with water”, John 1:29-34 If you want to appreciate what a determined leadership can achieve, visit Singapore, Dubai or Shenzen cities. All these are new cities that have been developed within the past 30…

I am walking around the city, sort of undecided which street to take, and this Ghanaian man appears suddenly? “Want to buy something brother? Need clothes, shoes, phones or bags? We go to my shop. You will be happy. Come let me take you… follow me.” This guy is a pro. He has mastered the art of approaching strangers. Telling them words of wisdom as he walks calmly with them to his shop. He does it so masterfully that you cannot refuse to first check out his shop. And once you enter, it is difficult to just exit without buying…

A major experience is bringing results to the desert. Rain. Lots of rain. The gulf countries have done what is called cloud seeding —where they use airplanes to seed the clouds. Which in turn bring rain fall. Talk of making the impossible possible. Optimizing technology and creating a fantastic experience for everyone. But this has brought a small challenge to big cities like Dubai, which has been a front runner in cloud seeding—flooding of city roads, parking spaces and general in the low lands. The planners of Dubai city never envisioned rain and rhe resultant water. Which meant that the…

I enter into a random taxi. A driver is a black man. I go into a conversation mode. Me: Where are you from? Driver: Africa? Me: Which African country are you from? Driver: Nigeria Me: Oh, Nigeria. You Oga’s are very active. Every country I go, I find Nigerians. You have looked for money. Driver: Chuckles… you man you are funny. We Nigerians, we are extroverts. We move out. We have put Africa on the world map… Me: For all the wrong reasons. You guys are too street smarts that people don’t blink in your presence. And they think all…

If you want to operate a bank, you must have the capability of raising the minimum regulatory capital requirements as well as other governance requirements by the regulator and your respective best practices. If you want to eat meat, you must have the teeth to chew it. You need the capability. If you want to operate a hospital, you must have the right skills and medical equipment. And if you want to teach MBA students, you must have the capability to deliver an outstanding lecture. What resources do you need to win? You can not operate a radio or tv…

I just read on a huge poster, “your work and reputation proceeds you.” As I turned my eyes away from the poster, I looked at a fat man. Yes, a real African man like me, this one with a reputation proceeding him: big stomach. I just thought about it inside. It seems we are selfish. The stomach is proceeding us. Is your stomach proceeding you? If yes, no worries. This was a joke. No bad intentions. Just enjoy the joke. Because I know, we Africans believe by seeing. The only way your success will be appreciated is by enjoying your…

When I was in primary, my ambition was to obtain admission to TECO, a German established technical school in Munteme aimed at transforming the village through practical technical skills training in carpentry, Masonry, mechanics and entrepreneurship. This was a model college all of us young boys in the looked up to for career success. The German model was excellent. Give young boys practical training. When they complete, give them a respective toolkit to facilitate immediate application of their acquired skills instantly. Because the skills were in demand, most of the time the cost of the toolkit would be repaid within…

What is motivating you this year? What must you accomplish quickly? What is keeping you up at night? Imagine the anticipation you get when you are about to sit that end of level exam—Senior four exam, advanced certificate of education exam or university end of year exam or just a job interview. However much you might have prepared, you cannot just relax and chill. Your heart will change the rate. You will be unease. You anticipate. It is a level you must accomplish. You need that kind of anticipation every day. Look at every end of the day with anticipation.…

Now that you have specified your playing field, the next question is how do you win the game? Business is a tough game. Many of the competitors are not known. It is so tough that the chances of own goals are high. You have seen instances where your teammates or staff are a snake in the grass—committing fraud, spending too much time on company internet doing their own social media updates at the expense of the business, using Company resources for personal benefits eg printing coursework on company stationery or doing personal work on company computers, etc you get the…

Director or any person in a position of responsibility commits a sin of lack of duty of due care when they fail to demonstrate the competence expected of them as directors or staff in their respective jobs. A director must not only act in good faith but also “with such care, including reasonable inquiry, as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances.” Someone says they are qualified, but they fail to act with due care and lead to business losses. Take a case of a car mechanic opening the engine and after fixing the…

There is not a great salesperson who became so selling a product they don’t admire, love and believe in. Once you see people being ashamed of being identified with a particular brand or product, know they cannot sell it. You cannot say you love Uganda when you even don’t know its Anthem! You cannot claim to be a proud Munyoro when you have never visited Karuziika, the seat of the throne. Obviously, you cannot claim to love the Kabaka, when you even don’t know where the Buganda Palace is located. Action speaks louder than words. Once at a strategic meeting,…

Your most pressing issue is “Lack of money due to lack of a well-paying job.” Now define the key elements of your strategic intent by completing the strategy cascade, as defined in the “Playing To Win” Book I shared in Mindspark 3 blog post. The identified strategic possibilities to solve the strategic challenges are below. Possibility 1.1. Upskill – enroll on an MBA (assuming you have the first degree only), and start by teaching at University. Possibility 1.2. Start a small business and work hard. Possibility 2.1. Position as a top AI & Robotics lawyer in EA (or any such…

The purpose: spark your mind. Are you ready to grow in 2020? Learn someone thing new weekly. You will be so far ahead in 52 weeks in 2020. Every week, I will share a new title for you to read. Every Friday at 8:00 pm, I will provide a brief summary of the book. You are free to ask any questions. Do you know that over 70% of the people who buy books never read them properly? Some do a quick perusal. Others just put it on the table next to the TV remote and never open the book. Every…

In Mindspark 3, you read about strategic challenges some readers shared. In this issue, let’s formulate a strategic possibility to address the below reader-submitted pressing issue. “Lack of money due to lack of a well-paying job.” There are many routes (ways) to win. When strategizing, the focus is on identifying the route that will deliver the desired success in a way that is cheaper, faster and sustainable. To find a winning strategy for this pressing challenge, one needs to know a little more context – personal background, history, challenges, qualifications and environment. What are your current capabilities – the 6ms…

How do you fair in the following areas that set a foundation for a happy life? 1. Family and social circle of trusted friends – your choice of a partner/s – whether for marriage or mere friendship. — Are you married? What is your relationship with your parents? When did you last meet them face to face (if still alive) or talk on the phone? When did you last go on a planned trip with your trusted friends as a family or friends? Remember face to face interactions are more valuable than social media. 2. Money – how to make…

One of my blog posts fans invited me to his company – a nursery school. He has done great for himself. As of 2019-year end, he had 180 children. With school fees at Ugx. 600,000 per month – not Term – but monthly, that is over Ugx. 108m monthly! A daycare center is not an easy business. The children require a lot of attention and care. And parents are picky. They pay a price because they expect high-quality service. Accordingly, a Nursery has a high operating costs structure –a cost-income ratio of over 70%. To run a successful Nursery the…

In Mindspark 2, you categorized your opportunities and challenges. You formulated the most pressing strategic issue. Two people shared their strategic challenges. ​“Lack of money due to lack of a well-paying job.” ​“Miserable life because of a bad choice of a marriage partner.” I want to recommend you to read the book, “Playing ToWin.” Get a copy of the book here, and buy Amazon Kindle for a great experience. Or read an article summary of thebook here. I recommend you make this your #1 must-read book in 2020. My approach to strategy is informed by ten books, including Playing To…

In Mindspark 1, you identified the opportunities around you. You also made an analysis of challenges in your way of tapping into them. A strategy is needed only when two things are present: an opportunity to tap into. Or a strategic challenge to solve. You cannot tap into an opportunity unless you address internal impediments to growth. It is against this background, we define strategy as “a process of making choices to win with stakeholders specifically customers against the competition.” Back to your opportunities. For each opportunity, categorize against the respectivemarket niche or opportunity segment (Table 1). The list on…

It is 1st January 2020. Congratulations! Let’s walk this year together. This day is special. It also marks the start of the new year and decade, 2020 – 2029. If you have not yet drawn your personal strategy, do it this week. As they say, imagination is more important than knowledge. I hasten to add, informed action is more important than all of them. Get a piece of paper, a pen and write. For you in the dot come era, open your notes app. Here is how to go about it. Start by listing ALL your current major opportunities on…

In sports speak, a great leader is the one who wins games. It does not matter how great ‘your team passes the ball.’ If they are not winning matches, tough questions are asked. If performance does not improve, the manager is sacked. Whether it is managing a football team, a political office, or a business, leaders need people around them who have four qualities at a minimum – trust, loyalty, discipline, and expertise. I have worked with many leaders and executives, all of them agree that you can train expertise but not the first three. Any leader, therefore, will choose…

It is just 12 days to the new year. Here are 15 insights to help you thrive. Print and pin on your bedroom wall. Read it daily. Let spoilt milk be. Never live in the past. Learn the lessons and move on. Do not try to be good to everyone. Make your daily priorities to be happy and know that when you do the right thing there are people who will hate you. Read a new book to gain fresh perspectives. Remember, it is not what you own BUT what you have in your head that prepares you for a…

Do you want to transform your career and become a leader who inspires? Here is your opportunity to learn public speaking this Christmas. First I need to know about your current skills level and primary profession. Here is your simple task. I am sure you shall enjoy while doing it. 1) Identify a topic of your interest 2) Write 200 words about the topic of your choice 3) Record yourself on a smartphone – 2 – 4 minutes max. 4) Send me the video – WhatsApp +256782610333. Also do share with me your CV. And your areas of interest. What…

How does your organization create value and monetize it? A company that is able to create value to a wide target market and monetize it in a sustainable way has a good business model. In 2013, I was engaged by a hospital in Kenya to help define a business model. During the context analysis stage, my client’s CEO said, “we have a strategy which is clear. All we need is a business model.” I was puzzled. “Your strategy must define your business model properly. A strategic plan without a business model is like a car without an engine. How does…

How much money does someone need to be happy? What amount of money once you accumulate, you do not need to work anymore? What makes you happy? The answer may be difficult than you think. Pursuing money is not an easy endeavour. It is difficult to have enough of it. Whatever you earn, you keep yearning for more. It is like eating popcorns – you cannot settle until they are finished. You are unlikely to stop looking for money. Now is the time to enjoy what you do as you earn it. Are you in the right department? Do you…

Around 2010, I received an air ticket to travel to Johannesburg for a job interview. I was so excited. I had applied for a job at a regional company. This was a second time, luck was smiling my way. Way back in 2007, a similar opportunity arose and I took it. I failed the interviews. When I send an email asking why I had not to go through the answer was simple: size. The panelists thought that the job needed someone bigger size than I was. This time I worked on my leadership presence – you know trying to command…

Are you a board member? Are you paid monthly or quarterly? I am asked this question frequently. Corporate governance has evolved so are board practices. Gone are the days of volunteerism. To attract and retain the best talent, you must consider some form of remuneration. There are two types of board – not-for-profit and for-profit boards. Most not-for-profit need volunteers. Do not join those boards expecting some form of payment. However, like all boards, you may receive a sitting allowance to help recover your travel costs to and fro the venue of the meeting. It is not good to expect…

Recently, a client asked me to help sit in the interview as a guest panelist for the role of Executive Director. These are some of the requests you cannot refuse. We are in the era of client retention and customer loyalty. This was my opportunity to deepen the client relationship. I quickly asked for the following: Was the job advert placed in the newspapers or the website? If yes, share a copy of the advert. A copy of the detailed job description with a clear scorecard and KPIs. Is it available? Share a copy. If not, The candidate’s curriculum vitae…

Are you a swimmer? Ever since I came face to face with the grim reaper a long time ago in my teens, I have always looked at any pool of water with suspicion. I almost drowned if it was not for a true friend who threw me his life jacket. Another time, years later, I gathered confidence and went to the Swimming pool in Kampala. Moving like a pro, I dived into the water. Little did I know that it was the deep end. It is tough to try to float on water if you don’t know. With a shock,…

There is no business that is too big to fail. Like any football team, if goals are not scored, matches cannot be won. Such a football club is heading south! The same thing applies to business. If money is not coming in, the business will soon have expenses piled up and no cash to pay the bills. Anything that stops money from coming in or leads to a sudden loss of cash, can cause the business to collapse. Fines and penalties due to non-compliance to laws and regulations. Lack of compliance could cause a profitable business to go down under overnight.…

This is a season of happiness and dreaming while awake. You need to receive calls from people who energize by leaving you happy or challenged? If someone inspires you to reach for the moon, why not receive their calls often as well as call them? “Is this Mustapha?” A caller on the other side of the line asked. I replied, who is this? I am xx, I attended your talk about team cohesion through frank communication with interest. I particularly loved your insights about the daily rituals that build trust among team members. How is your next Friday morning so…

It is that time of the year of strategic planning retreats. You can be brilliant by asking your colleagues a simple question: what is our captive market and how do we plan to leverage from it? A captive market is that niche of clients that are already yours, all you need is to provide new service offerings to optimize them. A telecom company, for example, have mobile phone subscribers on their network. The nature of the telecoms gives it access to all contact details of all its subscribers. One of the reasons Uganda telecom lost the market was the inability…

It is that season of the year of multiple reality tests – poverty, friendship, and family. Once I followed a family after a shopping spree with three shopping carts full to the brim! Another fellow in the line was just looking. The till fee was in excess of Ugx. 1,300,000. The lady shopper did not even bother to claim the royalty units on offer by the supermarket. When one cannot even afford a kilo of meat at Ugx. 1,200, witnessing this in action makes one suddenly realize how they have terribly failed the poverty test. In this season of giving,…

A meeting is a forum for face to face team member interactions to find a common position on an issue and decide the next steps. The quality of any meeting is defined by its agenda. It is 2019, but many people still run their meetings with Agendas of the 1960s. Such an agenda goes as follows: Opening prayer Introduction from the Chair Reactions Review minutes of the last meeting Reactions Reports from finance Reports from HR The CEO report Adjourn The first item depends on your company values. If you are Christian or Moslem founded Institution, this item is critical.…

How many times have you been rejected? Never take a rejection personally. We all get rejected. Just like there is no road without bumps, corners, and steep slows, life is full of these too. In your work, you will be rejected. The secret is to learn from the rejection. I have always been an adventurer. In 2010, I applied for a project in South Africa to facilitate a strategic retreat for one of the manufacturing companies. Looking back, I overestimated my skills. For some reason, I passed the preliminary assessment stage. This earned me an invitation to travel to Jo’burg…

Are you driving a car on a flat-tyre? Much as the car may continue to move, it cannot go as fast as it should. The car cannot run on at high speed on a flat tire. The best decision is to get the tire fixed. The same thing happens when a stone accidentally enters into your running shoe. It becomes a bottleneck. However fast you may try to run or walk, you just cannot go faster. It is a bottleneck you must stop and fix first. When you have productivity leakages, what do you do at the workplace? You must…

After visiting a client yesterday, I bumped into a long-time friend. During our MBA studies, a guest lecturer came to speak about leadership. After the well-articulated lecture, I was nominated by my class to give the vote of thanks. Which I duly made to the beyond belief of our guest. He was surprised that I knew so much about his career and achievements that he asked me out for a date. I mean a business meeting. It is from that experience I made a resolution to never leave a public gathering I attend like a meeting, conference or forum without…

If someone does something to annoy you, and you get annoyed by it, you have actually shown weakness. That is why forgiveness is a powerful tool. They annoy you, and you just continue on your ambition, as if you noticed nothing. That is a strength. While in primary, teachers at that level behaved like the children they used to teach. At the slightest mistake- writing a wrong date for the day—one was visited with verbal artillery and canes. Over time we noticed the teachers grinning and showing satisfaction at pupils who cried at the top of their voices and threw…

After making a short presentation to the senior management team (SMT) of a bank today on the topic, revenue assurance and real-time data analytics, the CFO and MD invited me to the CFO’s office for a quick private chat. This is always a great pointer for me since contracts are not signed by a group of people. I always get excited about this side meeting. You get to understand the real need and the budget available if you ask the right questions. Plus, it indicates that people were actually listening to your presentation. While in the side meeting, the CFO…

What is your company strategy? What is the culture of the company in which you work? What is your company’s ambition? Ask any staff who pretends to love their job, you will be surprised that few, if any, know these things. Great performers share one characteristic – they take self-initiative to do the right things. They don’t just come to the workplace. They come to add value to the company. How you may ask? They understand the company’s ambition and strategic priorities by reading the company strategy and or asking senior colleagues where the organization is heading. Few companies win…

Digital marketing is upon us. How are you leveraging it to grow your business? Today, all institutions have some form of digital strategy. Winning organizations have some form of tools to measure and monitor the impact of their digital agenda on the business. Are you winning, losing or stagnating with your digital strategy? Here are two myths of digital marketing. Many social media followers equal to online success. That is a myth to some extent. You need followers that are relevant for your business, otherwise, you have a ‘tribe’ that is not helpful! The right strategy should be “many followers…

Have a daily routine that is productive. No team can win a game without scoring goals. Equally, no team can win a game by conceding more goals than it scores. That same principle applies in business: sale more (score goals) and spends less (do not concede). When a team has no goal, it cannot win. All players must focus on getting that one goal without conceding. That is why the goalkeeper, also tries to push the ball as furthest as possible to increase the chances of scoring. Great team players focus on the needs of the business that change often.…

I met a gentleman who had attended our 3rd annual cybersecurity conference in Kampala as one of the sponsors. I asked “how was the conference? Did you really make a return on investment? To which he replied, “Thanks a lot for the opportunity to partner with you. We have so far visited 15 companies and made presentations. Two have become clients. The annual Cyber Security & Risk Management conference is always good with new ideas. As your partners, we love it and are planning a long-term partnership.” Plans are now underway for the 4th Cyber Security & Risk Management conference…

A CEO of one of the manufacturing companies gave me an appointment to meet him at 10:00 am. On the dot, I was at his office reception despite the Kampala traffic jam. To his word, he came out, exchanged pleasantries and called his colleague, Chief Finance Officer to meet me on his behalf. That is when things suddenly changed.  This folk, a masculine man, with glasses in his mid-50’s asked me to follow him to his office. After opening and closing several doors, we arrived. “You are Mustapha, right.” Yes, I am Mustapha Bernabas. Eh! Bernabas. Mustapha? I don’t understand.…

Luke 19:1-10 Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance: he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your…

The 4th Industrial Revolution (4thIR) has given rise to a new term in the business speak – a Unicorn. The dictionary defines a Unicorn, thus: “a mythical animal typically represented as a horse with a single straight horn projecting from its forehead. OR something that is highly desirable but difficult to find or obtain.” an album like this is something of a unicorn” In the 4th IR lingo, a unicorn is any company whose market capitalization is more than the US $1 billion. Before the Internet and the networked web, companies owned several square meters of farms, but could hardly…

Who is a leader? Would you say you are a leader? Do not wait to lead until you are given the title “Leader”, “Manager”, “CEO.” Etc. Start leading now. Act. Stop looking at the flow charts. Look at what needs to be done. Find solutions to the challenges of the time. What is not working? Who is not working? What is causing negative energy? And provide practical solutions. The cheaper the recommended solution, the more novel it is. All great leaders we know of took action. They did not just sit. They went out and made things happen. They were…

Are you a team player or a selfish one? In whatever business you are in, do learn that you sell fast turnaround time, and not phones, beer or air ticketing service. You sell innovation and great ideas, and not personal ego or laziness. When a client email goes unanswered for more than 1 hour, know that you are failing. The company you work for is failing. The people can make or break the business. Much as they may not suffer the financial losses, they will ultimately suffer the bad reputation that they made a profitable company to collapse! That is…

Is your work about putting money on the table or finding out who removed it from the table? Everyone can remove money from the table. Spending is easy. The challenge is always how to put money on the table. Granted, managing the procurement process requires skill. But not to the level needed when it comes to finding opportunities and optimizing them. It is not easy to sell and put money on the table. If you are an auditor, investigator, or finance, you are likely to focus on how “keep money on the table and who removed money from the table.”…

Here is the barber. To enjoy this story, first read part 1 “Chaali [boy], you see me. I enjoyed Secondary School. Man, when you have money, it is difficult to notice that others are suffering. This life is bad. I used to be loaded while at school. I did not know that after school life is different. I wish I had focused on my books. Our dad was like a soldier. He sat us down – my brother and I – and said ‘I will take you to good schools. If you blow your chances, you will suffer in your…

Leaders want people who make their work light. The success of any company is directly related to the quality of the staff. Why do some companies, with fewer resources, connections, capital, and opportunities thrive while others with everything at their disposal fail miserably to grow? Why is a country like Israel without any natural resources like oil, minerals, and freshwater succeed tremendously while highly endowed countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, and many others continue to struggle and lose her people to curable diseases? The answer is the quality of people. For this reason, asked, what top three key…

“The mindset of our young people is wrong. We must invest more in mindset change.” Why set it and then change? This message is contradictory. It is common for many politicians and technocrats to open their talks lamenting about the wrong mindset of our youth. The word mindset is so popular that yours truly, also fell victim and consistently published insights under a hashtag, mindset, on LinkedIn and Twitter. I was lost. Now I am found. No one should have their ‘mind’ ‘set!’ Only robots should have mindset. Humans should have mind-spark. Continuously be ignited to think and thrive. You…

You have been called for a meeting. And as you take your seat, members nominate you as the Chair for the day. Where do you start and how do you start This is exactly what happened to me sometimes 15 years ago. I was invited at short notice, to attend a client meeting to commence a due diligence assignment to inform the decision to invest in the company. Twenty minutes later, the substantive chairman has not yet arrived. That is when members agreed that we start and nominated me as Chair. Where do you start? I grabbed the opportunity. By…

It is not easy to hit an iron after it has cooled down. This common knowledge is critical when it comes to marketing and sales. Any sale is a result of hard work. It starts with building relationships through the first point of contact either at a conference or cold visitation to a prospect. It is easier to close a sale with someone you know face to face than one you have never seen especially when it comes to professional services. It is a business of trust. You need a consultant who is knowledgeable and competent. When it comes to…

Whoever denies feedback to the executive committee (EXCO) or CEO is an enemy to the business success. There must be swift information flow across the organization. Staff at the frontlines of the business are the number one champions of change. They interact with customers directly and know their pains, frustrations, and service offering that bring smiles to their faces. They receive instant feedback on a daily basis. While at a Bank on 25th September 2019, I tried unsuccessfully to find a parking slot so that I could park and proceed to transact in the banking hall. All the free parking…

Good evening Team. I have some good news to share. I have printed my much-acclaimed book, 7boardtools. How to get on the board …and Be a fantastic director. This book is redefining corporate governance in Uganda, and the region at large. The feedback from folks who have just bought a copy is overwhelming. You have no reason to admire board members. In the 7 board tools book, I break it down on how to get that elusive board appointment and become a leader others admire and want on their boards. The print copy is available at Ugx. 50,000, when you…

Café Javas customer care is still average What makes exceptional customer care? When you are used to very poor customer service, anyone who gives you average service is seen as outstanding. In March 2019, I visited one of the Café Javas restaurants for a family meal. When asked where to have lunch, my three children – the average age of six years – overwhelmingly named Café Javas. You know the influence the children have on their parents. I turned the car to Café Javas. Keep in mind my wife no longer goes to the restaurant. Apparently, their menu is just…

How many of you are going to listen to motivational speakers who clearly need motiving themselves? Life and career are so interesting. Once I visited a ‘Doctor’ who was telling me how I could do away with my glasses. I put off my glasses at first. Then put them on again. I confirmed I was seeing right. The ‘Doctor’ was wearing glasses. I asked, “How come you have not yet stopped using glasses?” He laughed and said, “I am still thinking about it. My wife says I look great in glasses.” Surely! I was dumbfounded. As I grow old, I…

Football is one of those sports that could cause heartaches. Stories abound of people who become so hopeless to the extent of committing suicide following the loss of a football match by their team! Though still controversial, studies conducted following the 1998 word cup indicated increased cardiovascular cases following a stressful match. A detailed article about this can be found here. So, what exactly causes stress? No one has ever been disappointed by the football results. It is the expectation that their team would win which causes the troubles. The difference between the expected results and the actual results is…

Out for a walk one morning, a workmate started explaining to a colleague how they hated their job. He explained that “I have been working for long hours, doing my best but my supervisor seems to only see the tasks that I have not done. What makes me mad is that I have never been openly appreciated. It is as if I am seen as another computer and not a person. I am tired of this place. I pity you who do not know the boss and will soon fall victim. I would encourage you to take it slow. You…

When it comes to working, passion is what separates an average staff from an exceptional one. It does not matter how well-skilled or educated one may be. If they lack passion for their work, it will all never make sense. Passion is what drives a person to put the extra mile in their work. It comes from a sense of belonging. Love for their job and self-drive to excel. Passion is what drives you to get up early from your bedroom and come to work even if not paid. And come to think of it, someone who can do a…

It is a recommended leadership practice to get people to own new ideas for change to be swift. The best way to create team ownership of new initiatives is by asking the right requestions. This way, staff are encouraged to generate answers from which the initiatives may be derived. However, what happens when questions are too difficult to be answered? Below are two of the common questions leaders ask. 1) What is the top 10 list of activities to winning a new client? 2) What is the top 10 list of activities to retaining and gaining more business from an…

A good consultant must leave the client better than they found them. How do you measure the impact of your work as a consultant or advisor. I have noted that one thing that affects the consultant’s impact is corporate politics. All large company has some form of conflict. A good consultant must not take sides or try to undermine one group at the expense of another. But that is not it. Can someone be a good consultant by doing work at the consultant’s offices or by being stationed at the client’s offices? To what extent does the physical presence of…

What is your leadership orientation? Why are some leaders agile and fast while others tend to be laid back and slow in execution. The answer may surprise you. First, is context. Different environments call for different leadership orientations. In the private sector for the example, you need to increase turnover to exceed your costs. The rate at which your revenues increase must be more than the rate at which your costs increase —also know as jaws ratio. To generate a positive jaws, the leader must be proactive. It is not enough to set the targets. The leader or manager must…

How do you measure the impact of your work every day you leave home for work? Remember, you cannot improve what you do not measure. You must set up mechanisms to measure your results so that you are able to monitor what worked and did not, and what to improve if any. To create a habit, start with the desired outcomes. What are the top one or two outcomes that you must attain in your job? How do you measure your work daily to say you won or lost? In sports, all players know what they must do to win…

Can you tell the difference between an income statement and a balance sheet? Do you understand why a business that’s profitable can still go belly up? Has the grasp of your company’s numbers helped or hurt your career? Do you understand your role in the financial performance of your business? If questions like these make you sweat or worry, this training is for you. Based on Harvard Business Review’s Exclusive Training Materials, you will get the tools and gain confidence you need to master finance basics, as all good professionals must. summitF4NFPs Toolkit Training is ideal for professionals who wish…

Are you allowed to ask any questions to the CEO or chairman of the meeting without any possibility of repercussions? Before the meeting, does the Chairman ask you to submit your questions in advance or they encourage open hour or questions to the CEO where they ask freely the priorities of the business, what is working and what is not? Do you share clear team targets and hold members accountable for performance at every meeting while pointing figures where planned commitments and activities were not done leading to poor performance? Do members discuss personal challenges openly? If your answer to…

At Summit Consulting Ltd, we improve the client’s condition. Our promise is anchored on the fact that no one is too good to be great. To improve the client, our consulting model is three-phased – ACT – assess, change and transform. Assess You cannot improve that you do not understand. Our focus is to undertake current state assessment of the enterprise from strategy, processes, technology, people to customers to understand the current performance. Then we are able to examine where the business should be given the market potential, opportunities, and resources in place. The outcome of this phase is usually…

At Summit Consulting Ltd (SCL), we improve the client’s condition in three defined areas – Forensics (know who did what), Advisory (score many goals (grow revenue), do not concede (cut costs)) and Security (protect your intellectual property and don’t be a victim of cybercrime). Our clients operate in competitive industries like banking, telecoms, services, oil and gas, manufacturing, retail, media to mention but seven.   The global market place is highly competitive. Now Amazon competes with local retail shops for all consumer products from electronics to books and more. PayPal, PesaPal, Visa now compete with local banks in money remittance businesses.…

During festivities, many people lock their houses and spend the night out with friends as they celebrate. On the last day of 1998, residents of a gated community locked their houses and went out to Sheraton to bid farewell to the old year. However, an old lady living in one of the houses did not move out.  She stayed behind. The new year, 1999, was considered to be the last year of the world. Stories abound that the world would come to an end on the last day of 1999. To some people who believed in some cult-like religions, they…

Disclaimer: if you are the kind of person who gets irritated easily, do not read this blog. It contains an opinion that may inadvertently annoy you. Thanks. Ring. Ring. I accept the call. “Mustapha, how is your day tomorrow? Can you join us for our corporate social responsibility event? We shall be cleaning the street early morning.” Since the caller is a close friend, I thank him for thinking about me. “This is a great initiative. Unfortunately, cleaning the street is not my current expertise. However, I could contribute Ugx. 100,000 towards the cause.” “No. You don’t get it. We…

All board members should come to the meeting well briefed. You have probably witnessed a board meeting where members are not adequately prepared to make a meaningful contribution. As members enter the boardroom, they find board paper files on the desk. As the chairman calls the meeting to order, the board member is busy reading through the board papers! One wonders what kind of contribution can such a board member make. At one of the boards, the board chair required members to book contribution space on any item on the agenda. This forced members to read the board packs. During…

The Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda held a public lecture on 8th August 2019. I was the event MC. This being my third time, I was very excited. As usual, I first researched all over the Internet about what makes a fantastic master of ceremony (MC). It is not easy to find such practical information on the Internet. Great resources are restricted. You are either a member or must first pay to subscribe to access the resources. Below are the insights to help you shine at your next gig. You have been nominated or selected to MC at an…