Johannesburg, 28 Jan 2005
Telkom Foundation CEO Nkhetheleng Vokwana has challenged managers scaling the leadership heights to make a mind shift if they hope to become successful leaders.
Speaking at the 10th Annual Africa`s Women in Leadership Summit in Johannesburg today, Vokwana said a leader had to "look after people" and even work towards the difficult objective of "preparing people to take over your job".
Vokwana advised young and ambitious managers who aspire to move up the management ranks to have a long-term commitment.
Speaking from experience, Vokwana said this commitment could only be sustainable if managers set themselves measurable goals and work towards achieving them.
Vokwana joined Telkom`s Centre for Learning in 1997 as part of entry-level management. Guided by the goals she set herself, she worked her way up to become the CEO of the Telkom Foundation in 2002.
"A tip often given to managers is to build relations with other people in their organisations," said Vokwana.
If your style is that of an individual, she cautioned, you might find yourself alone and without support, which may even cause your leadership style to be perceived as dictatorial.
"A leader must be able to make people feel their ideas and contributions are valued, even if they are not implemented. It is very important to listen and give feedback," said Vokwana.
She added that a leader should create a protective environment where people feel they can make mistakes. "If people work in an environment where fear rules, they tend to act dogmatically, and not innovatively."
A leader must also be willing to put herself/himself in "uncomfortable positions" and acknowledge shortcomings in the event of failure.
"You must have the mettle to cope with that. Failure is not necessarily a sign of incompetence, as long as you can turn around immediately and change the failure into a learning opportunity," said Vokwana.
She added that it was essential for a leader to have a good grasp of his or her environment as some risks could have serious repercussions.
A leader must be open to feedback and criticism from all levels. Vokwana cited Telkom`s 360 Degree assessment tool to illustrate how leaders get feedback from colleagues, including their subordinates.
Although her advice applied to both men and women, Vokwana said women had specific challenges different from those of their male counterparts because of what is expected of women as mothers, wives or partners, and as managers of big teams.
"A woman`s role is usually more intricate, and there is still reluctance to accept women in the traditional roles of men.
"I have been fortunate to work for an organisation such as Telkom, where women empowerment is important and where there are opportunities for training and accelerated growth.
"If you are not as fortunate, go out there and look for opportunities to bridge any perceived incompetence gaps. Read books, search for mentors and look for networking opportunities," advised Vokwana.
She further implored aspiring leaders to ensure the ethos, culture and values of the organisations they work for perfectly fitted their own personal values.
"One of my company`s values with which I completely identify is that Telkom and its employees act with integrity in everything they do. To me, that is key," said Vokwana.
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