The issue of having human resources that are able to lead State Owned Enterprises in Namibia featured during former Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) CEO, Jerry Muadinohamba's lecture on SOEs versus transformation held at the Polytechnic's auditorium in Windhoek last night. It seems only other people from outside Namibia has the capacity to lead businesses locally, 24 years after independence??? Why?
It is understood that corporate top leadership have the responsibility to train its human resources to prepare them to lead the businesses at anytime. However, the contradiction which Muadinohamba also highlighted last night is that the CEO's who are the leaders of the top leadership teams turn around and say their executives or employees in general have no capacity to lead the organizations. How could this possible, why didn't they train and prepare their executives to be able to take over the leadership at any time?
During his lecture, Muadinohamba said CEO had the responsibility to create the climate and conducive environment for the Board of Directors to understand and support issues including the training of the executive leadership and general staff.
Most State Owned Enterprises at the moment do not have succession plans - which prepare the executives to take over whenever the MD's or CEOs moved on in their profession/career.
"At MVA, there are between 6 and 7 executives who obtained their Masters Degrees - from Oxford University, from Germany and other institutions. These employees had their studies fully funded by the organization". "All of those employees are ready to take over the leadership of the institution", therefore there is no issue of the executives not having the capacity, Mwadinohamba confirmed.
The former MVA CEO said employees receive N$12 000.00 annually to study, in any field that will improve their career/profession and are not restricted to only take programmes that are related to what they do at the business.
The current MVA CEO, Rosalia Martin-Hausiku who succeeded Muadinohamba has been a member of the same business top leadership, however, she was prepared to be a top leader - both academically and professionally just like his other colleagues under the watchful eye of Muadinohamba.
The question that arises therefore is, if MVA could train its managers or prepare them to take over the leadership, what prevents other SOEs to do the same?
Muadinohamba therefore encouraged all the SOE leadership to start to think differently, allow people to think differently and achieve goals differently. He said one of the ways to do so was to allow staff members including cleaners to participate in the business and be listened to.
Women, must be given opportunities and allowed to also attend professional or academic courses, young people too have to be considered as they will be the leaders when the seniors are gone one day.
Muadinohamba said leadership is like a person teaching a five year old how to cycle. And in the cycling process, the child would fall now and then, but that person or the leader has to help that child to balance and be fit to reach a certain point. He said this example was the same in leadership where some of the leaders or managers or staff would fall but must still have the endurance to move on to the final destination.
He also gave an example of those who manage to get to the top of Dune Seven first through competition as usually only one person ends up at the top. But he asked if those who arrive there first do look back and give a hand to those struggling to also reach the top as the team can only be good as its weakest link.
Muadinohamba many so many examples of how leadership should be viewed - that people should go outdoors to test their leadership skills - because a person's leadership attitude at the business can also be portrayed or measured the same way while outdoors. Issues like canoeing, mountaineering in a group can easily be good indicators on how a person can be a good leader in supporting others, listening to them, allow them to participate and just synchronize in what they do - e.g. through paddling of canoes to determine if you are doing in one direction or the opposite direction. He said at one outdoor trip, he refused to participate in some of the activities, giving a lot of excuses, but he regretted his action then as that said something about his leadership and that's how he learn to think and do things differently.
In a nutshell, Muadinohamba basically said Namibians especially the various leadership are quick to confirm that Namibia has no capacity, while they are the ones with the influence and responsibility to improve or contribute to that capacity. And this he said should change through doing things differently. He said he was given a chance by the board of directors that interviewed him first - and believes that if other people are supported and assisted to be fit and keep the cycling balance like the five year old, the can go along way.
It is the author's believe that as of last night, each corporate executive will start to think; differently, allow others to think differently and participate in the business and create the climate to prepare others to be able to take over the leadership whenever it is needed and to stop saying at a particular SOE or in Namibia in general, there is no capacity among executives to succeed those coming to the end of their employment contracts.
The lecture was well attended, with the auditorium fully packed - by captains of industry, students, scholars and CEO's of some businesses including the NBC Director General, Albertus Aochamub, NAMPOWER's MD, Paulinus Shilamba, NIPAM's Chief, Prof Joseph Diescho and many other promintent business personalities.
Compiled by Menesia Muinjo
It is understood that corporate top leadership have the responsibility to train its human resources to prepare them to lead the businesses at anytime. However, the contradiction which Muadinohamba also highlighted last night is that the CEO's who are the leaders of the top leadership teams turn around and say their executives or employees in general have no capacity to lead the organizations. How could this possible, why didn't they train and prepare their executives to be able to take over the leadership at any time?
During his lecture, Muadinohamba said CEO had the responsibility to create the climate and conducive environment for the Board of Directors to understand and support issues including the training of the executive leadership and general staff.
 |
| Jerry Muadinohamba addressing audiences on the lecture - SOEs versus Transformation |
Most State Owned Enterprises at the moment do not have succession plans - which prepare the executives to take over whenever the MD's or CEOs moved on in their profession/career.
"At MVA, there are between 6 and 7 executives who obtained their Masters Degrees - from Oxford University, from Germany and other institutions. These employees had their studies fully funded by the organization". "All of those employees are ready to take over the leadership of the institution", therefore there is no issue of the executives not having the capacity, Mwadinohamba confirmed.
The former MVA CEO said employees receive N$12 000.00 annually to study, in any field that will improve their career/profession and are not restricted to only take programmes that are related to what they do at the business.
The current MVA CEO, Rosalia Martin-Hausiku who succeeded Muadinohamba has been a member of the same business top leadership, however, she was prepared to be a top leader - both academically and professionally just like his other colleagues under the watchful eye of Muadinohamba.
The question that arises therefore is, if MVA could train its managers or prepare them to take over the leadership, what prevents other SOEs to do the same?
Muadinohamba therefore encouraged all the SOE leadership to start to think differently, allow people to think differently and achieve goals differently. He said one of the ways to do so was to allow staff members including cleaners to participate in the business and be listened to.
Women, must be given opportunities and allowed to also attend professional or academic courses, young people too have to be considered as they will be the leaders when the seniors are gone one day.
Muadinohamba said leadership is like a person teaching a five year old how to cycle. And in the cycling process, the child would fall now and then, but that person or the leader has to help that child to balance and be fit to reach a certain point. He said this example was the same in leadership where some of the leaders or managers or staff would fall but must still have the endurance to move on to the final destination.
He also gave an example of those who manage to get to the top of Dune Seven first through competition as usually only one person ends up at the top. But he asked if those who arrive there first do look back and give a hand to those struggling to also reach the top as the team can only be good as its weakest link.
Muadinohamba many so many examples of how leadership should be viewed - that people should go outdoors to test their leadership skills - because a person's leadership attitude at the business can also be portrayed or measured the same way while outdoors. Issues like canoeing, mountaineering in a group can easily be good indicators on how a person can be a good leader in supporting others, listening to them, allow them to participate and just synchronize in what they do - e.g. through paddling of canoes to determine if you are doing in one direction or the opposite direction. He said at one outdoor trip, he refused to participate in some of the activities, giving a lot of excuses, but he regretted his action then as that said something about his leadership and that's how he learn to think and do things differently.
In a nutshell, Muadinohamba basically said Namibians especially the various leadership are quick to confirm that Namibia has no capacity, while they are the ones with the influence and responsibility to improve or contribute to that capacity. And this he said should change through doing things differently. He said he was given a chance by the board of directors that interviewed him first - and believes that if other people are supported and assisted to be fit and keep the cycling balance like the five year old, the can go along way.
 |
| Polytechnic Auditorium One packed with audiences |
It is the author's believe that as of last night, each corporate executive will start to think; differently, allow others to think differently and participate in the business and create the climate to prepare others to be able to take over the leadership whenever it is needed and to stop saying at a particular SOE or in Namibia in general, there is no capacity among executives to succeed those coming to the end of their employment contracts.
The lecture was well attended, with the auditorium fully packed - by captains of industry, students, scholars and CEO's of some businesses including the NBC Director General, Albertus Aochamub, NAMPOWER's MD, Paulinus Shilamba, NIPAM's Chief, Prof Joseph Diescho and many other promintent business personalities.
Compiled by Menesia Muinjo
No comments:
Post a Comment