To be a leader is to serve and to inspire others. That was the message from the CEO of Momentum, Brand Pretorius, when he delivered the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Human Resource Leadership Seminar.

In the spirit of Mandela month, Brand delivered his presentation to inspire current and future leaders.
 

“Leadership is about potential, about opportunity, and it is ultimately about purpose. In my experience, excellent leaders have a compass in their heads and a magnet in their hearts. So they can give clear direction about where they want to go and explain why… to take people along on this journey of leadership,” Brand said.

Meko Magida, Executive Director: Human Resources (HR), welcomed Brand to UWC after they had both attended a leadership programme at Oxford University. Magida said: “The two of us were attending the Oxford advanced management leadership programme. There are people that really make an impact when you meet them, and Brand was one of those. I felt so happy to have a South African with humility and intellectual prowess there with me, and I was very happy when I first proposed a session here at UWC. He was very willing and he immediately responded with a yes.”

Brand’s presentation was the first in a series of lectures HR would host. Magida said: “The focus at this stage is on our interns, and their programme comes to an end at the end of August. Last year we ran similar programmes, inviting CEOs and important guests to come and address interns.”

The aim is to create an opportunity for the interns to network with the guest speaker and also an opportunity for some of them to be placed and get employment. “Most of the time you have spent now at a university, and now you need an understanding of the corporate sector,” said Magida.

The theme of this year’s lectures is Leading for Change, and Brand focused on the changes and challenges faced by those in leadership positions.

Brand said: “Our former President Mandela said to lead is to serve, and I fundamentally believe that to be true… specifically, if you want to be a leader in our country. There are so many things that require good leadership and so many areas of society that require us to serve, rather than engage in leadership for our own benefit.”

Brand had these words of wisdom for future leaders:

• Never look down on people who look up to you. There is power in humility.
• Destroy your ego and build your character.
• People don’t care how much you know until they experience how much you care.
• If serving is below you, then leadership is beyond you.