Claudio Ranieri was appointed manager of Leicester City last summer after Nigel Pearson's departure, despite being an unpopular choice. Through his eccentric personality and emphasis on discipline, teamwork, and celebrating small victories, he instilled a winning mentality in the team. This led Leicester City, 5000/1 underdogs at the start of the season, to an improbable Premier League title, the first team promoted the prior season to ever win it. Ranieri's unique motivational tactics like ringing a bell in training and rewarding clean sheets with pizza helped energize the team on their historic run.
Social Selling increases the gap between sales and marketingVanguard Leadership
Social selling is taking the sales world by storm. It is changing salespeople are trying to get close to their clients. Using LinkedIn, Twitter, Slideshare, Blogs, etc. sales people are becoming challengers and trusted advisors for their clients
This creates friction with marketing and sales. Who will make the content that opens up new gold mines ate clients
An Analysis Of European Soccer Finances And Their Impact On On-field SuccessLeon Corriea
This report takes a closer look at the business of soccer and how analytics can be used to improve financial decisions that impact performance on-field. It identifies all the essential levers that are involved in the financial decision making process at the top European soccer clubs and, through the use of analytics, assigns importance to each one of them. By recognizing the most important factors, soccer clubs can prioritize their efforts in improving those areas that have the maximum impact on on-field success.
Social Selling increases the gap between sales and marketingVanguard Leadership
Social selling is taking the sales world by storm. It is changing salespeople are trying to get close to their clients. Using LinkedIn, Twitter, Slideshare, Blogs, etc. sales people are becoming challengers and trusted advisors for their clients
This creates friction with marketing and sales. Who will make the content that opens up new gold mines ate clients
An Analysis Of European Soccer Finances And Their Impact On On-field SuccessLeon Corriea
This report takes a closer look at the business of soccer and how analytics can be used to improve financial decisions that impact performance on-field. It identifies all the essential levers that are involved in the financial decision making process at the top European soccer clubs and, through the use of analytics, assigns importance to each one of them. By recognizing the most important factors, soccer clubs can prioritize their efforts in improving those areas that have the maximum impact on on-field success.
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
Product Design Trends in 2024 | Teenage EngineeringsPixeldarts
The realm of product design is a constantly changing environment where technology and style intersect. Every year introduces fresh challenges and exciting trends that mold the future of this captivating art form. In this piece, we delve into the significant trends set to influence the look and functionality of product design in the year 2024.
How Race, Age and Gender Shape Attitudes Towards Mental HealthThinkNow
Mental health has been in the news quite a bit lately. Dozens of U.S. states are currently suing Meta for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by inserting addictive features into their products, while the U.S. Surgeon General is touring the nation to bring awareness to the growing epidemic of loneliness and isolation. The country has endured periods of low national morale, such as in the 1970s when high inflation and the energy crisis worsened public sentiment following the Vietnam War. The current mood, however, feels different. Gallup recently reported that national mental health is at an all-time low, with few bright spots to lift spirits.
To better understand how Americans are feeling and their attitudes towards mental health in general, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 1,500 respondents and found some interesting differences among ethnic, age and gender groups.
Technology
For example, 52% agree that technology and social media have a negative impact on mental health, but when broken out by race, 61% of Whites felt technology had a negative effect, and only 48% of Hispanics thought it did.
While technology has helped us keep in touch with friends and family in faraway places, it appears to have degraded our ability to connect in person. Staying connected online is a double-edged sword since the same news feed that brings us pictures of the grandkids and fluffy kittens also feeds us news about the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the dysfunction in Washington, the latest mass shooting and the climate crisis.
Hispanics may have a built-in defense against the isolation technology breeds, owing to their large, multigenerational households, strong social support systems, and tendency to use social media to stay connected with relatives abroad.
Age and Gender
When asked how individuals rate their mental health, men rate it higher than women by 11 percentage points, and Baby Boomers rank it highest at 83%, saying it’s good or excellent vs. 57% of Gen Z saying the same.
Gen Z spends the most amount of time on social media, so the notion that social media negatively affects mental health appears to be correlated. Unfortunately, Gen Z is also the generation that’s least comfortable discussing mental health concerns with healthcare professionals. Only 40% of them state they’re comfortable discussing their issues with a professional compared to 60% of Millennials and 65% of Boomers.
Race Affects Attitudes
As seen in previous research conducted by ThinkNow, Asian Americans lag other groups when it comes to awareness of mental health issues. Twenty-four percent of Asian Americans believe that having a mental health issue is a sign of weakness compared to the 16% average for all groups. Asians are also considerably less likely to be aware of mental health services in their communities (42% vs. 55%) and most likely to seek out information on social media (51% vs. 35%).
AI Trends in Creative Operations 2024 by Artwork Flow.pdfmarketingartwork
This article is all about what AI trends will emerge in the field of creative operations in 2024. All the marketers and brand builders should be aware of these trends for their further use and save themselves some time!
A report by thenetworkone and Kurio.
The contributing experts and agencies are (in an alphabetical order): Sylwia Rytel, Social Media Supervisor, 180heartbeats + JUNG v MATT (PL), Sharlene Jenner, Vice President - Director of Engagement Strategy, Abelson Taylor (USA), Alex Casanovas, Digital Director, Atrevia (ES), Dora Beilin, Senior Social Strategist, Barrett Hoffher (USA), Min Seo, Campaign Director, Brand New Agency (KR), Deshé M. Gully, Associate Strategist, Day One Agency (USA), Francesca Trevisan, Strategist, Different (IT), Trevor Crossman, CX and Digital Transformation Director; Olivia Hussey, Strategic Planner; Simi Srinarula, Social Media Manager, The Hallway (AUS), James Hebbert, Managing Director, Hylink (CN / UK), Mundy Álvarez, Planning Director; Pedro Rojas, Social Media Manager; Pancho González, CCO, Inbrax (CH), Oana Oprea, Head of Digital Planning, Jam Session Agency (RO), Amy Bottrill, Social Account Director, Launch (UK), Gaby Arriaga, Founder, Leonardo1452 (MX), Shantesh S Row, Creative Director, Liwa (UAE), Rajesh Mehta, Chief Strategy Officer; Dhruv Gaur, Digital Planning Lead; Leonie Mergulhao, Account Supervisor - Social Media & PR, Medulla (IN), Aurelija Plioplytė, Head of Digital & Social, Not Perfect (LI), Daiana Khaidargaliyeva, Account Manager, Osaka Labs (UK / USA), Stefanie Söhnchen, Vice President Digital, PIABO Communications (DE), Elisabeth Winiartati, Managing Consultant, Head of Global Integrated Communications; Lydia Aprina, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Nita Prabowo, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Okhi, Web Developer, PNTR Group (ID), Kei Obusan, Insights Director; Daffi Ranandi, Insights Manager, Radarr (SG), Gautam Reghunath, Co-founder & CEO, Talented (IN), Donagh Humphreys, Head of Social and Digital Innovation, THINKHOUSE (IRE), Sarah Yim, Strategy Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (CA).
Trends In Paid Search: Navigating The Digital Landscape In 2024Search Engine Journal
The search marketing landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies, and professionals, like you, rely on innovative paid search strategies to meet changing demands.
It’s important that you’re ready to implement new strategies in 2024.
Check this out and learn the top trends in paid search advertising that are expected to gain traction, so you can drive higher ROI more efficiently in 2024.
You’ll learn:
- The latest trends in AI and automation, and what this means for an evolving paid search ecosystem.
- New developments in privacy and data regulation.
- Emerging ad formats that are expected to make an impact next year.
Watch Sreekant Lanka from iQuanti and Irina Klein from OneMain Financial as they dive into the future of paid search and explore the trends, strategies, and technologies that will shape the search marketing landscape.
If you’re looking to assess your paid search strategy and design an industry-aligned plan for 2024, then this webinar is for you.
5 Public speaking tips from TED - Visualized summarySpeakerHub
From their humble beginnings in 1984, TED has grown into the world’s most powerful amplifier for speakers and thought-leaders to share their ideas. They have over 2,400 filmed talks (not including the 30,000+ TEDx videos) freely available online, and have hosted over 17,500 events around the world.
With over one billion views in a year, it’s no wonder that so many speakers are looking to TED for ideas on how to share their message more effectively.
The article “5 Public-Speaking Tips TED Gives Its Speakers”, by Carmine Gallo for Forbes, gives speakers five practical ways to connect with their audience, and effectively share their ideas on stage.
Whether you are gearing up to get on a TED stage yourself, or just want to master the skills that so many of their speakers possess, these tips and quotes from Chris Anderson, the TED Talks Curator, will encourage you to make the most impactful impression on your audience.
See the full article and more summaries like this on SpeakerHub here: https://speakerhub.com/blog/5-presentation-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers
See the original article on Forbes here:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2016/05/06/5-public-speaking-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers/&refURL=&referrer=#5c07a8221d9b
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd Clark Boyd
Everyone is in agreement that ChatGPT (and other generative AI tools) will shape the future of work. Yet there is little consensus on exactly how, when, and to what extent this technology will change our world.
Businesses that extract maximum value from ChatGPT will use it as a collaborative tool for everything from brainstorming to technical maintenance.
For individuals, now is the time to pinpoint the skills the future professional will need to thrive in the AI age.
Check out this presentation to understand what ChatGPT is, how it will shape the future of work, and how you can prepare to take advantage.
A brief introduction to DataScience with explaining of the concepts, algorithms, machine learning, supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, statistics, data preprocessing, real-world applications etc.
It's part of a Data Science Corner Campaign where I will be discussing the fundamentals of DataScience, AIML, Statistics etc.
Time Management & Productivity - Best PracticesVit Horky
Here's my presentation on by proven best practices how to manage your work time effectively and how to improve your productivity. It includes practical tips and how to use tools such as Slack, Google Apps, Hubspot, Google Calendar, Gmail and others.
The six step guide to practical project managementMindGenius
The six step guide to practical project management
If you think managing projects is too difficult, think again.
We’ve stripped back project management processes to the
basics – to make it quicker and easier, without sacrificing
the vital ingredients for success.
“If you’re looking for some real-world guidance, then The Six Step Guide to Practical Project Management will help.”
Dr Andrew Makar, Tactical Project Management
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
Product Design Trends in 2024 | Teenage EngineeringsPixeldarts
The realm of product design is a constantly changing environment where technology and style intersect. Every year introduces fresh challenges and exciting trends that mold the future of this captivating art form. In this piece, we delve into the significant trends set to influence the look and functionality of product design in the year 2024.
How Race, Age and Gender Shape Attitudes Towards Mental HealthThinkNow
Mental health has been in the news quite a bit lately. Dozens of U.S. states are currently suing Meta for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by inserting addictive features into their products, while the U.S. Surgeon General is touring the nation to bring awareness to the growing epidemic of loneliness and isolation. The country has endured periods of low national morale, such as in the 1970s when high inflation and the energy crisis worsened public sentiment following the Vietnam War. The current mood, however, feels different. Gallup recently reported that national mental health is at an all-time low, with few bright spots to lift spirits.
To better understand how Americans are feeling and their attitudes towards mental health in general, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 1,500 respondents and found some interesting differences among ethnic, age and gender groups.
Technology
For example, 52% agree that technology and social media have a negative impact on mental health, but when broken out by race, 61% of Whites felt technology had a negative effect, and only 48% of Hispanics thought it did.
While technology has helped us keep in touch with friends and family in faraway places, it appears to have degraded our ability to connect in person. Staying connected online is a double-edged sword since the same news feed that brings us pictures of the grandkids and fluffy kittens also feeds us news about the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the dysfunction in Washington, the latest mass shooting and the climate crisis.
Hispanics may have a built-in defense against the isolation technology breeds, owing to their large, multigenerational households, strong social support systems, and tendency to use social media to stay connected with relatives abroad.
Age and Gender
When asked how individuals rate their mental health, men rate it higher than women by 11 percentage points, and Baby Boomers rank it highest at 83%, saying it’s good or excellent vs. 57% of Gen Z saying the same.
Gen Z spends the most amount of time on social media, so the notion that social media negatively affects mental health appears to be correlated. Unfortunately, Gen Z is also the generation that’s least comfortable discussing mental health concerns with healthcare professionals. Only 40% of them state they’re comfortable discussing their issues with a professional compared to 60% of Millennials and 65% of Boomers.
Race Affects Attitudes
As seen in previous research conducted by ThinkNow, Asian Americans lag other groups when it comes to awareness of mental health issues. Twenty-four percent of Asian Americans believe that having a mental health issue is a sign of weakness compared to the 16% average for all groups. Asians are also considerably less likely to be aware of mental health services in their communities (42% vs. 55%) and most likely to seek out information on social media (51% vs. 35%).
AI Trends in Creative Operations 2024 by Artwork Flow.pdfmarketingartwork
This article is all about what AI trends will emerge in the field of creative operations in 2024. All the marketers and brand builders should be aware of these trends for their further use and save themselves some time!
A report by thenetworkone and Kurio.
The contributing experts and agencies are (in an alphabetical order): Sylwia Rytel, Social Media Supervisor, 180heartbeats + JUNG v MATT (PL), Sharlene Jenner, Vice President - Director of Engagement Strategy, Abelson Taylor (USA), Alex Casanovas, Digital Director, Atrevia (ES), Dora Beilin, Senior Social Strategist, Barrett Hoffher (USA), Min Seo, Campaign Director, Brand New Agency (KR), Deshé M. Gully, Associate Strategist, Day One Agency (USA), Francesca Trevisan, Strategist, Different (IT), Trevor Crossman, CX and Digital Transformation Director; Olivia Hussey, Strategic Planner; Simi Srinarula, Social Media Manager, The Hallway (AUS), James Hebbert, Managing Director, Hylink (CN / UK), Mundy Álvarez, Planning Director; Pedro Rojas, Social Media Manager; Pancho González, CCO, Inbrax (CH), Oana Oprea, Head of Digital Planning, Jam Session Agency (RO), Amy Bottrill, Social Account Director, Launch (UK), Gaby Arriaga, Founder, Leonardo1452 (MX), Shantesh S Row, Creative Director, Liwa (UAE), Rajesh Mehta, Chief Strategy Officer; Dhruv Gaur, Digital Planning Lead; Leonie Mergulhao, Account Supervisor - Social Media & PR, Medulla (IN), Aurelija Plioplytė, Head of Digital & Social, Not Perfect (LI), Daiana Khaidargaliyeva, Account Manager, Osaka Labs (UK / USA), Stefanie Söhnchen, Vice President Digital, PIABO Communications (DE), Elisabeth Winiartati, Managing Consultant, Head of Global Integrated Communications; Lydia Aprina, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Nita Prabowo, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Okhi, Web Developer, PNTR Group (ID), Kei Obusan, Insights Director; Daffi Ranandi, Insights Manager, Radarr (SG), Gautam Reghunath, Co-founder & CEO, Talented (IN), Donagh Humphreys, Head of Social and Digital Innovation, THINKHOUSE (IRE), Sarah Yim, Strategy Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (CA).
Trends In Paid Search: Navigating The Digital Landscape In 2024Search Engine Journal
The search marketing landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies, and professionals, like you, rely on innovative paid search strategies to meet changing demands.
It’s important that you’re ready to implement new strategies in 2024.
Check this out and learn the top trends in paid search advertising that are expected to gain traction, so you can drive higher ROI more efficiently in 2024.
You’ll learn:
- The latest trends in AI and automation, and what this means for an evolving paid search ecosystem.
- New developments in privacy and data regulation.
- Emerging ad formats that are expected to make an impact next year.
Watch Sreekant Lanka from iQuanti and Irina Klein from OneMain Financial as they dive into the future of paid search and explore the trends, strategies, and technologies that will shape the search marketing landscape.
If you’re looking to assess your paid search strategy and design an industry-aligned plan for 2024, then this webinar is for you.
5 Public speaking tips from TED - Visualized summarySpeakerHub
From their humble beginnings in 1984, TED has grown into the world’s most powerful amplifier for speakers and thought-leaders to share their ideas. They have over 2,400 filmed talks (not including the 30,000+ TEDx videos) freely available online, and have hosted over 17,500 events around the world.
With over one billion views in a year, it’s no wonder that so many speakers are looking to TED for ideas on how to share their message more effectively.
The article “5 Public-Speaking Tips TED Gives Its Speakers”, by Carmine Gallo for Forbes, gives speakers five practical ways to connect with their audience, and effectively share their ideas on stage.
Whether you are gearing up to get on a TED stage yourself, or just want to master the skills that so many of their speakers possess, these tips and quotes from Chris Anderson, the TED Talks Curator, will encourage you to make the most impactful impression on your audience.
See the full article and more summaries like this on SpeakerHub here: https://speakerhub.com/blog/5-presentation-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers
See the original article on Forbes here:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2016/05/06/5-public-speaking-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers/&refURL=&referrer=#5c07a8221d9b
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd Clark Boyd
Everyone is in agreement that ChatGPT (and other generative AI tools) will shape the future of work. Yet there is little consensus on exactly how, when, and to what extent this technology will change our world.
Businesses that extract maximum value from ChatGPT will use it as a collaborative tool for everything from brainstorming to technical maintenance.
For individuals, now is the time to pinpoint the skills the future professional will need to thrive in the AI age.
Check out this presentation to understand what ChatGPT is, how it will shape the future of work, and how you can prepare to take advantage.
A brief introduction to DataScience with explaining of the concepts, algorithms, machine learning, supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, statistics, data preprocessing, real-world applications etc.
It's part of a Data Science Corner Campaign where I will be discussing the fundamentals of DataScience, AIML, Statistics etc.
Time Management & Productivity - Best PracticesVit Horky
Here's my presentation on by proven best practices how to manage your work time effectively and how to improve your productivity. It includes practical tips and how to use tools such as Slack, Google Apps, Hubspot, Google Calendar, Gmail and others.
The six step guide to practical project managementMindGenius
The six step guide to practical project management
If you think managing projects is too difficult, think again.
We’ve stripped back project management processes to the
basics – to make it quicker and easier, without sacrificing
the vital ingredients for success.
“If you’re looking for some real-world guidance, then The Six Step Guide to Practical Project Management will help.”
Dr Andrew Makar, Tactical Project Management
Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...
Executive Vision - the standard 20160617
1. Page 35Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership • Energized Teams
“People buy into the leader
before they buy into the vision”
John C. Maxwell
EXCLUSIVE
SPECIAL
REPORT
To be in the next issue,Email-executivevision@standardmedia.co.ke
2. Page 36 Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized Teams
How Claudio Ranieri, Pizza
and ‘Dilly Ding, Dilly Dong’ Put
Leicester City on Road to Glory
Invaluable lessons of having an underdog mentality!
BY JOHN PERCY, COURTESYTHETELEGRAPH
I
t is quite a small room: plain white walls,
two three-seater sofas, a couple of pot-
plants. If it were not for the black-and-
white pictures of 19 Premier League managers
hung on the walls, it could be a humdrum suite
in a mid-ranking business hotel.
Instead, Claudio Ranieri’s office at the King
Power stadium has become the nerve-centre of
the greatest fairytale English football has ever
seen, the place where plots have been hatched
and victories toasted.
Ranieri’s decision to adorn the wall with
images of his peers was designed to make
them feel at ease when they visited him after
matches; instead, they have assumed the look
of big-game trophies, all eclipsed by Ranieri
and his remarkable band of title winners.
Rewind just over nine months, and that
scenario would have been deemed laughable. It
was at a time when negatives were threatening
to darken the mood after Nigel Pearson’s messy
departure, the controversial appointment of
Ranieri as his successor and the impending exit
of player of the year Esteban Cambiasso.
The message to supporters at Ranieri’s
unveiling, delivered by the chief executive
Susan Whelan, was “Trust in us” yet not even
the most optimistic Leicester follower could
have envisaged how the season would pan out.
Bookmakers gave Sir Alex Ferguson winning
Strictly Come Dancing shorter odds than
Leicester claiming the league title but Ranieri
has delivered the feel-good story of the decade,
offering hope to clubs from the Premier League
to park football that the underdog can rip up
the script.
Yet when Pearson was dismissed in June,
Ranieri was not even first choice for the job.
Martin O’Neill was approached by Leicester’s
ambitious Thai owners and at one stage
it appeared as if an emotional return was
imminent, before he opted to stay with the
Republic of Ireland. Leicester were considering
Guus Hiddink but it was agent Steve Kutner
who forwarded the CV of Ranieri, setting the
wheels in motion.
Kutner has known Ranieri since 2001, when
Chelsea signed his star client Frank Lampard,
and believed the Italian’s record deserved
scrutiny. Talks went well in London, where
BY FREDRICK KIRUI
A
t the beginning of August 2015,
if someone had placed a bet of 1
dollar for Leicester City to win the
Barclays English Premier league,
he/she would have comfortably made a cool
5,000 dollars at the end of the season (May
2016). I doubt there’s any business with such
a high Return on Investment in less than
one year (10 months to be precise). What the
bookies didn’t have is the foresight of the pos-
sibility of Leicester City winning the Barclays
English Premier League. They (Leicester City)
were considered as underdogs having been
promoted to the English Premier League in
2014-2015. No team has ever won the Premier
League one year after being promoted from
the Championship.
From a management lens, I would like
to draw simple parallels on how relatively
smaller organizations can take advantage of
their “smallness” to compete and eventually
emerge victorious.
The first and most important lesson for
me has to be the importance of adopting and
executing a vision of winning mentality.
Leicester City from the onset, understood
that in as much as it is difficult to win the Eng-
lish Premier League, it was not Impossible.
The manager (Claudio Ranieri) is credited
with instilling a sense of pride and one-ness
amongst the team members. This vision was
delivered consistently to the team members
until they were convinced that they could do
the unthinkable! From the beginning of the
league, they knew they had an insurmount-
able task to win the EPL but they converted
this challenge into an opportunity. Modern
day organizations can take this lesson on the
importance of communicating and adopting,
to all levels of staff, a winning mentality. “In
life, as in football, you won’t go far unless you
know where the goalposts are.” —Arnold H.
Glasgow
The second lesson is the discipline to ex-
ecute the strategy.
The manager is known to be someone who
doesn’t tolerate indiscipline from the team.
This was very important in guiding the team
members towards achieving this vision. Any
indiscipline was punished and at the same
time the players who demonstrated enor-
mous compliance were greatly rewarded. This
just affirms the notion that human beings will
respond positively to an issue that has a great
and positive impact on them.
Modern day organizations can pick a lesson
on the importance of adopting a discipline in
execution of the strategy. Relatively smaller
organizations have a better chance of effec-
tively executing a strategy than a large or-
ganization. “Plans are only good intentions
unless they immediately degenerate into hard
work.” —Peter Drucker
The third lesson has to be teamwork.
If you watched how the Leicester City team
played, it was evident that the players under-
stood the importance of teamwork. The team
was commendable in the way they played as
a unit. This helped them to overcome the so
called “The Big four” in the English Premier
league (Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal,
Manchester City).They were able to defeat the
all “big four” in the domestic matches apart
from Arsenal Football Club who beat them
twice. The importance of teamwork has been
attributed to success of organizations from
General Electric to Safaricom in Kenya. Team-
work wins any-day! “Strategy execution is the
responsibility that makes or breaks executives.”
— Alan Branche and Sam Bodley-Scott.
The fourth lesson for me has to be the im-
portance of celebrating small successes!
Being a sports fanatic, I watch the English
Premier League religiously, and I was amazed
at the effort that the Leicester City team and
their manager put in celebrating any win. It
was evident just from the camaraderie they
showed when they won their first game of the
season that they were on a mission. They cel-
ebrated the win together as a team and with
their manager. This was important in laying a
foundation of celebrating the small and early
wins. Any organization should be able to cel-
ebrate the small wins and learn from the mis-
takes in their quest to succeed.
“Successisrarelytheresultofoneswellswoop,
but more often the culmination of many, many
small victories.” Joseph M. Marshall III
The writer is a Business Manager at Stan-
dard Media Group and an MBA student at
Strathmore Business School
Email: fkirui@standardmedia.co.ke
There were
few who
expressed
support when
Ranieri was
appointed
as manager
last summer,
but there
are few now
who believe
Leicester could
have achieved
the almost
impossible
if not for the
incredibly
popular
Italian.
Ranieri
still owns
a property
near Stamford
Bridge with wife
Rosanna, and Leicester’s
plea for trust has been rewarded.
Whelan explained: “We went through
a very extensive process in terms of looking at
the managers available. We made sure it was a
very good long term choice. It became very clear
almost immediately that Claudio was our No1
target.”
Ranieri has been box office for much of the
season, his eccentricities lightening the mood
and preventing the pressures of a title race
from choking his players. He has entered a new
phrase - ‘Dilly Ding, Dilly Dong’ - into the football
lexicon, a reference to his method of ensuring his
players are focused by ringing an imaginary bell
in training sessions.
He has courted the media smartly, too. He
shook the hand of all members of the press
before his briefings began – apart from before the
West Ham game which Leicester nearly lost.
His genial, dotty persona extends to the
training ground. He has an unprintable nickname
for the talismanic Jamie Vardy and at one time
ordered a standing ovation for Shinji Okazaki
after the Japanese striker passed his English exam
in London.
In October, he delivered on his promise to
reward his players for clean sheets by taking them
to Peter Pizzeria in Leicester city centre, while he
was happy for them to fly out to Copenhagen for
their Christmas party dressed as superheroes and
cartoon characters.
For his own part, the 64-year-old - who started
the season as the favourite to be the first top
flight manager to be sacked but is now in line for
a new contract - has embraced Leicestershire life
to the full. A pub in the village of Little Bowden,
the Cherry Trees, has become a favourite Sunday
afternoon haunt when City are not playing.
Kasper Schmeichel, the goalkeeper, said: “The
best compliment I can pay is that he resisted the
urge to change everything. That is something a
lot of managers want to do, they bring their own
PROJECT TEAM: Editor: Julius Mokaya n Commercial Director: Irene Kimani n Commercial Manager: Salim Bwika , Jacinta Awuor n Project Manager: John Wachira,
n Business Managers: Fred Kirui, Betty Kuremwa, Lilian Njimu n Planning: Andrew Mukabana n Advertising: Richard Okiko, Tabitha Odhiambo, Gichuki Mwangi, Adelaide K.Anno, Sarah
Bosire n Project Writers: Peter Kiragu, Gardy Chacha, Kurian Musa n Project Creatives: Muli Fred D., Joseph Kabuchi, Titus Muendo, Timothy Njue, Ian Mbaya, Martina Nyangayi
His record goal scoring feat saw him given a
shirt signed by the squad, and prompted a
post-match visit to the dressing room from
theThai owners, when he was personally
congratulated and later presented with a
silver plate.CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 >>
3. Page 37Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized Teams
build up income by not less than 10
per cent.
Kenya Re currently operates in
Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The
insurance penetration rate in Kenya
is 3.5 per cent, which Mwarania
admits is low, but remains optimistic
since others in Africa have only
managed 2 and 3 per cent.
In Mwarania’s own words, “we
are serious about expanding our
market coverage: if we have 10
per cent share in a company in
Uganda we want to increase that
to 20 per cent; if we are not in
Tunisian companies we want to be
there – in those companies.”
As the man in charge, Mwarania
is well aware of new players sniffing
at the borders, wanting a share of
the pie in the Kenyan market. A lot
of multinationals from Europe and
South Africa have expressed interest
so far.
He won’t take it lying back. Riding
on good work ethic and Kenya Re’s
penchant for maven skills, the
MD will seek to be ingenious with
services: to make sure that their
customers are catered for with
satisfaction.
Kenya Re has in the recent
times embarked on a journey
to hasten and improve service
delivery, taking advantage of the
digital revolution to acquire state-of
–the-art technologies. Last year, the
firm invested in ERP, a management
software used to collect, store,
manage and interpret data and
analyze product planning, purchase,
manufacturing or service delivery.
“We are currently in the process
of buying a world class re-insurance
software system that will put us
on the international platform,”
Mwarania says. “We are also in the
process of acquiring the latest IT
technologies for storage to ease our
work.”
The train – for keeping up to
date with technology – has left the
station and is gathering steam at
Kenya Re. It will go beyond storage
and management. It will encompass
securing the organization’s
documents and streamlining services.
And as the company builds its
portfolio such improvements is at
speed with staff growth.
To keep its employees motivated
and yearning to perform, the
organisation has propagated a culture
that identifies and rewards talent,
good performance, ingenuity, and
goodwill.
It is thus not surprising that Kenya
Re is one among few – if any – re-
insurance companies with a nearly
non-existent employee turnover at
between 2 and 3 per cent.
“We do appraisals every year. Those
who deserve to be promoted will
climb the ranks. Those who deserve
to be rewarded for exemplary work
will get it. And those who need to
deliver more than they do will be
Kenya Re Chairman Mr. David Kemei (CENTRE) looks on as MD Mr. Jadiah Mwarania (LEFT)
buys some stock items from one of the Niko Fiti beneficiaries during a distribution in
Kibera.
Kenya Re Success
Defined by Skilled
Leadership and
Meritocracy
motivated to aspire,” Mwarania
points out.
The MD believes that Kenya
Re’s employees are some of the
best cared for. The firm has
ensured that every staff enjoys
a good medical cover offered
at commercial rates as well as
group personal and group life
insurance schemes.
To the best of Mwarania’s
knowledge every staff member
owns a home: if they don’t then
they have no reason not to.
In return the employees
make sure that Kenya Re is the
good performer that it is in the
market. The firm has ensured
its staff are frequently trained –
locally and oversees – to equip
them for modern challenges.
The firm’s management has
also ensured gender balance in
staffing.
“Fifty two per cent of our
employees are female; 48 per
cent are male. The requirement
is that no gender should be
less than 30 per cent. In terms
of diversity the government
requires that no one ethnic
group should make more than
30 per cent of our staff. The
largest at Kenya Re is 21 per
cent.”
To give back to society, Kenya
Re has fostered the ‘Niko Fiti’
campaign to improve lives of
those physically challenged.
‘Niko Fiti’ is the organization’s
flagship CSR project.
However, money has also
been channeled towards other
projects: HIV, water availability,
agriculture and food security.
When the spotlight shines
on Kenya Re it is one man’s
face that is seen. As the MD,
Mwarania carries a lot on his
shoulders. If business does
not perform according to
expectations then he takes the
flack. His leadership has been
paramount in steering Kenya
Re towards the right path.
“It is a selfless job to be an
MD. You can’t stick to the job
description alone. You have to
move out of the comfort zone;
give out over and above what is
expected of you,” he says.
The organization’s strategic
document is hence the
default Job Description of the
Managing Director. In the same
stride, Mwarania expects every
staff at Kenya Re to go beyond
the call of duty.
He believes that a leader has
to have vision, accommodate
views, be willing to learn
from mistakes, and have an
objective.
It is Mwarania’s objective
that Kenya Re buttresses into
every African country. It is his
objective that the company
acquires internationally
acclaimed Basel-II (banking
laws and regulations issued
by the Basel Committee on
Banking Supervision). It is his
objective that his team achieves
at least 11 per cent investment
returns.
The stakes have never been
higher. New entrants are set
to rattle the industry. This will
increase competition, which
Mwarania believes, with the
right system in place; Kenya
Re will weather through and
emerge victorious.
This year alone Kenya Re
will bring in at least 20 new
employees. The firm wants to
build capacity for underwriting
as part of its risk management.
In the last five years Kenya
Re has grown its maturity index
from 5 per cent to 69 per cent.
This year the board wants to
see it rise to 72 per cent. To add
on that, the brand equity index
has risen from 40 per cent to 75
per cent.
This is not to say that it has
been a smooth ride, but rather
a confirmation that Kenya Re
has remained malleable with
the changing times. Not long
ago the shilling weakened
from 85 to 107 to the dollar.
Such decomposition, admits
Mwarania, can easily cut profit
margins by billions of shillings.
Kenya Re’s revenue currently
comes from re-insurance
premiums, rental income,
and investment in the stock
markets. With an occupancy
rate of over 95 per cent, the
buildings – Re-Insurance
plaza in Nairobi, Kenya Re
towers, Anniversary towers and
Reinsurance Plaza in Kisumu
– have been a stable source of
revenue.
The ground breaking and
construction of the latest
block in Upper Hill, Nairobi,
is expected to start in 2017.
“When it is done it will be a
landmark. We want to beat all
the infrastructural marvels
currently in that landscape,”
Mwarania reiterates.
What makes Mwarania
even more proud of Kenya Re
is its place in the history of
insurance in the continent.
The past decade has seen the
company participate in the
designing of micro insurance
in the region. Kenya Re has
also been instrumental in the
realization of mobile phone
insurance, working with its
clients to design products that
meet the needs of emerging
markets.
Times have changed.
Customers are increasingly
more demanding. Competition
is stiffening. And claims that
were borderline yesterday are
automatic payables today. It
is such that keep Mwarania
and his team vigil to the
stakeholders the company
owes success.
“WE DO APPRAISALS EVERY YEAR. THOSE WHO
DESERVE TO BE PROMOTED WILL CLIMB THE
RANKS. THOSE WHO DESERVE TO BE REWARDED
FOR EXEMPLARY WORK WILL GET IT. AND THOSE
WHO NEED TO DELIVER MORE THAN THEY DO
WILL BE MOTIVATED TO ASPIRE,”
MR. JADIAH MWARANIA
Managing Director
By GARDY CHACHA
L
ast year Kenya-Re
outperformed other players
in the Kenyan insurance
industry. The firm smashed past the
single digits to 13 per cent.
Despite cutthroat competition,
the company held its knuckle to
outdo its peers and now is setting
its eyes on the horizon, raring
to continue the trend with more
splendid performances in the
coming years.
The firm’s modus operandi
has been to toe the line on its
strategic vision, which outlines
financial growth, business process
improvement, risk management,
enhanced business development,
and institutional capacity
development.
“Kenya-Re has to be there today
and tomorrow. The reason why we
are working so hard is because this
firm will outlast us. In the next 10
or 20 years I want to see a world
class re-insurance provider where
anybody locally or from outside can
get quality services,” says Jadiah
Mwarania, the Managing Director
of Kenya Re.
Mwarania and his team are
constantly looking for novel ways
to grow shares, grow profits – by not
less than 17 per cent annually – and
4. Page 38 Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized TeamsVisionary Leadership Energized Teams
Why Savannah Cement is the
company to watch in the near future
A
s far as building and
construction goes, cement is
everything. That is why when a
certain brand of cement is chosen over
another for a particular mega project,
that specific manufacturer must be
doing something right.
Driven by its outstanding quality and
a high acceptance rate in the market,
Savannah Cement has won several
major contracts in the East African
region the hallmark being chosen
among the four privileged cement
suppliers for the multi-billion Standard
Gauge Railway project. Savannah
Cement was also the exclusive supplier
for the high-end Garden City Mall on
Thika Road. So accepted has Savannah
Cement become in the market that
it managed to beat all the other big
cement makers in the region to become
the appointed exclusive supplier for
Uganda’s largest power project, the 600
MW Karuma Hydro power Dam. In
addition, Savannah Cement was also
the exclusive supplier of cement for
the construction of the University of
Nairobi Towers.
“If the engineers of the University of
Nairobi choose your cement over the
others, that is a mark of endorsement,”
says Savannah Cement managing
director Ronald Ndegwa in an
interview.
Savannah was also the supplier
for the Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport’s Greenfield Terminal as well as
the airport’s Unit Four. The company
has also won lucrative tenders to supply
to various sewerage projects in places
like Dandora, Ruiru, Eldoret and many
road projects like the ongoing Outering
Road.
“Project managers are usually very
strict when it comes to the choice of
key raw materials like cement, steel,
sand and they look at quality and value
for money because they know cheap is
expensive,” explains Mr. Ndegwa.
These are not mean achievements for
a company that was started just slightly
over three years ago and now fighting
head-on with competitors who have
been in the market for decades.
On July 19, 2012, the first bag of a
new cement brand named Savannah
was manufactured and packed. This
one bag of cement was not sold and
is up to date kept as a souvenir. Three
and a half years down the line, millions
of bags of Savannah Cement have been
manufactured and sold both locally
and regionally.
How it all started
Savannah cement has been in
operation for only three years having
started full operations in 2013.
Previously the company was set up as
an Export Processing Zone and as such
was restricted on how much it could
sell locally with requirement being to
export 80 percent
of production.
At the beginning
of 2013, the
company was
degazzeted from
the EPZ status
to become a
fully-fledged
local entity that
could sell cement
anywhere.
This ranks the cement maker as
the 6th company to enter the market.
Being the latest entrant however
presented a unique opportunity
for the cement manufacturer. This
meant it was able to invest in the
latest technology as well as being
strategically placed to fill existing gaps
in the market.
“This way you are able to do your
homework and identify which products
are on offer, what gaps exist and what
customers are yearning for and provide
that as a solution,” he explains.
Today, the company is highly
respected in the industry, representing
one of Kenya’s most successful stories
in the building and construction as
well as manufacturing sectors.
So what has enabled the
company to grow so fast?
On top of the things that have made
Savannah Cement such an instant hit
lies in the quality of its cement. “All
our sales people do when they go to a
construction site is to leave a sample
and tell them test it and let us have a
discussion after,” he adds. “Our rate
of acceptance is very high…we have
been very well received in the Kenyan
market.”
The growth has been so phenomenal
that the company is now investing in
a new production line to double its
current capacity which stands at just
over one million tones. “We have run
out of head room…everything we
manufacture just
goes,” he says.
The traditional
cement
distribution
model is one
where a cement
manufacturer
opens up shop,
appoints regional
distributors
and goes to the
market through these distributors.
Savannah Cement chose a different
path. Instead of engaging regional
distributors, it appointed retailers as
distributors opening up an avenue
for most businesspeople who
would otherwise not enjoy a direct
relationship with the manufacturer.
In addition, the company did not
introduce the common practice
of zoning with the suppliers being
allowed to sell everywhere they can.
“We are also very close with our
customers,” he explains adding that the
company also has constant informal
bonding sessions with the retailers and
their key customers.
And with masons or fundi’s
being key decision makers in the
Today, the company is ranked
number four in the market,
representing one of Kenya’s
most successful stories in the
building and construction as
well as manufacturing sectors.
Ronald Ndegwa, Chief Executive Officer, Savannah Cement
5. Page 39Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized TeamsVisionary Leadership Energized Teams
Building perfection with people
From left, Savannah Cement Limited Managing Director Ronald Ndegwa, Personal
Assistant Sally Munene and Marketing Manager Joseph Mugambi display one of the
trophies awarded to the firm by SAP. [PHOTO: DAVID NJAAGA/STANDARD]
Our Vision
We seek to provide a quality
and differentiated experience
to all in the construction
industry. At Savannah Cement,
we are driven by a promise of a
differentiated and intentional
customer experience, best
value in terms of price and
consistent quality coupled
with a strong distribution
footprint to assure constant
availability.
Savannah Cement, Athi River, off Namanga Road
P.O Box 27910, 00100, Nairobi Kenya
Tel: 0725 999 035/6 0735 999 035
Email: info@savannahcement.com
This pre-grinding process
enables the company to
save on energy costs, one
of the biggest expenses for
cement makers. This way,
Savannah has been able to
remain afloat in a highly
competitive environment.
Savannah cement
believes that cement can
be manufactured without
polluting the environment
and has put measures
in place to have an eco-
friendly plant.
I consider that a total failure,”
he reiterates.
He explains that a good
leader must have a succession
plan which ideally should
have three tiers namely;
Ready Now, Ready One and
Ready Two. The Ready Now is
someone who can take over
from you now if you were
to exit the company. Ready
One and Ready Two defines
someone who is potentially
able but needs like one or two
year of training and coaching
before they can take over the
leadership position.
“The first responsibility of
a leader is to identify those
people,” he explains. “In
our case, we don’t have a
vacuum.”
That way, Mr. Ndegwa has
identified senior managers
who can take over from
him. These are the same
people who stand in for him
whenever he is away from the
company. “When I go on leave
I don’t get called because they
are more than competent
to handle the role,” he adds
proudly.
Through this succession
planning, managers at various
levels are also able to get
promoted from one position
to the next because there is no
fear of a vacuum.
Leadership and return
on investment
For Mr. Ndegwa, a business
must generate results and
return on investments is
one of the key measures.
To achieve this, Savannah
Cement has strived to operate
within the lowest costs
possible through adoption of
appropriate technologies. The
company prides itself as being
the only cement manufacturer
that has a coal fired pozzolana
drier. Savannah is also the
only cement maker that
uses the combination of a
roller press and a ball mill.
expected to take between 12 and18
months to complete.
In the next two or three years we
expect to invest $ 250 to 350 million
in the capacity expansion and
clinkerisation plant projects. This will
not only create employment but also
make us more competitive.
In terms of innovation, Savannah
has been on the forefront and is
proud to be the first to introduce
special cement for soil stabilization
in road construction called Savannah
hydraulic road binder (HRB). This
product has undergone testing by
relevant authorities and is ready to be
rolled out to the market.
With the new production line,
Savannah aims to join the top league
of cement manufacturers in Kenya and
the region.
Some of the leadership lessons
to learn from Savannah Cement
For Mr. Ndegwa, an engineer by
profession, results are usually achieved
through people. “I try to develop every
member of the team so that they can
share in the pride of the success,” he
says. “You see the success of a leader
through the success of the people they
lead.”
Describing himself as a quietly-
aggressive manager, Mr. Ndegwa
describes a successful leader as one
who is able to push his team to do
more than they think they are capable
of doing. A good leader is also one that
gives his people a chance to excel and
succeed in their roles, he says.
“If somebody is in a leadership
position for more than three years and
he or she has no ready successor, then
construction sector, Savannah runs
a programme to train them on some
of the best practices in construction
with graduates getting a certificate at
the end which has really boosted their
chances of getting jobs. These seminars
are done in conjunction with the
National Construction Authority.
Savannah has also partnered with
key higher learning institutions like the
universities to share knowledge and
also mentor young professionals.
New production line to double
capacity
Bogged down by increasing demand
but the same level of supply, plans are
at an advanced stage to set up a second
production line to double capacity.
The intention is to break ground for
the project this year with the same
6. Page 40 Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized Teams
Leicester City on
RoadTo Glory
BY SAM WALLACE, CHIEF FOOTBALLWRITER
T
here was another helicopter
journey last month for Vichai
Srivaddhanaprabha and his son
Top from Battersea heliport up to the
King Power Stadium, although this
time they were not going up to see
their Leicester City team play, but to
take them out for lunch at the kind of
pizza restaurant that rarely welcomes
billionaire customers.
The Thai owners of Leicester,
and the men behind arguably the
most astonishing story in modern
British sport, have never courted
publicity and when they could have
commanded airtime just about
anywhere, they once again chose to
let their manager and players do the
talking. They had spent the previous
Monday evening at Stamford Bridge to
see the game that crowned their club
the Premier league champions.
Vichai and his son Top, a serious
polo player and the vice-chairman
at Leicester, first watched football at
Stamford Bridge around 10 years ago
when they took an executive box in
the west stand, the same side Roman
Abramovich sits on matchdays. Back
in 2006, they chose box No 8 because
of the Chinese tradition that the
number has lucky properties and
were regulars at the ground until
they bought Leicester from Milan
Mandaric in August 2010.
The family are of Thai Chinese
heritage and, as owners of one of the
world’s biggest duty-free empires,
King Power, have run Leicester with
the same care and attention that their
most inspired appointment, Claudio
Ranieri, has applied to the team. They
have brought in their own specialists,
including the Irish chief executive
Susan Whelan, who worked for them
previously at King Power, as well
keeping those who had grown up with
the club and the city.
The Srivaddhanaprabhas spend
their time between Bangkok, their
home in west London and their major
estate in Berkshire where they keep
stables of polo ponies and base their
all-conquering King Power Foxes
team. Whelan also splits her time
between London and Leicester. In
Leicester they rely on Jon Rudkin,
promoted to director of football in
December 2014 having previously run
people and do everything their own way.
“He came in the first week, he introduced
himself and then didn’t say anything the
following week because he just watched us and
how we work. He recognised that he had a squad
that worked well with each other, got on really
well, played well and trained hard.”
Alan Birchenall, the club ambassador whose
association with Leicester stretches over 40
years, puts it more strongly. “People say it’s
been a fairy story but if Walt Disney had this
script on his desk he’d have thrown it away and
said it was too over the top,” he said. “Claudio
Ranieri should be getting a statue in the city
and a bloody knighthood for what he’s done this
season.”
Ranieri would be the first to admit that he
inherited a strong set-up and squad from
Pearson but he has turned good players into
superstars. Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo
Kante figured on every wish-list among Europe’s
top clubs and their emergence is a triumph for
diligent recruitment, led by assistant manager
Steve Walsh.
Ranieri jokes about Walsh’s doggedness in
his pursuit of players - “He kept saying Kante,
Claudio, Kante” - but they have been perfect
additions, blending supreme footballing gifts
with the kind of clubbable personalities that
Ranieri can blend into a team. One moment,
in particular, sums up the selflessness of this
squad. It was in the 2-1 win over Watford in
November: Leicester had just been awarded a
penalty and Mahrez, the string-puller who has
sprinkled stardust across the country, is about
to take it.
“The manager said at the beginning of the
season that I was the designated penalty taker,”
Mahrez recalls. “I took the ball but ‘Vards’ came
to me and said ‘Riyad please give me the ball, I
want to get the ninth goal in a row’. I was going
to take it but then I thought no he’s right, so I
gave him the ball to continue his run.
“I could have taken the penalty but it would
have been no good to him. I would expect
the same from him if I’d been on such a run!
It shows why we are together. We are all like
brothers.”
Vardy did score that penalty and later that
month shattered the 12-year old record held by
Ruud Van Nistlerooy by scoring in 11 successive
league games. The England international has
been the talisman all season, but there is no
suggestion of resentment at his success.
His record goalscoring feat saw him given a
shirt signed by the squad, and prompted a post-
match visit to the dressing room from the Thai
owners, when he was personally congratulated
and later presented with a silver plate. Tellingly,
there were also no complaints from within when
the club decided to dismantle their strict wage
structure and hand him a new £75,000-a-week
contract.
Can they keep this going next season? There
are already the doom-mongers predicting a
completely different campaign, possibly without
Kante. The Parisian is the one star expected
to leave after a stunning season that nobody
expected. He is understood to have a £20million
buy-out clause but with Champions League
football assured, surely nobody wants to jump
off the ride.
It would be interesting to hear the thoughts
of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the chairman
who famously targeted a top-five finish within
three years in 2014. Yet the Thai billionaire is
notoriously shy of publicity and prefers to let his
actions do the talking for him.
The only sign of extravagance are his flights
to and from games in his helicopter, but he will
not rest now. Funds will be made available for
Ranieri this summer while the majority of the
squad are in line for lucrative new deals.
“Trust in us”, indeed.
<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36
How Leicester City’s quiet Thai
owners turned the Foxes into the
best team in the UK
Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has transformed the club [PHOTO: REUTERS]
the club’s academy.
Rudkin, 51, is another of the unsung
heroes of the Leicester operation, along with
Steve Walsh, the head of recruitment and
assistant manager and Craig Shakespeare,
another assistant. Rudkin was promoted
by the Srivaddhanaprabhas because of
his experience but also because a lifetime
spent working at Leicester, having been
a schoolboy player there has proved
invaluable. He understands the club and the
people who support Leicester, and the family
trust him.
Rudkin played a key role in the
appointment of Ranieri last summer,
presenting the Srivaddhanaprabhas with
three options, including Martin O’Neill and
Neil Lennon. Ranieri was Vichai’s preferred
choice and it is he – referred to as “the boss”
at the club – who had the final say. It was a
decision approved of by the Buddhist monks
from the Wat Traimit Withayaram Woraviharn
(Golden Buddha) Temple, in Bangkok, who
are flown in by Vichai for many of the home
games.
While Nigel Pearson’s contribution in
getting Leicester promoted and then keeping
them in the Premier League last season was
not overlooked, his departure in the summer
was, many believe, the turning point for the
club.
Although the catalyst was his son James’s
part in the Thai sex scandal, Pearson’s
general unpredictability means the club’s
owners were ready for a change and Ranieri’s
approach was deemed just what was
necessary.
The family attention now turns to retaining
their two major polo titles won last year, the
Queen’s Cup and the Gold Cup. The King
Power Foxes are understood to have polo’s
equivalent of Jamie Vardy ready to play in
their title defence. Football and polo share
equal billing in the Srivaddhanaprabha
household and their success means they are
the most successful multi-sport ownership
family in Britain.
The polo circuit has exposed them to the
British establishment, including the Royal
family which is no bad thing at the level
of business at which they operate. Yet it is
nothing like the public profile that Leicester
City have given the family. They bought the
club when they had just finished fifth in the
Championship and have, with investment of
around £100 million, turned them into the
best team in the country in just six years.
By comparison, it took Sheikh Mansour
bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Manchester City
four years to win his first Premier League
title and he bought a club, in August 2008,
that had finished ninth in the Premier
League two months previous. Even for a
man as accustomed to success as Vichai
Srivaddhanaprabha, it is hard to think of a
more remarkable achievement.
The helicopter [ABOVE] belonging to Vichai
Srivaddhanaprabha and his son, [PHOTO: AP]
[LEFT] The Peter Pizza Restaurant where
Claudio Ranieri took his squad in Leicester.
[PHOTO: REUTERS]
8. Page 42 Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized Teams
KMTC Remains the Training Ground of
Choice for Healthcare Workers in Kenya
KMTC has been able to do that through
a number of strategic decisions like
reviewing the curriculum from time to
time.
“With these new courses, we have
been able to come up with the skills that
a trainee requires before going out to the
field,” explains Mr. Tum in an interview.
“We are very dynamic as a college…we
ensure we know what is happening.”
As such, KMTC’s contribution to
health-care provision in Kenya is
undoubtedly being felt in all corners of
the world.
The college selects students based on
set criteria that include; gender, Sub-
county population and poverty index.
Affirmative action based on disability
and disadvantaged regions are also taken
into account.
KMTC ranks among the most spread
out institutions in the country and has
established 56 campuses spread in 35
counties. The institution is also putting
in place mechanisms to establish at least
one campus in each of the remaining 12
counties.
Some County governments among
them Laikipia and Narok have set aside
resources to establish campuses in
their counties. The requests are being
considered for next academic year 2017.
The economic goals anticipated
in Vision 2030 blueprint, requires
the health sector to play a
supportive role in maintaining
a healthy, working population.
“The existing equity gap in the
distribution of health personnel can only
be bridged by creating more training
opportunities that guarantee production
of competent health workforce,” Mr.Tum
explains further.
Leadership
To Mr. Tum, leadership is about having
a vision and having everybody working
towards the same goals. This is one of
the principles that have helped KMTC
reach the milestones they have achieved
so far.
“So as a leader you must ensure that
your people are motivated and then
provide direction so that people know
exactly where they are going and why
they are going and what the achievement
is going to be in the long run and the
short term,” he explains.
Wealth of Experience
Mr. Tum was appointed by the KMTC
Board of Directors in November last year
to head the institution.
Prior to this, Mr. Tum was the
immediate Principal of KMTC Nakuru,
one of the largest campuses in the
college.
He holds a Masters Degree from the
University of Nairobi, a Bachelor from
Egerton University and a post- graduate
diploma in Medical electronics from the
University of London.
Mr. Tum brings a wealth of experience
having held several positions as Principal
ofKMTCNakuruandseveralhighranking
positions at KMTC Nairobi campus.
Contribution of the Board
The board plays an oversight role
providing the much needed eye to ensure
the institution is at all times headed in
the right direction with the management
bestowed with the responsibility to
ensure that everything is done according
to plan.
“I would describe the current board as
very visionary…it is full of people who
understand academia, the healthcare
needs in this country and people
who have had experience in other
organizations of higher learning like this
one,” Mr. Tum says of the current Board
of Directors.
He adds that the board has been able
to provide policies that now drive KMTC
which he describes as not only well
thought-out but also anchored on Vision
2030, Sustainable Development Goals
as well as the Kenya Health Policy of the
Ministry of Health.
Reform Agenda
Under his watch, Mr Tum, and in an
effort to re-engineer KMTC’s operations
and to keep pace with the global trends in
healthtraining,thecollegehasembarked
The newly constructed Kenya Medical Training College Kapenguria
Campus in West Pokot.
Health CS Dr. Cleopa Mailu (In a red tie), KMTC Director Peter Tum (Standing to the right of CS
in a purple tie) and KMTC Board Chairman Prof. Philip Kaloki (standing to the left of CS) listen
keenly to a student during the KMTC Open Day in Nairobi.
with the best institutions locally and
internationally in line with its mission to
produce competent health professionals
through training and research, and
provision of consultancy services.
ThecovetedISO9001:2008certification
represents the college’s commitment
to continuous improvement of service
efficiency and effectiveness, customer
satisfaction and superior performance
in all its operations.
This perhaps explains why KMTC, a
government-owned institution started
over 80 years ago, has remained the
training ground of choice for a majority
of Kenyans with the number of students
applying for vacancies each year
exceeding the available spaces.
At the heart of these achievements is
the able leadership of the board led by
the chairman Prof. Philip Kaloki and Mr.
Tum as the man in charge of the day-to-
day running of the institution.
“Now, more than ever before, KMTC
is aggressively seeking to provide the
world, and especially Kenya and other
African countries, with the relevant
and critical human resource needed to
effectively address the immediate health
challenges of the countries,” explains
Mr. Tum indicating the crucial role
being played by KMTC in bridging the
ever-existing gap of skills in the medical
profession.
Under his helm, KMTC has been
able to make remarkable achievements
and continues to do so each passing
day. For instance, the college student
population has grown from four in 1927
to 25,481 as at December 2015. KMTC
student population was 22,000 in 2013
and 23,000 in 2014. The population rose
to an impressive figure of 26, 000 as
at March, 2016, thanks to the ongoing
expansion program. At the same time,
the college released 7,501 graduates to
the job market during the last graduation
ceremony. In the previous two years, the
number of graduands for 2013 and 2014
were 6,394 and 6,876 respectively. During
this academic year, the college has been
able to admit 8,383 students.
The healthcare sector is one full of
dynamics and challenges particularly
because of new and emerging diseases.
As such, training institutions like KMTC
must ensure that the human resource
personnel churned into the market are
well versed with the existing challenges.
By PETER KIRAGU
A
s far as the training of health care
professionals in Kenya and the
region is concerned, KMTC is
clearly second to none.
That is why eight out of 10 medical
care professionals in all the hospitals
or 80 percent of all health care workers
in Kenya’s health care sector have been
trained at the KMTC, placing the college
as a captain of the healthcare training
industry.
“KMTC is held in very high esteem
not just because the College is pivotal
in health service delivery in the world
but also because of the professional
way in which its graduates carry on the
country’s mission of providing efficient
and high-quality care that is accessible,
equitable and affordable to all,” opens
Mr. Peter Tum, the director and chief
executive officer of the Kenya Medical
Training College in a strong statement
that confirms the position of KMTC as the
captain of the medical training sector.
What’s more, KMTC is ISO certified
with the quality management system
enabling the organization to benchmark
PETERK.TUM–KMTCDIRECTOR
KMTC IS ISO CERTIFIED WITH
THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM ENABLING THE
ORGANIZATION TO
BENCHMARK WITH THE BEST
INSTITUTIONS LOCALLY
AND INTERNATIONALLY
IN LINE WITH ITS MISSION
TO PRODUCE COMPETENT
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
THROUGH TRAINING AND
RESEARCH AND PROVISION
OF CONSULTANCY SERVICES.
9. Page 43Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized TeamsVisionary Leadership Energized Teams
COURSESOFFEREDATKMTC
Students pose with KMTC Director Peter Tum (in red tie) and Board Chairman Prof. Kaloki
during the official opening of Nyandarua campus by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
on a reform agenda.
Working closely with the
Board, Mr Tum says the
reform agenda will involve
review of the Instruments of
Governance. The Board, he
says, is currently reviewing
the KMTC Act, the Statutes,
Strategic Plan and some
policies to align them with
the Constitution, the Code
of Governance (Mwongozo)
and the devolved system of
governance. The aim is to
reflect the current changes
and developments in the
College, while encompassing
the wider reforms in the
Government with a view to
improving service delivery.
The reform agenda will also
see some non-core functions
outsourced such as cleaning,
security and catering.
“Aspiring to be the best is
not a mere dream. It is a goal
thatwillrequirehardworkand
overcoming our weaknesses
at a very challenging time
in our College. The college
expansion strategy and
the Rapid Results Initiative
(RRI) projects remain on
course to help bridge the
existing gap in health care
personnel,” says Mr. Tum.
“With a great team of both
academic and non-academic
staff and excellent students,
I expect a continuous and
sustainable advancement
in learning and teaching
as well as in achieving
financial sustainability for
the college.”
Use of ICT
In an effort to increase
efficiency and effectiveness,
and for ease of doing
business, the college has
embraced the use of ICT in
provision of the following;
• Online application
and admission module for
courses installed which
is integrated with M-pesa
payment.
• Establishment of
computer labs in most of the
campuses.
• The Local Area Network
bandwidth speed has been
increased from 9Mbps to
20Mbps in Nairobi.
• Installation of Wi-Fi in
majority of the campuses.
Skills Lab
According to Mr. Tum,
KMTC will establish regional
centers of excellence in skills
labs at KMTC campuses
located next to the former
Provincial General Hospitals
and National Referral
Hospitals. These centers
will offer training in a
variety of skills in support
of Managed Equipment
Service (MES) program.
Discussions are ongoing
between KMTC and General
Electric (GE) health service
on offering capacity building
for health care personnel
in MES beneficiary
hospitals and students.
Through the collaboration,
the curricula will be reviewed
to address the gaps in the
management of these new
equipments.
Research
The Kenya Health Policy
2013-2030 places a lot
of emphasis on research
to generate evidence for
use in policy decision
making, programmatic
planning and practice. In
response, the college has
allocated Ksh17 million for
research in this financial year.
The 4th Scientific Conference,
which was held between 8th
and 10th
June, 2016 in Nairobi,
is part of the efforts to advance
research in the health sector.
Human Resource Affairs
As part of its commitment to
quality in service delivery and
retention of staff, the college
has implemented the collective
bargaining agreement (CBA) as
negotiated with the staff union.
Improvement of salaries for the
management staff who had not
benefited from the CBA, is at an
advanced stage. This is in addition
to improvement of transport
services for students and staff.
Staff and students have also been
sensitized on disaster and security
information management. Among
the faculty, a generational turnover
is currently underway. This is also
a nationwide trend.
“A number of our great lecturers
are transitioning to retirement
in the next one year. Despite the
transitions, the quality of our
faculty remains strong,” says Mr.
Tum. “We are working hard to
make it even stronger by bringing
in a new generation of dynamic,
young lecturers.”
As a result, KMTC has employed
12newlecturersinMedicalImaging
Sciences and Health Records and
Information Technology. The
institution is also in the process of
recruiting 54 more lecturers; 24 for
the Enrolled Community Health
Nursing (ECHN) program and 30
for other specialties to replace
those leaving the services.
Key Stakeholders and
Partners
The college continues to
strengthen working collaborations
with Development Partners such
as Management Sciences for
Health (MSH), the World Bank,
the World Health Organization
(WHO), Fred Hollows Foundation,
Jackson Clinics Foundation
from the USA, JHpiego, Capacity
Kenya, and FUNZO Kenya among
others. For instance, through a
partnership with the World Bank,
KMTC is currently training 400
nurses drawn from twenty Arid
and Semi-Arid counties with the
aim of addressing the healthcare
challenges in these regions.
KMTC has also signed various
MoUs with county governments
to train for their specific needs.
As such, the county governments
provide the training facilities while
KMTC provides the faculty as well
as the students.
To further strengthen this
partnership with counties,
KMTC has established the office
of Intergovernmental Relations
to strengthen the coordination
mechanism between KMTC, the
Ministry of Health and county
governments.
In addition, various
constituencies and county
governments continue to
support projects at KMTC’s
campuses through Constituency
Development Fund (CDF) and
direct investment in specific
projects. Other funds/charitable
organizations like Higher
EducationLoansBoard(HELB)and
Rattansi Foundation among others
continue to assist needy students
to access KMTC programs.
Mr. Tum is also full of praise
for the government’s support to
the institution which pays the
salaries of all the employees of
the College. “The government
has really been with us every
step of our growth,” he adds.
Sports and Extra-Curricular
Activities
National sports competition
and other extra-curricular
activities have been embraced in
the College to enhance national
values and national cohesion. In
addition, students in all campuses
participate in various medical
outreaches as part of the college
corporate social responsibility
activities.
“This brings cohesiveness and
exchange of ideas and that general
feeling that they belong to one
institution called KMTC”, offers
Mr. Tum.
KMTC of the Future
Going forward, Mr. Tum
anticipates that training
institutions must keep upgrading
themselves to provide the training
requirements of the nation. For
him, he sees KMTC becoming a
regional training facility in the next
few years that will be a point of call
for the region.
“We want to see in the next
three or four years that we have
set up courses that are very
competitive and attractive and
are able to provide for the needs
of this country and the region,” he
expounds further.
Being a mid-level training
institution, KMTC is positioning
itself to become a degree-awarding
institution in the near future. This
will motivate students joining the
institution knowing that they can
achieve the highest qualifications
in their fields of study.
“We are involving all the
stakeholders including the
Ministry of Health and the regional
regulatory bodies to see what
their challenges are and therefore
how we can be able to meet their
needs,” he explains.
“The Board and management
will double their efforts to lobby
the government for additional
funding and mobilize resources
from its key stakeholders, for staff
recruitment and retention and
capital development,” concludes
Mr. Tum.
The college offers a wide range of courses
all tailor-made to meet the health care needs
of the Health Sector. The courses are offered at
Certificate, Diploma and Higher Diploma levels.
These include:
1. Clinical Medicine (basic and higher
diploma)
2. Community nutrition (certificate and
basic diploma)
3. Nursing (certificate, basic diploma and
higher diploma)
4. Pharmacy (basic and higher diploma)
5. Medical Laboratory Sciences (basic and
higher diploma)
6. Physiotherapy (basic and higher diploma)
7. Medical Imaging Sciences (basic and
higher diploma)
8. Health Records & Information (certificate
and basic diploma)
9. Medical Engineering (certificate, basic
diploma and higher diploma)
10. Occupational Therapy (basic diploma)
11. Orthopaedic Technology (certificate,
basic diploma)
12. Dental Technology (basic diploma)
13. Community Health and HIV/AIDS Care
(Higher Diploma)
14. Environmental Health Sciences
(certificate, basic diploma and higher
diploma)
15. Health Promotion and education (basic
diploma and higher diploma)
16. Health Systems Management (higher
diploma)
17. Community Oral Health (basic diploma)
18. Medical Education (certificate and basic
diploma)
19. Optometry (basic diploma)
20. Registered Nursing Mental Health and
Psychiatry (basic diploma)
New Programs
The college has also started some new
programs in line with goals of Vision 2030 and
Sustainable Development Goals as well as to
respond to emerging and re-emerging health
needs. These new programs include
• Nurse Anesthesia
• Nephrology Nursing
• Orthopedic trauma medicine
• Community based rehabilitation
• Diploma in Health Promotion
The College has also reviewed its curricula in line
with changing needs of the health sector. As such
new courses have been introduced while others
have been re-introduced including:
• Higher National Diploma in Health
Systems Management – Distance learning
• Certificate in Environmental Sciences
(Public Health Technician)
• Enrolled Community Health Nursing
targeting students from Arid and Semi-
Arid Lands (ASAL) Counties, minority
populations and other marginalized
A KMTC student explains a point to President Uhuru Kenyatta when he
officially opened Mwingi campus on June 11, 2016.
10. Page 44 Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized Teams
BY XN IRAKI
W
e know the current
business leaders today
by name, the sectors
they are in and even
how they made their money. Some
are local icons and we all aspire to
be like them, living on the fast lane
and getting public attention. Some
current leaders made money by
working hard or riding on market
changes. Who made money from
Internet and money transfer? What
will be the next big thing?
Some business leaders made
money through inheritance while
others made use of their close
proximity to political power to
amass wealth. Will it always be
this way? Will business leaders
of tomorrow be so different from
today’s?
We may not have the hindsight of
a prophet, but we can extrapolate
into the future and characterize the
future business leaders.
One, they must be able to connect
the dots.
Internet and mobile phones were
always there, but it needed creative
business leaders to connect the
dots and create a whole business in
electronic money transfer. Mpesa
was born. Coca Cola was able to
see the health consciousness of
Kenyans and move to water and
juice markets. Equity connected the
dots between poverty and banking.
Excloosive connected the dots
between biological processes and
money. Facebook is not build on
internet, but our natural instinct to
talk to each other, share truth, half-
truths or rumours.
Future business leaders will deal
with more variables and getting
their relationships will make a big
difference.
How did the postal service fail to
see the threat of email? How did
Kodak fail to see the rise of digital
photography? How does celebrating
Valentine in UK affect flower farmers
in Naivasha? How does the USA
Federal Bank report affect your
pocket?
Future business leaders will
be global; they must not only
deal with local issues but outside
their borders. It is no wonder
lots of business schools have
included a module abroad. Lots
of transnational corporations
make more profit abroad than at
home. How can you lead such
an organization without good
understanding of other cultures,
stereotypes and prejudices?
Tomorrow’s business leaders will
be multi-disciplinary.
Contrary to what every Kenyan
is demanding- that our kids should
specialize early in school, the hard
truth is that future business leaders
must tolerate different perspectives
from different disciplines.
Accountants and economists think
differently, and so are marketers and
engineers. Future leaders will deal
with all these different perspectives.
Specializing will make them narrow
and less effective in confronting
flexibility.
If the disciplines cut across
socio-technical fields the better.
Why do engineers seem to make
such great business leaders? With
their technical background, they
can easily master the social part
of organizations. Social scientists
do not have the luxury of crossing
over to sciences, which constraints
them and perhaps makes them so
defensive and I must say at times
emotional. A scientist can take an
MBA, but a historian will not go for
an M.Sc. The social part of business
leadership is more complex than the
technical part where algorithms and
apps exist.
Future business leaders must
understand people.
Business leadership is about
people. Perhaps the most important
course you will study in business
school is organizational behaviour
or behavioural science which helps
you understand people, including
yourself. What motivates people
from different social economic
backgrounds, ages, genders etc?
How do you deal with generation Y
and Z?
Business leaders of tomorrow
must deal with new power
relationships.
In the past, power came from age
and experience. It is slowly being
taken over by expertise, particularly
in technology. The financial sector is
one area where expertise has really
shifted power. Chief Information
Officer (CIO) is now a more
prestigious position than in the
past. Pricing derivatives or currency
dealing need mathematical skills
that can give you mental blisters.
Future business leaders will have
to put up with another constant,
uncertainty.
Even science has come to admit
that its currency is not certainty
but doubt. How can you thrive in
uncertainty, yet we love certainty?
Future business leaders must
nurture creativity and innovations,
which are key drivers of
uncertainty.
These two enemies of traditional
leaders often come from the most
unlikely places, lower down the
organization, from outside the firm,
and from the youngest employees.
In addition, they will be more
transparent and ethical.
Finally, business leaders of
tomorrow are likely to be self made.
They will need a steeper learning
curve, getting experience in the
shortest time possible. You can’t be a
successful business leader tomorrow
if you live in the shadow of parents,
sponsors or even fear. Social
engineering will have no place in
future leadership. That is not good
news for parents who invest millions
in private tutoring, coaching and
other facets of social engineering.
How many CEOs in the NSE listed
firms grew up in the leafy suburbs?
Will business leaders of tomorrow
come from an international school
or day school in Shamakhoko or
Ekalakala?
Do you think you have what it
takes to be a future business leader?
If yes, do you have a characteristic
I have left out? Share it with
me. Needless to say, the same
characteristics applies to political
leaders who will always enjoy
two additional, but unenviable
characteristics; the belief that
something can be right and wrong
at the same time and telling people
what they want to hear.
Who are the business leaders
of tomorrow?
In the past,
power came
from age and
experience.
It is slowly
being taken
over by
expertise,
particularly in
technology.
The financial
sector is one
area where
expertise has
really shifted
power. Chief
Information
Officer (CIO)
is now a more
prestigious
position than
in the past.
BY PETER KIRAGU
A
ccording to Charles Omondi,
the chief executive officer of
integrated security solutions
firm 911 Group, a leader must
first recognize his team and help them
to look ahead in terms of where the
organization is supposed to go.
To him, the people in any organization
represent one of the most important pillars
that enable organizations achieve their
objectives. That way, you are able to appeal
to the inner being or the soul of the people
working under you which makes a great
difference when the entire group moves in
one direction because they understand the
course isn’t for the boss but theirs as well.
“Trust issues go away, control issues go
away because people know what they are
supposed to do,” explains Mr. Omondi
in an interview. “Leaders who are able to
appeal to that are actually leaders who do
best in management.”
In his words, this does not however
mean the leader will be the most popular
or the most liked but at the end of the day,
he is doing what actually makes sense to
the organization.
In addition, a leader must be in a
position to recognize that the success
of the organization is not theirs. “This
means putting your people at the forefront
of whatever successes the organization
achieves,” he explains.
This stems from the fact that in most
of the circumstances, the achievements
and successes of an organization are not
attained by what a leader does but what
the team delivers.
According to Mr. Omondi, a person in
leadership must be ready for many tests as
well as moments of self-doubt. Therefore,
leaders must be very resilient. “You can
imagine what presidents go through,” he
quips. “If you pay attention to disruptions
that you get along the way, you might lose
it yourself.”
What makes a great leader?
Views from 911 Group CEO
CHARLES OMONDI
CEO, Nine One One Group Limited
The author is a
senior lecturer
at the University
of Nairobi
Business leadership is about
people. Perhaps the most
important course you will
study in business school is
organizational behaviour
or behavioural science
which helps you understand
people, including yourself.
12. Page 46 Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized Teams
What it Takes to Build and Sustain
Energized Teams
BY GORETTI KIMANI
E
very organization plans
and focuses all its
resources towards the
achievement of its bottom
line. Human resources is one without
which no organization can exist. It is
said that a great company is the sum
total of all the abilities and skills of
its workforce. How an organization
utilizes its human resources will
determine the direction the business
takes. Interestingly, people are not
inherently or naturally motivated to
work, they need a push or a reason,
something to drive them out of
their comfort zones. It is for this
reason that organizations focus on
placing a great leader at the helm of
their business with the sole task of
building and sustaining energized
teams that will propel the business
forward.
An energized team is one with
momentum, drive, motivation,
focus and with a sense of excellence
in their productivity. Any business
that keeps the teamwork concept
at the forefront of how they operate
will reap great benefits. Teamwork is
what keeps all parts of the business
machine running smoothly. The
word TEAM is an acronym for
‘Together Everyone Achieves More’.
This simply means that Teamwork is
unity, and unity is strength.
What are the advantages of
building energized teams? Top on
the list is individual support whereby
utilizing teamwork in a business
bolsters the weaknesses of some
with the strengths of others. Every
employee’s specialized skills add
value to the team. For example, if one
person excels in marketing, while
another is great at clerical work, then
each can support the other with
the talent that would be lacking if
each were forced to work solo. The
motivation that the team members
give each other creates greater
camaraderie, leading to greater
fulfillment within relationships at
work and consequently leading
to work ownership by each of the
workers involved in the team.
Another advantage of teamwork
is accountability where there is a
creation of an environment in which
workers are accountable for what
they produce, because other team
members are counting on each
individual piece to make the project
work to everyone’s satisfaction. When
all workers do their part, it lends
them a sense of pride and belonging,
as well as elevated status among
the team members. An individual’s
accomplishment is an indispensable
input that will affect the final output.
Development of ingenious creative
solutions is another advantage of
great teamwork. As the old saying
goes, ‘two heads are better than
one’. Solutions to problems and
fresh ideas are generated by the
brainstorming that teamwork fosters.
Teams allow skills, knowledge,
opinions and experiences to be
pooled together for the benefit of
the business as a whole. This leads
to better productivity for every
member of the team, and every task
completed by each worker leads to
one noticeable outcome that the
whole team and company at large
can be proud of.
Failure to foster teamwork can
have undesirable consequences
where an organization ends up
with fragmented pieces of work
from workers who do not seem to
appreciate how their individual
efforts contribute to the overall
business objectives. Lack of
properly developed teams is largely
responsible for the high attrition rate
experienced by some organizations.
This is due to loneliness created
by seemingly disjointed Job
Descriptions and everyone is on his
own.
Organizations that barely conduct
staff training or staff meetings
are likely to experience higher
turnover compared to those who
regularly conduct meetings where
the company’s mission, visions
and also organizational goals and
objectives are discussed. Meeting the
employees together gives them the
message ‘we are one’ more strongly
than if they were to read the content
on an email or notice board.
DEPRESSED PROFITABILITY
Another consequence of poorly
built teams is low productivity
and the corresponding depressed
profitability. An organization cannot
expect to grow when its work force
is not pulling towards the same
direction. Customers and clients
become dissatisfied and migrate to
competitors.
How can an organization build and
sustain a motivated and an energized
team? Firstly, the organization must
define its identity and find its place
in its market segment. What products
and services is your organization
offering? What is your five year
strategic plan? Develop your mission
and also your vision. You cannot
build a team when you are not
clear what you will be selling to the
customers. Develop a slogan which
will be a reminder to all as to
the goals and objectives of the
organizations. When the road
ahead is clear, chances are high
are that those expected walk
on it are likely to do so without
inhibitions.
Secondly, set out to get the
right hires that are skills-fit
for your organization? If the
team is to remain energized,
then the staff should be
qualified with hard and soft
skills. Soft skills like leadership,
communication, creative
and innovative, problem
solving skills, imaginative,
intuition, positive mental
attitude, discipline, and
also emotional intelligence
should be factored in when
conducting the recruitment
and selection exercise. Once
the organization has the right
employees on board, the tough
job of providing the employee
with a precise job description
sets in. Some organizations
have outdated standard JDs,
which they give any employee
that is hired to take up a
particular position. They forget
that a 10-year old JD cannot
give current or expected out-
put. JDs must be evaluated
regularly to ensure that they
help both the organization and
the job-holder attain the goals
set. The world of work changes
every other day, and so should
organizations that are keen on
becoming successful in the 21st
century.
Having a clear and elaborate
organizational structure is
crucial if the team being built
is to retain focus on work
energetically. This is because,
an elaborate organization
structure allows the employee
to understand his/her position
in the organization and also
appreciate the opportunities
for career growth that are
available in the particular
organization, inspiring them to
work hard for the organization
as they work for themselves.
Effective communication is
also a major aspect in building
and retaining energized
teams. Communication
channels, which also offer
room for feedback from the
team members should be
encouraged. A suggestion box
works best especially when
employees want to remain
anonymous.
Developing and
communicating policies and
procedures manual is another
plus in the quest of building
energized teams. Nothing
should be left to chance and
all employees must receive
and acknowledge receipt of
the same by appending their
signatures.
GRIEVANCE HANDLING
Grievance handling
procedure is a team’s thorn
in the flesh if not properly
handled. Team builders
must remember that as long
as employees feel that they
have no right to be heard
should they feel aggrieved,
then the team cohesiveness
will continue to be remote. It
is therefore important that,
team builders utilize their
human resource personnel to
develop a grievance handling
chart and ensure that the
same is communicated to all
employees. A counseling and
a mentorship department is
also encouraged to enable
employees serve customers
well as they now have a place
to release their stress.
Having a healthy working
environment will also earn the
organization the loyalty of all
team members. Incidences
of favoritism should be
eliminated if sustained energy
in the team is to be achieved.
As such, team leaders should
promote fairness regardless of
race, tribe, marital status, or
even skin colour. Promotions
should also be transparent
and should be based purely
on merits and competency as
opposed to ‘who knows who’ or
any other subjective biases.
Hard work and poor
performance must be
rewarded accordingly. While
hard workers are recognized
and efforts expended to retain
them, poor performers who
fail to improve despite the
organizational effort to support
them must be relieved of their
duties. This is because poor
performers are momentum
breakers and they have
the capacity to crumble an
organization.
THINK TANKS
To keep the team current
and relevant, team builders
must create ‘think tanks’ and
promote the sharing of ideas
by all the team members. This
will make everyone in the team
develop a sense of ownership
and pride as what they think
of matters. It will also go a long
way in curing the disconnect
normally exhibited by a
majority of employees. Team
building events can work well
in this regards.
Building and sustaining
energized teams is no mean
feat and it takes visionary and
focused business leaders to
achieve the same. My very best
wishes.
The Writer is a Human
Resource Specialist and a Co-
Author of‘The Career Code’.
Email: goretti@peoplelink.
co.ke
Teams allow skills, knowledge, opinions and experiences
to be pooled together for the benefit of the business as a
whole. This leads to better productivity for every member
of the team, and every task completed by each worker
leads to one noticeable outcome that the whole team and
company at large can be proud of.
13. Page 47Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized Teams
BY PETER KIRAGU
Most major corporations struggle
with developing a business strategy
that works, according to a new
global research by PriceWaterHouse
Coopers.
Accordingly, 50 percent of business
leaders don’t believe they have a
winning strategy to begin with and
almost all report missing major
opportunities in the market. About
two-thirds of business executives say
their company’s capabilities don’t
support the way they create value in
the market. And 80 percent of senior
executives say that their overall
strategy is not well understood – even
within their own company.
Interestingly, these problems are
not caused by external forces. They
are the outcome of the way most
companies are managed.
The survey was conducted by
Strategy& Partner, PWC’s strategy
consulting capability.
“Worldwide and across the African
continent, we are seeing companies
battle with how to develop strategies
that keep them competitive in
an increasingly complex global
marketplace. All too often companies
don’t think about strategy and
execution together,” says Jorge
Camarate of Strategy& Partner. “We
have a number of business leaders
who understand this problem, but
very few who know how to overcome
this.”
According to this report, there are
few companies that are successfully
closing the gap between their strategy
and execution. Those successful –
referred to as ‘coherent’ companies
– are the ones that are able to bridge
this strategy-to-execution gap by
applying the unique capabilities that
distinguish them from their peers.
Coherent companies usually have the
ability to align their value proposition
with their distinctive capabilities
and their portfolio of products and
services. These elements shape a
company’s identity, culture and
approach to managing resources, the
report says in part.
Traditionally, firms formulate
a strategy by looking for growth
opportunities in the market. For
large enterprises, such an approach
would include expansion into Africa.
However, attempts to build businesses
in Africa frequently result in value
destruction. A recent study conducted
by Strategy& on M&A activity in
Africa, shows that of the business
expansions into Africa, as many
as 66 percent resulted in negative
shareholder returns. The study also
shows that deals with no capability
alignment (32 percent of the total
number) significantly underperform
compared to those that a have a clear
capability alignment.
The results of the study suggested
a need for a new growth strategy that
builds on and enhances companies’
existing capabilities. This will create
more shareholder value than purely
seeking out markets based on their
intrinsic attractiveness.
It is critical that companies expanding
into Africa should focus on their own
capabilities, it adds further. They
need to align their efforts in order to
successfully execute their strategy
with what they are best at.
PWC adds that one of the key
success factors is that it takes
unconventional leadership to foster
the behavior required of coherent
companies.
“In other words, organisations need
to bridge the gap between strategy
and execution,” a statement released
by PWC noted. “Our independent
research of multinationals that
have expanded across the African
continent demonstrates how the
effective execution of a winning
strategy is what sets successful
companies apart.”
The research has identified five acts
of unconventional leadership that are
of critical importance:
1. Commit to an identity: A true
identity expresses what a company
does best and why it matters.
Choosing and developing an
identity requires some reflection,
where your company can go in the
market- what products and services
you can offer and to whom – is a
function of who you are and what
you do well. Companies should only
compete in those markets where they
believe their identity and distinctive
capabilities will give them the edge
over their competitors.
2.Translate the strategic plan into
the everyday life: In order to achieve
its targeted identity, an organization
must create a blueprint of its
capabilities. It must integrate diverse
processes and technologies while
preserving the strategic value of the
enterprise.
3. Put culture to work:
An organization’s culture is
multidimensional, complex and
influential. Most business leaders
understand the power of a company’s
culture – but it’s not always clear
how to harness that culture. A
company’s culture should reinforce
the distinctive capabilities and
strengths that differentiate it from
the competition. Africa poses some
challenges when it comes to culture,
as labour markets usually lack people
with the necessary technical skills
and relevant industry experience.
Consequently, companies have
to develop their own talent. Since
relying heavily on expatriates is not
financially sustainable or positively
viewed by African governments,
finding local human capital is
essential.
4. Cut costs to grow stronger:
Coherent companies tend to invest
heavily in activities that support their
identity and distinctive capabilities.
They will need to regard costs as an
investment and focus on investing
in those areas that are necessary
for executing strategy. In middle-
income African countries with strong
institutions, aspirational customers
demand premium products and
services – but these need to be
delivered at a lower cost point.
5. Shape the future: Coherent
companies acknowledge that their
value proposition is never fully
achieved and their capabilities system
should always be open for further
progression.
Secrets Of Closing The Gap
Between Strategy And Execution
BY GORETTI KIMANI
A
leader influences the thinking of
others and commands a group of
people referred to as followers.
A visionary person envisions
the future and chats the way towards the
attainment of that which he/she see ahead
of him/her. Visionary persons are world
changers, they are very dynamic and do not
believeinthe‘impossible’,theyhaveastrong
believe that ‘impossible’ is a vocabulary
for day dreamers and those who wade in
mediocrity. If visionary leaders fail to find a
way, they create the way, no wonder critics
find them unrealistic.
Visionary business leaders, therefore,
are persons who steer their organizations
to heights beyond any one’s imagination.
They are always on the lookout for better
ways to meet their customers’ changing
needs and wants.
Though visionary business leaders are
ordinary people, they exhibit different
qualities and traits that make them stand
out. How can one identify visionary
leaders? Visionary leaders have excellent
communication skills; eloquently articulate
their issues and ensure they are successful
in selling their ideas to their listeners.
Visionary leaders are also excellent
listeners; they appreciate the fact that, for
you to remain a person of excellence, you
must maintain a learner’s attitude.
Visionary leaders are charismatic as they
execute their duties; they are energetic
and full of passion for their work. Their
charisma is un-doubtingly contagious as
the teams they lead normally exhibit the
same energy, propelling their organizations
to great heights. Visionary leaders never
give ups, they learn from their mistakes and
re-strategize until their vision is realized.
RISK TAKERS
Visionary leaders are risk-takers who
venture in ideas where no one else would
dare trend, this creates innovators,
inventors and creators out of themselves
and their teams. A visionary leader’s
career life is simply adventurous. They
are excellent in strategic planning and
continuously evaluate the progress. They
surround themselves with intelligent like-
minded think-tanks that can help them
achieve their goals and objectives for the
organization.
Visionary leaders are SMART planners.
SMART is an acronym for Specific,
Measurable, Achievable/Attainable,
Realistic, Time bound. This means that all
goals that these leaders set out to achieve
are specific and they clearly define the
kind of needs they want to satisfy for their
customers. They determine evaluation
criteria to aid them in measuring progress,
to ensure that the project is attainable and
real. Finally, they set a time frame for the
achievement of their goals.
Most visionary leaders are approachable
by their juniors as they encourage the
growth of the ideas forum, meaning that
they exercise openness to information and
are always grateful to those who share ideas
on how to improve customer experience
and thus improving on productivity as they
gain customer loyalty. Visionary leaders are
gifted with persistence and perseverance.
They appreciate the fact that ‘Rome was
not built in a day’. As such, they allow their
ideas to incubate, pilot them before selling
them to the team for implementation.
Some of the qualities of visionary
business leaders are; they execute all their
undertakings with confidence, believe
in themselves and what they sell to the
employees,customersandtheshareholders.
Visionary leaders are self-created and see
opportunities and rise up to seize them.
They always devise new ways to achieve
goals, organize and build teams’ efforts and
embracechangeinsteadofshrinkingfromit
and achieve their targets through obstacles
to create success. Visionary leaders make
things happen, they are courageous and
tenacious.
Visionary leaders normally delegate
to others in the organization. They
abhor micro management as this will
not only clip the wings of their juniors,
but will divert valuable time for working
towards the realization of their visions.
Consequently, employees who work under
the leadership of visionaries grow their
careers tremendously.
Visionary business leaders, normally,
Who Is A Visionary Leader?
CONTINUED ON PAGE 48 >>
14. Page 48 Friday, June 17, 2016 / The Standard
Visionary Leadership Energized Teams
Who Is A Visionary Leader
BY XN IRAKI
S
ocial investment also called
impact investment strengthens
people’s skills and capacity
and supports them to fully participate
in employment and social life, says
European Union. Key areas popular
with social investment includes
education, healthcare, childcare,
training, job search assistance and
rehabilitation.
Unlike other investments like
physical investments from buildings
to highways, the results of social
investment are not easy to see or
publicize. It will take years before a
kid grows up going through several
nannies before graduating, getting
a job and breaking the cycle of
dependency. In developed countries,
childcare is so expensive that one
parent often stops working once kids
come by. Building rooms for breast
feeding or nurseries for kids is a great
investment.
Returns from health like increased
productivity are hard to measure.
Training and rehabilitation may not
have immediate results, except for the
chief caught drinking.
But the returns of social investment
are more long lasting; they even
cross generations. Once you educate
a person, chances are his children
and grandchildren will also go to
school and become better citizens.
Rehabilitated alcoholics and drug
addicts are cheaper to the society in
the long run. Jobless youths can easily
be attracted to crime or even militias.
The high returns from the social
investments results from the fact
the beneficiaries start from low
level. They include children and
young people, job seekers, women,
the elderly, homeless and disabled.
Without social investment such
people would remain in the periphery
of the society. Interestingly, traditional
societies had their social investments.
Was dowry not one of them- ensured
security in old age and never paid at
once?
But even non vulnerable members
of the society benefit too. Employers
and society at large benefit through
better health, social inclusion for
vulnerable members of the society,
higher productivity and better life for
all of us. Some benefits like happiness
are hard to quantify.
Social investment, like all other
investments is more effective if it
is sustainable. Such sustainability
strengthen current and future
capacity to participate in society
and labour markets, helps people
throughout their lives, and stresses
prevention rather than cure, and
increases opportunities throughout
life.
How do we create sustainable
social investment?
The starting pointing is
appreciating its benefits. Too many
people think it is wastage of money.
Some shareholders may feel it reduces
their net worth. Why should some
profits be given to those who did
not invest and are not shareholders?
Once individuals, corporates and
institutions see the benefits, they will
easily invest in social causes.
Others argue they do enough
social investment by paying
progressive taxes. That could make
lots of sense in developed countries,
where employment rate is high and
wastage is kept to minimum. Am
not suggesting we should pay for
government waste.
In Kenya, the dependency rate is
high and social investment is rarely
enough. Health services are often
crowed and so are schools. Lots of
youths got wrong skills and lots of
elderly are not aging gracefully. Any
supplement from individuals and
corporations would go a long way
in making a difference to the vast
majority of citizens.
The beauty about business
and corporate leaders investing
in social causes is that unlike the
governments, they channel their
investment to the sectors where the
returns are highest. Never mind that
such decisions are often crowded
out by PR. Should a corporation put
money in scholarships or in waste
management?
In most countries, government
incentivize social investment by
giving tax breaks. In Kenya?
Corporate and business leaders
can create sustainable social
investment by going beyond tax
breaks. Cooperative unions in most
sectors can be seen as a form of social
investment. By getting cheaper loans,
individuals can improve their lives
making the whole country better.
Corporate leaders can ensure that the
money contributed by members is
prudently managed.
I was surprised the other day to find
that caddies in golf courses contribute
money to bail their members in
case of arrest or other misfortunes.
Even chamas are forms of social
investment. Banks have even set up
special accounts for them. Why not
set up Chamas bank?
Business and corporate leaders can
link financial returns to social returns,
even in their books of accounts.
Sophisticated business leaders
and corporations can package
social investments into manageable
investments. We can have green
bonds or funds that target climate
change, what of education funds or
scholarship funds. There are always
people with some money willing to
invest it causes dear to them. Noted
the rise of foundations in Kenya?
Interestingly, social investment
often makes other investment easier
and we all benefit in the long run.
Chamas, cooperative Unions and
merry go round reduce demand for
bank loans, lower the interest rates
and make it easier to borrow money
for would be investors. The borrowed
money is invested or consumed and
create demand in the economy and
growth.
With good leadership, such
investments complement those of
brick and motor, the create emotional
connection that increase customer
loyalty and sustainability. We can
even spin them off social investments
into independent entities. Lots of
foundations are self sustaining; they
advance social causes while making
money. Grameen bank makes money
but uplifts the standards of living for
millions.
Social investment should not be
an afterthought. It should be part of
any sustainable business. After all any
business is ran by the people, through
people and for the people. It makes
economic sense to invest in them,
particularly those likely to fall through
the cracks.
Creating sustainable social investment
to make a difference in society
have very high expectations regarding the
businesses that they lead and their capacity
toleadsuccessfully.Theytakeresponsibility
for team performance and also give credit
to the team when success is realized.
Visionary business leaders are well
balanced individuals; this means that
their mental, emotional and physical
well-being is healthy. This is because one
cannot achieve greatness when he/she is
a poor time manager. They are organized
and understand well how to prioritize their
work to ensure that they still have a social
life as they excel in their careers.
History shows that most visionary leaders
are extroverts and givers of knowledge
and wisdom. They offer mentorship and
coaching to others, especially the young.
MENTORSHIP
Mentoring is an essential leadership skill.
In addition to managing and motivating
people, it’s also important that you can
help others learn, grow and become more
effectiveintheirjobs.Theydothisthrougha
mentoring partnerships, which is arranged
within the organization or through a
personal or professional network.
Visionary business leaders regularly
conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats) analysis to
ensure the enterprise is well positioned in
its market segment and that even as he/she
implement the vision, the business remains
profitable and productive.
A SWOT analysis is an integral part of
a company’s strategic planning process
because it provides a good all-around view
of the company’s current and forward-
looking situation. The strengths (S) and
weaknesses (W) sections provide a look
at the company’s current position. The
opportunities (O) and threats (T) sections
help the company project possibilities and
challenges going forward.
Some of the examples of KnownVisionary
leaders in Kenya includes:-
MR VIMAL SHAH
Vimal Shah is one of Kenya and East
Africa’s eminent and most respected
business leader. Together with his father
and brother, Mr. Shah has transformed
Bidco from a humble soap manufacturing
enterprise into a Fast Moving Consumer
Goods (FMCG) giant. Bidco is presently
East Africa’s leading manufacturer of edible
oils and personal hygiene care products
with over 40 brands and a footprint in
16 African countries and still counting.
Shah is regarded as one of Africa’s most
distinguished and visionary business
leaders and was named as a finalist in the
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
2011.Heisamuchsought-afterspeakerand
mentor on entrepreneurship, leadership
and manufacturing and has given talks all
over the world. Vimal is an avid reader and
his favorite subjects include philosophy,
spirituality, leadership, innovation,
business excellence and mentoring.
DR JAMES MWANGI
Dr James Mwangi is the Chief Executive
Officer and Managing Director of Equity
Group and the chairman of Equity
group foundation. He is a model of
visionary leadership with exceptional
transformational leadership skills in all
his career life. He is daring and tenacious,
always creating innovative ideas to uplift
ordinary people economically. Top on
the list of his many achievements is the
transformation of Equity Building society
into what it is today. Another one is the
introduction of mobile banking namely
Mkesho and agency bank which ensured
that the unbanked is now banked.
Dr. Mwangi is a philanthropist, as the
Chairman of Equity Group Foundation,
which was established to create the
financial and operational infrastructure
for social programs aimed at low-income
populations. EGF is the focal point for
partnerships with Equity Bank on programs
aimed at low-income populations. Its goal
is to transform the socioeconomic status of
people in Africa
CONCLUSION
Kenya’s Vision 2030 pillars namely
economic, social and political pillar can
only be achieved by visionary leaders.
The Writer is a Career Coach and the
Co-Author of ‘The Career Code’. goretti@
peoplelink.co.ke
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