How political and business leadership working alongside one another improve both the country and the people
February 20, 2023 – It is exciting that more and more corporations and senior leadership teams are considering and investing in Africa. However, I continue hearing a few common misconceptions from them – predominately around political leadership and risk. They are under the impression that the Heads of State of all countries across Africa are poor leaders, corrupt, expect bribes and are unable to provide a business-friendly or business-safe environment
Throughout my years in Africa, I have interacted with Heads of State and their Ministers and seen a different or an additional side to political leadership and risk. By no means are all political leaders just and ethical on any continent in this world!
I realized that an emphasis on the politics and power structures, are just as important to understand for potential investors as is the business environment, the culture and the people.
The view from Heads of State
However, just like you and I don’t like to be judged or criticized by people who have never taken the time or had the opportunity to get to know us, so too it is unfair for us to accept the criticisms poured onto Africa’s Heads of State.
To help business leaders understand the role and influence of political leadership in Africa, I decided to go straight to the source and conducted face-to-face interviews with Heads of State to get their firsthand opinions, experiences and perspectives on political leadership and business in Africa.
We reveal ourselves to others by the stories we tell about ourselves, our lives.
These stories convey important insights into not only our identities but our leadership practices and justification thereof
Viewing and analyzing what the Heads of State shared with me through a sociological lens that focusses on patterns of behavior, social relationships and culture literally reframes political leadership in Africa. Hence, the title of my book on my findings - Africa: Reframing Political Leadership.
It became clear that political leaders and business leaders who leave their countries and companies in a better place when they stop down from office than when they first started the job share similar qualities:
Awareness of the needs, their own characters, and the gravitas of the office
Breadth of experience, (in)formal education and knowledge
Clarity of focus, objectiveness and departure
Their awareness of their country’s or customer’s needs, viewed through their breadth of experience, education and knowledge, enabled them to choose and communicate a clear focus supported by a handful of supporting objectives.
For the Heads of State I interviewed, those objectives varied per country as each had a unique set of circumstances. For example:
A country that was politically unified, economically dynamic, socially cohesive
Lift my country out of poverty and rebuild its sense of worth
Heal and unify the country, hold democratic elections, hand the government over to civilian leadership
Working together
Successful businesses support the government’s vision because a smooth functioning government translates into a more business-friendly environment and smoother running businesses.
Picture: Myself and President Nyusi of Mozambique at the annual FACIM exhibition and fair highlighting the business opportunities in Mozambique
——————————-
To learn more about starting and growing your business in Africa, pick up a copy of “Africa: Open for Business”, my international best seller where you’ll discover the ABCs of doing business in Africa and why now is the time to invest in this continent of opportunity.
In the second book in the series, “Africa: Reframing Political Leadership”, you’ll discover new insights and the importance of leading from life through my interviews with Africa’s Heads of State.
Both are available in print, audio and e-book formats from your local Amazon site.