“Ubuntu leadership style requires putting the people first, it’s based on the realization that I am a leader because of my followers,” said Andile Sipengane, acting CEO of the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority.
Sipengane was the guest speaker at last night’s graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.
He said that the country was in dire need of servant leadership with a heart.
He argued that leadership, or its lack thereof, was at the core of the challenges facing the country.
“More than ever before we need to go back to the principles of ubuntu, you need to have integrity, empathy, care,” he said.
He added that leaders represent the aspirations of their follower and organizations.
He encouraged graduates to have a positive attitude and keep a smiling face at all times.
“When your followers start drifting away from you it’s because of your attitude,” he said.
He observed that some leaders often see followers just as staff members or numbers but argued that people are a core fiber of leadership.
This morning will see hundreds of graduates in the Faculty of Engineering being capped.
News of CPUT’s extraordinary alumni can be found in our Grad Mag 2016.
