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…

A presentation by Mustapha B Mugisa, Mr. Strategy. BOOM! A loud bang went off. A huge fire suddenly started. That Thursday morning, March 2017, at 10 a.m. brought total misery. The Top Management Team, who were still in the morning meeting, looked out into the window and saw staff running past the main block, shouting: Fire. Fire. Fire. Factory on fire. Fire. Fire. The Chairman, also the owner of the business, a tall man with dark skin, could not believe his ears. He rushed out of the meeting. And ran towards the plant. And there it was in a huge…

Don’t get ready. Stay ready. That is the new normal. No one remembers a safe journey. For the so many years, Ethiopian Airlines has successfully completed so many trips — in fact in millions. But no one remembers that. However, on that Sunday morning, as the rest were going about their business, just 10 minutes of airborne, the flight fell from the skies. There were no survivors. “Investigations show that something small led to the problem. So many people lost their lives. So many families will never be the same. On that fateful day, risk materialized.” So, what is the…

Target audience: Board Members, Top Management Team, and general staff training. Ideal for everyone interested in transforming their lives with original ideas to beat the competition. Strategy facilitation talk delivered over five days period to top management team that wants to change their business with an organic strategy. By the end of the Talk, participants learn: 1. The traditional planning process which starts with Vision (where do we want to be); Mission (how do we get there); Goals and Objectives; Analysis SWOT (SW – Strength and Weaknesses analysis [using 6Ms of Money, Machinery, Markets, Materials, Makeup, and Manpower], OT (Opportunity…

Topic 1: Don’t get ready, stay ready. This talk is ideal for the Board of Directors and Top Management Team. It is a three – hours duration. It is a very interactive talk, featuring lots of exercises and teamwork. Even if members are sleepy after a heavy lunch meal, once Mustapha starts the sleep will disappear through the window and get replaced by high-energy and laughter. By the end of the talk, participants learn: 1. The relationship between corporate strategy and risk management. [Mustapha provides clarity of the linkages for effective governance so that leaders avoid surprises while pursuing strategic…

Anyone can be a leader during times of plenty. All you have to do is to manage the logistics – who gets, what, when, why and how. For that matter, many of our youngsters look forward to a government job. In a typical Ministry, the annual budget will be allocated by the Treasury from the consolidated fund. Once the budget is approved, which will always be approved by the Parliament, the money will be available for spending. That is what is called the ‘taxpayer factor’ – public service shall always operate as long as there is a form of government…

You will not lose weight by watching aerobics on TV as you eat chips and chicken in your sitting room. If you want to lose weight, stand up and start working out. A simple walking around your home can do wonders than spending a whole day watching motivation talks. When it comes to career development, take proactive action. Don’t wait for a job advert. Identify the company of your interest, research about it and write a paper that demonstrates your skills to add value. Address the letter to the chief executive officer, and copy the Human Resources Manager. Read: Understanding…

When the going gets tough …. In the world of the business, the road to success is littered with so many business wreckages of ideas that never made it. They say that out of every 5,000 businesses started, only 4% will make it to beyond the 10th year. Out of the surviving 200, only 0.01% will grow into large corporate brands. With all the information about financial management, technology and markets out there, why do businesses fail at such a tremendous rate? In this second edition of our power series, we examine the power of perseverance or resilience. Many businesses…

What does it take to succeed? There are many motivational books on success and they all contain great ideas on how to become a millionaire, how to beat the herd, and so forth. Stephen Covey’s ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ is one such book you are likely to find gracing the libraries of many wells to do peoples homes. The ideas in all these books are marvelous and if we can follow them, they sure will lead to success. But what most of these manuals do not explicitly say is that success is a process and the only…

Once upon a time, there lived a man called Earl Dennison Woods (March 5, 1932 – May 3, 2006). Earl Woods joined the American army because there were very few opportunities for blacks. In the Army, he served in Vietnam where he did two tours of duty. Woods had met his second wife while stationed in Thailand in 1966, while serving in Thailand. She was Kultida Punswad, who is half Thai and half Chinese. They married in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York. Their son Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods was born in 1975. The nickname, “Tiger,” comes from Earl Woods’ wartime…

The story is told of how the executives of one big company’s executive committee convened a retreat to assess how their business was doing. During the retreat, it emerged that because of the sheer size of the firm, top management did not seem to have clarity about what business they were in.  Some of the top executives thought the company was in exploration, others thought it was in logistics and others thought it was in marketing! After a lot of soul searching, the executive retreat agreed that the company was in the business of energy. That company is Shell™. Once…

When you give your word to yourself or to others, keep it.  Do not break it, period. That is the secret of success. Keep Your Word  From as far back as the mid 1980’s, Ugandan businessmen and women have been traversing the globe looking for the ‘deal’ of their lives. From Kenya to Dubai, to India to China, to London and onto Tokyo, many a hopeful Ugandan businessperson has traveled to fix that deal.  Many have cast their lot but very few have been chosen. The irony is that very few business people know why they have not been chosen.…

There is a proverb in some of the East African cultures to the effect that ‘show me your friends, and I will tell you your character’. Others say ‘birds of the same feathers flock together’. So the rich flock with the rich, corporate types flock with corporate types and well, laggards flock with laggards. People tend to identify with those with whom they share the same economic status or better. What is true for folklore is also true for business. The story of many business successes is filled with amazing coincidences and opportunities that entrepreneurs chanced upon and made good.…

Businesses often fail because founders and investors neglect to look before they leap, surging forward with plans without taking the time to realize that the base assumptions of the business plan are wrong. Most successful businesses are the result of more business knowledge than anything else. In the Graham Hancock’s classic, Lords of Poverty: The Power, Prestige, and Corruption of the International Aid Business, Hancock vividly recounts how “experts” in charge of a World Bank project attempted in vain to set up a fish farming project in the remote rural areas of the Egyptian Sahara. Despite their best efforts and…

Getting a job is one thing and climbing the corporate ladder is another ballgame. It takes talent, strategy and hard work. It is common to find folks who have occupied the same position (at inflation revised pay) for over five to 10 years! That is called career stagnation. You risk being vulnerable to your current employer as your transfer price (extra pay to leave your current job) lowers due to real or perceived limited experience. I know you could have been a recipient of lousy advice that the longer you stay on your job the better for. Well, you were…

“Resources are acquired to meet the available need. Else they become idle.” I have spent over 18 years interacting with entrepreneurs, new startups and seasoned chief executive officers in charge of government institutions. As an entrepreneur myself, I have realized that the right mindset drives growth. One thing that I have learned which I want you to learn by heart for your career success is that “Resources are acquired to meet the available need. Else they become idle.” And so, as the saying goes, it does not matter how much resources you have, if you do not know how to…

“Motivation is not about yelling or shouting at people or being annoyed and keeping quiet. Motivation is about providing a MOTIVE as to why you should do what you are doing.” As you go for lunch, think about what motivates you? The best motivation is from within. The motive to surprise oneself and break the ceiling. That is a result of a fine attitude. What is your attitude? Is it to find excuses why you cannot do it or why you can do it better?

On 15th January 2019, the Marketing and Sales Manager of the regulated financial institution based in Kampala entered the boardroom for a Tuesday morning sales meeting. She found all her colleagues seated. As she moved to take the Chairperson’s seat, the colleagues stood up, in acknowledgment of her arrival. She reached her seat. Stood up, slightly bent forward and placed her hands on the table. She said “You may take your seats. Good morning to you all.” The team replied in unison, “Good morning Madam.” After taking her seat, she said “Quarter two performance is 40% below budget. This is…

Demonstrate, do not tell. That is one of the secrets of selling. Every organization is always open to fresh talent. Someone who is practical in solving the problems at hand. Forget a list of qualifications after your name. Those are mere papers. The issue is what can you do to improve my condition? It is common to find a company which boasts of a fully-fledged IT department but lacks the skills to connect computers to a printer on the network so that people don’t have to waste time and resources in copying files on thumb drives! And so it occurred…

Running a private business is about two things: business development which covers branding, marketing and sales; and cost management which focuses on increasing shareholder value. If you have five staff, ideally more than 60% should be focused on the revenue side of the business. It does not matter how much costs you try to cut, if revenue is not growing, you will soon be cash trapped. Before you think about cost-cutting, first generate some money to keep the business moving. Why organizations struggle? Any company that must look for money in order to deliver her mandate, must make a deliberate…

Are you self-driven? The issue Every employer states that one of the qualities they need in a prospective employee is self-drive. Now all job seekers now indicate they are ‘self-driven’. As an employer, how do you assess whether a prospective employee is indeed self-driven? How to assess self-drive? The quality of the cover letter and CV of an applicant says a lot. Is the cover letter customized to the new job requirements? Does the cover letter demonstrate the applicants understanding of the organization, business model and gaps which the candidate feels they are the best people to close? Is the…

How many of your staff know why you have implemented internal control systems? Why do you require people to come early at work and sign in the attendance register? Why do you require staff to sign a form that makes them acknowledge having ‘received, read and understood’ respective policies and procedures? Why are visitors required to register at the reception their laptops model, serial number and color, if they visit your office carrying private laptops? Why are staff required to provide accountability for money when they return from a trip? Any company that implements controls and fails to explain why…

Always ask the following questions to assess your relevancy to any organization you join. Whether it is a political office or board appointment, are you the right person for the job: What value in terms of skills, experience, and networks do I bring on the table? After my term in office, what organization achievements will be identified with me? Considering the nature of the organization and its competitive environment, which kind of leadership is needed and how do I help fix it? I am the best person for this role or I am just being rewarded by the appointing authority?…

A good employee understands how the business owner thinks. Any staff who does work and takes decisions in the best interests of the business and not their personal or staff interests has the right mindset to lead. In today’s faced-paced business environment, business owners want to work with potential business partners other than employees. They need leaders instead of followers. Whereas the majority of employees think about salary and small benefits, outlier staff think about looking for a business to make more money so that they may share profits. They are natural hunters as than cooks. They focus more on…

I have worked with many entrepreneurs and no single one of them likes an insensitive employee –someone who works in the company but lacks an understanding of the challenges at hand. No business owner wants staff who makes outrageous requests oblivious of the realities on the ground. One such example is what a restaurant owner confided in me about one of his top management staff, who is privy of the challenges the business was going through but went ahead to ask for a salary increment. Really! For emphasis: imagine an employee going to the business owner to ask for a…

Are you a bad or a good staff to work with? Employees can make or break a company. Read to find out (productivity killers) Overuse of one’s a mobile phone for private chats and errands while at work. Reporting late at the workplace. Unproductive groups. Being ignorant about how the company creates and delivers value. Some organizations like government entities may survive despite bad employees because they do not have revenue generation pressures. Even if the entire team came late at work, the money will be on the account as taxpayers will foot the bill. The only challenge such a…

“Avoid starting meetings with ‘I am sorry for coming late.” There are many opportunities one gets when they keep time.   I love early morning appointments. It is an opportunity to understand the company and the behavior of staff.   I arrive earlier at about 6:20 am. I am usually outside when the first person arrives to open the office. This gives me an opportunity to access the reception and observe who comes in at what time and what they do immediately they arrive at the office. Some staff comes with energy and a sense of urgency, with clarity of priorities for the…

If you work with someone, respect them. Respect is about keeping promises and commitments. A discipline of consistent behavior. If you promise to attend a meeting at 10 am, keep the time. Keep your phone on all the time. Stop the wrong mindset of being unavailable on Saturdays and Sundays. Someone has considered your opinion on a weekend. That is a good thing. You need to mature and think about the bigger picture. The closer you are with the high-table, any high table, the better. Focus on being closer to power or folks close to power. In a large company,…

Mustapha B Mugisa had a one on one interview on his life’s lessons and below are the excerpts of the insights you need to excel from this maverick executive who was a high achiever at a global level. 1. Briefly, who is Sam F. Owori? How did you start and where? Am generally transparent. Born in Tororo 75 years ago at Kisoko, a famous place in terms of education. My father was a Head master of Kisoko Primary school. At that time, it was the main school for the Eastern region including Western Kenya. I used to see old boys…

The best freedom is an open mind. That is why outstanding leaders create an environment of frank and free communication. In today’s business environment characterized by ever-changing technology, there is nothing like ‘what I have done is the best.’ Anyone in a leadership position must focus on supporting staff to surprise themselves in terms of the quality of work done to deliver exceptionally outstanding stuff. RELATED: HABITS OF STAR PERFORMERS You must create an environment of openness to feedback. Are you open to questions and feedback from your peers, seniors, and juniors? A good manager should be. No person wants…

Who of your staff is a striker and who is a defender? As a business leader, focus on improving the department in your team that shows weakness. If your strikers are losing the balls in front of the goals, are unable to get the ball past the keeper, consider training them more or substituting them.  If your keeper is making simple mistakes even not under pressure, consider putting them under intensive training if they show talent or getting them off the team altogether. What is the essence of great leadership? Identifying the best people with talent and skills and nurturing…