Board Impulse Thoughts (BIT) – A little BIT for everybody

57th Board Impulse Thoughts with Thulani Dube and his views and assessments of the upcoming and last 12 months

 1. Which were your biggest learnings over the past 12 months?

 The past 12 months have really brought to the forefront the importance of Mental Health (especially in the workplace), Drivers of resilience as well as the ever evolving qualities of a leader.

Coming out of the pandemic has meant that a lot of us have taken strain in our workplaces but strive to ensure that the wheels of the business remain turning. The focus on the team's mental health has become a priority for me as it also translates more often than not to their output and productivity. This means while we strive to stay “professional” it becomes important to get to know and understand the team you lead or those around you.  I have also learnt that when one is in a leadership position, the state of the teams mental health is also the responsibility of that leader while also ensuring that they remain objective in all situations. By doing so they drive a culture that promotes mental health and one that creates psychological safety within the team.

In light of team dynamics, I also learnt the importance of trusting teams- teams built on a culture of trust. This also meant taking time to understand my team and look beyond the professional relationship but also focus on those personal elements that individuals tend to keep out of the workplace by developing stronger persona and psychological contracts.

 The importance of self-development in terms of learning new skills or unlearning for the purpose of relearning was also reinforced as I continue to notice the rapid changes in the workplace and how things are done. Preparing for skills for the future has become very important

2. What are your view about the energy situation?

The energy crisis has plagued the country for over a decade. Rotational power cuts of up to eight hours have meant that businesses, both big and small have been hit hard. The energy sector may be seen as an Achilles heel of the nation. The development of various and multiple power sources may need to be considered. While the move from fossil fuel may be a global agenda it becomes important to take stock of South Africa's natural resources and utilise them sustainably. Renewable and other forms of energy should be developed in line with the natural resources that the country has. It stands to reason that the energy sector has a domino effect on most if not all of the economic sectors in the country. While there may be economic gain from using coal as a power source the social and environmental costs may be higher. Social costs may translate to increased health care costs. Dust-induced occupational lung diseases are among the health concerns in coal mining towns. With regards to the environment, high levels of pollution contribute to climate change. Across the world this may be seen in increased droughts or increased flooding just to mention a few.

Fears of Job losses due to the switch to cleaner energy have been echoed on various platforms. One must always consider that there will be a transition period should a switch be made from fossil fuel. The issue may then not be about the net loss of jobs but no confidence in the leadership that is meant to see the country through this transition or re-skilling period. This leads to the need for strong, decisive and knowledgeable leadership to navigate the uncertain transition period.

The Just transition framework drafted by the President's Climate committee seeks to help mitigate issues that will rise with the switch to cleaner sources of energy. The framework focuses on issues such as governance, Jobs social support as well as skills to name a few. To drive this transition, leaders need to be decisive and also compassionate to drive the county and economy to a cleaner energy zone.

3. What are your observations on executives over the last 12 months, did they change their habits and attitudes?

As recovery from the pandemic continues, many executives have been talking about “Getting things back to normal”, whilst in the same breath talking about the new world of work. The Pandemic changed the way things are done and the remote working culture was born. There are many industries that worked well remotely during the pandemic. The push by many executives to return to the way things were shows that habits and attitudes may not have changed for the majority executives. Remote work may have proved to increase productivity especially for those individuals who have the discipline to effectively manage their time. Progressive companies have opted for the hybrid model of working as a compromise.

4. What do you expect from 2023?

I expect more organisations to leverage technology with regards to the way work is done.  Technology advancements have been fast tracked in the last three years. 

I also expect sectors such as transport, Mining, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism agriculture as well as the currently controversial energy sector need to be prioritised through the creation of platforms large and sustainable enough to support their interdependent growth.

Focus on emerging sectors such as the ocean economy among others needs to be given due attention.

Certain sectors may have greater impact on other sectors and as such may need greater attention. Transport and energy may be such sectors. While E-commerce may have taken off in a big way, it also greatly relies on an efficient and effective transport network and infrastructure.

This infrastructure not only drives internal movement of goods and services but access to the rest of Africa and the world at large. Case in point, the rail infrastructure has been in a steady decline and a resuscitation of this may lead to greater inter regional trade which in turn should work towards reducing poverty as well as creating new jobs.

A holistic approach is needed to drive sustainable economic growth. All nine provinces have unique characteristics and different competitive advantages can be drawn from them. I expect more collaboration of various players, politically and otherwise. Leaders therefore need to acknowledge this and work towards serving for the greater good of the nation as a whole.

While it may be overly optimistic I expect a  leadership that can work past political, racial, tribal and regional divides to drive sustainable economic reconstruction.

Thulani Dube serves on the National BMF Editorial committee. He is currently the Faculty Programmes Coordinator and Business Studies Department Lead at cornerstone institute. Thulani Serves on various committees such as the Faculty Management Committee, Executive Committee of Senate, Critical Dialogue committee, Exam and Assessment committee as well as the Recognition of Prior Learning committee at Cornerstone Institute. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Nicosia. He also graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Business Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA) where he earlier received a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Human Resources Management. His passion for human capital development further urged him towards a Higher National Certificate in Skills Development Facilitation through UNISA as well. His lecturing focus areas at Cornerstone Institute include Leadership Development, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Industrial Psychology and Business Management. He remains committed to focusing on Managerial Leadership Development as well as Youth empowerment through various platforms. Thulani also holds a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Sign Language Education and Development (SLED). Thulani also volunteers at Autism Western Cape where he runs special projects such as the Artists on a Spectrum Exhibitions.