Good morning everyone
Like all of us, South African artist Simphiwe Ndzube was forced to improvise during lockdown. Last week, the Stevenson gallery shared 6 new works that emerged from his makeshift studio.
They’re an amazing part of what Ndzube calls a “cosmology of content to explore myths, theosophy, memory and other related mysticisms.” Ndzube is a bit of rock star, with his work (at 30 years old) having already being acquired by the prestigious LA County Museum of Art (LACMA). I love his comment that his work “has to be not too far removed from people’s experience – I need to keep that in mind as I go.”
In that short sentence he captures the heart of leadership, both of self and of others.
We need to inspire possibility through envisioning new futures and keep it close enough to existing experience, such that we can connect to and move towards that possibility.
/ STRATEGY
In a Harvard Business School working paper, entitled Toxic Workers, Michael Housman and Dylan Minor examined the economic benefits of removing toxic workers.
Their analysis shows that removing a toxic employee (over-confident, self-regarding and insistent on compliance with the rules) has double the effect on profitability, of the hiring of a superstar employee (defined as someone in the top 1 percent of job performance). Intriguingly they also show that environment matters, that a toxic environment can shift an otherwise ‘normal’ employee into toxicity.
Their work brings home the fact that sometimes the removal of something is as powerful as creating something new.
This is true in our professional and personal lives. Imagine if you could resist the allure of your phone for a month? How much productive capacity and peace would you add back to your life?
/ SELF
South Africa has some remarkable political biography and autobiography, some jurists and lawyers are also admirably covered (I loved Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke’s My Own Liberator and look forward to reading his latest instalment, All Rise), but the stories of our business world are few and far.
Mteto Nyati’s autobiography, Betting on a Darkie, is an important addition to the South African landscape. The book charts his journey from being the child of a headmaster and an entrepreneurial mother to being the CEO of some of SA’s largest businesses.
He starts the book by saying, “When I look back, I know with certainty that there are many things I should not have. But they are a part of me, part of who I have become, and they have a place in the context of my life. They are reminders that mistakes can be built on, that journeys are filled with learning and that the right path, whatever ‘right’ may my mean for you, is often only a step away.”
Nyati had been CEO of Microsoft SA and MTN SA before joining Altron in April 2017. At Altron he has led a steady transformation of the business, shifting it from a share price low of R4 (in 2015) to its current traded price of R22 a share. He did so intentionally, with the desire to help rebuild a South Africa business. That purpose energised the revitalisation of that business.
Each chapter of the book ends with a note from a friend or colleague. It adds a beautiful warmth to the story. It speaks of a man who sees his journey as being intertwined with that of others.
The consistent theme in those notes is of a person who is quiet, humble, and blessed with intellectual strength. It is a refreshing reminder that not all CEOs are extroverts, that it is possible to ascend to leadership in a manner that is entirely authentic to one’s own identity.
His professional journey starts with a bursary from Afrox to study engineering. He recounts that a condition of his bursary was to work his university holidays in the Afrox plants. In his first stint he was assigned to a boilermaker who taught him to weld.
In that moment is a taste of how Nyati built his career, getting his hands literally and metaphorically dirty, getting to know the ins and outs of a business and then zooming out to make strategic decisions to shape new possibilities.
In his words, “At heart I am an engineer. I want to encourage people to fix things, not to raise false hopes.”
It is a consistent theme in his story – understand, create a vision of the possible, fix, move forward.
His career took him to Paris, working for IBM. He recounts how his family ended up living approximately 30 kms outside of the city centre – it was more affordable, and they bought a second-hard Ford for transport. It’s a good reminder that behind the current-day success is often a story of sacrifice and hard-work.
He recounts with frankness the racism that he encountered in his career, saying “The playing fields are never level. One can be angry about it, or weep about it. I don’t waste my emotions on bigots. I just try to outperform racists…The least I can give them is cognitive dissonance – a bit of discomfort to challenge their cherished belief systems. They deserve that gift from darkies.”
Bigots aside, he reflects that he worked with other leaders who embraced diversity. In his words, “Their gamble gave me the confidence to succeed and created an environment in which I gained courage to do things I wasn’t sure I could do.”
That is the test of leadership. Are you creating an environment that gives others courage? Or do they need courage to simply get out of bed and face the day?
/ SOUL
Nyati’s story reminded me of these words from Lao-Tzu, author of the Tao Te Ching that I encountered in Chip Conley’s Wisdom@ Work:
“The Sage holds on to the One and in this way becomes the shepherd of the world.
He does not show himself off; therefore, he becomes prominent.
He does not put himself on display; therefore, he brightly shines.
He does not brag about himself; therefore, he receives credit.
He does not praise his own deeds; therefore. he can long endure.
It is only because he does not compete that, therefore, no one is able to compete with him.”
If you were forwarded this newsletter and you enjoyed it, you can subscribe here.
If you enjoyed it, please share it with others.
Have a wonderful week!
All the best
Karl
PS: If you’d like to know more about my coaching work, click on any of these links:
LinkedIn
Instagram
My website
(This letter was first published on October 4 2020)