I have worked with so many board and committee Chairpersons over the years. Some are great, others are a disaster. Whereas a few are seasoned and highly experienced, many others just found themselves in the roles and lack the leadership skills needed to win. The good news is anyone can be a great chair if they learn three simple skills – patience, focus and step back. Whether you are a chair of a simple party meeting or a board, you must invest in self-education and, training to acquire the essential skills needed to win in the role. Good chairs are…
Are your team members engaged?
Are you enjoying your role as a leader? When I was called to facilitate a bank’s strategy development retreat, my starting point was to assess whether the managers and top executives were engaged in terms of clarity of the vision and targets. First, the enterprise scorecard was not clear. Today, almost every organization has some form of a scorecard. However, when you carefully put light into it, no one understands it. Clarity of the targets, monitoring, measurement indicators, and responsibility are usually not clear and linked to the strategic pillars or key focus areas as they usually call them. The…
Before you vote in 2021, ask for outcomes NOT outputs?
They say politicians speak in terms of outputs and not outcomes. Because outputs are smooth and easy to promise because they rarely transform societies. Output promises fail the “social impact and economic transformation” test. Simply put, manifestos that detail outputs are like a collection of promises in the form of stories. Take an example of the markets that have been constructed by the government across the country. If you travel to any district, you are likely to see a big public market building that is underutilized or unoccupied. Thanks to coronavirus, the local governments have explanations for the emptiness. But…
It is our duty to build a corrupt-free society
What is Corruption? Corruption is operationally defined as the misuse of entrusted power for selfish gain. Corruption can be defined as the deal according to rule and against the rule. Facilitation of payments where a bribe is paid to receive preferentially is not only a bribe but corruption. On the other hand, when a bribe paid to obtain services unfairly; the briber and the recipient are both corrupt. In its real sense, corruption means any abuse of a position of trust in order to gain an undue advantage. Corruption is in one way contagious as it affects society far and…
Are you learning to drive or merely enjoying the ride?
Before I learned how to drive a car, I would admire drivers so much that I would beg to just sit in the co-driver’s seat even in a stationary car! If you have been to Munteme village, you know about Munteme Parish, the center of civilization in the village. The parish owned two fascinating assets– a special utility vehicle (SUV) and a lorry. Circa 1990s, we always looked forward to riding in the lorry. To earn the ride, we offered free labor to load and offload the lorry with whichever it needed to carry – bricks, timber, or sand.…
Seven tips for a new board member to win on any board
Whether you are a new or seasoned board member, the following seven tips will improve your effectiveness and value addition on the board. For more practical insights, buy the book, 7 tools of an effective board member. Know how your value addition will be evaluated Know the appointing authority. And clarity on how your value will be evaluated. Make sure this is well stated in your appointment letter. If you are a lawyer, for example, the value you bring on the table is your legal expertise. During your time on the board, it is expected the company shall avoid entering…
