Telling the untold South African stories of courage, fortitude, and the desire to succeed against all odds, Authentic African Leadership is a compilation of true leadership stories written by top leaders in corporate South Africa who Gail Cameron, founder of the Image Excellence Group, has coached over the last 20 years. The stories are compelling as each reflects an authentic African leader's unique indigenous culture, value, norms, beliefs, historical underpinnings, and traditions. Each of the contributors to the book relates how they overcame enormous challenges—both personal and professional—to succeed against all odds. Numerous exercises allow the reader to rate him/herself in key competencies and to identify personal styles and traits.

This book considers the new business environment of modern-day Africa, addressing how management styles must adapt to societal changes across the continent. As investment in the continent grows and African businesses begin to look beyond their own borders, there comes a real need to understand leadership from an Afro-centric perspective. This book explores the similarities and differences across African countries, compares them with other regions, and identifies particular cultural realities that managers must consider in order to be successful in the new business environment of modern Africa. Building on their Leadership Effectiveness in Africa and the African Diaspora (LEAD) research project, the authors provide an empirical understanding of African leadership styles and how businesses can harness these more effectively. Drawing on the African Diaspora’s values, beliefs, and preferences, as well as anecdotal material from African academics and managers, this book grants a realistic view of leadership in various African countries including Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Africa. It will be invaluable to academics, students, and anyone interested in African and global business leadership from a non-Western perspective.

Afrika is currently on a path of development that is not sustainable, because we confuse modernisation with Westernisation. This Afrikan-Western paradox prevents us from building a modern, dynamic Afrikan society - and it will take highly visionary and transformational leadership on our part as Afrikans to reinvent ourselves and build a truly modern Afrikan society. What would the world be like if its institutions were based on the values and practices of a traditional African village? In Leading Afrika, Mandivamba Rukuni re-evaluates the concepts underlying traditional African leadership principles and systems, and illustrates how these can form a modern basis for the African Renaissance. By arguing for the inclusive and traditional values expressed in the philosophy and practices of Unhu-Ubuntu-Botho, the author reminds the reader of historic successes in Africa, and illustrates how leaders globally at all levels can draw on traditional African values the better to lead their nations' people, whether at home, in the community, in business or in government.

Focusing on both pre-colonial and post-colonial eras, this book aims to cultivate a greater understanding of globalisation processes in the context of leadership behaviour in Africa. Analysing empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks, the author evaluates the role of leaders in the failure of African globalisation and seeks to propose an initiative for change. As emphasis shifts from world control to regional and sub-regional control, the new face of globalisation offers an opportunity for Africa to grow and develop with a new leadership perspective. Presenting servant leadership as a solution to Africa’s global failures, this timely book explores the challenges of governance, resource management and regionalisation, and will be of value to anyone interested in the development of Africa as a continent.

Taken together, the chapters in this book represent a tapestry of leadership frameworks and cultures in colonial Africa. Scholars across disciplines explore the nature and evolution of leadership born of the colonial encounter between white colonialists and native Africans as well as the leadership that ultimately led to independence. Leadership in Colonial Africa highlights colonial disruptions of traditional leadership patterns in Africa and how African leaders, traditional and nationalist, reacted to these disruptions. Jallow examines the emergence of modern leadership cultures in Africa and argues that leadership studies theory may usefully be deployed in the study of African leadership

African Leadership is an edited collection enriched by the people who have lived and experienced indigenous leadership first-hand, demonstrating how African leadership is distinctive from usual Western hegemonic paradigms.

This title combines the challenges of Africa's development with leadership theory.

This book looks at the challenges and possibilities facing leadership in Africa today by providing a rich history of the continent, the complexities the continent has experienced, and the great hope and encouragement that remains. It explores what African leadership is and the possible effects it has on leaders, followers, and organizations across the continent. While some maintain that leadership of and within Africa presents too many challenges, this book argues that Africa is ripe with potential and on the verge of an African Renaissance. This book looks beyond socioeconomic factors to explore different perspectives of leadership such as holistic, transformational, and servant leadership, as well as values and ethics. Taking a philosophical and pragmatic approach, this edited collection provides insight from African-born leadership scholars to deliver a first-hand account of the challenges the continent faces. Their unique experiences and immersion in the African world pave the way for a revival of leadership through a lens of history, tradition, economics, societal, and leadership perspectives.

African leadership is in crisis. The legacy of colonialism has prevailed, while novel challenges such as the pandemic, substantial developmental setbacks, the scourge of corruption and troughs in growth have challenged the 'Africa Rising' narrative that once dominated. In a deeply fragmented and uncertain world, one might ask: 'What is the source of inspiration for leadership?' As leaders are faced with the seemingly insurmountable task of rebuilding Africa's economies, structures and systems, there is an argument to be made that leadership approaches should be uniquely and distinctly African. Letlhokwa George Mpedi draws inspiration from African culture and African approaches to challenge the prevailing systems. By exploring select proverbs and sayings, Letlhokwa identifies the tenets of successful and effective leadership. Traversing the ages, sourcing from indigenous practices, drawing from different regions and exploring diverse cultural references from the continent, he finds common threads to rethink the practice of leadership. From the Baobab to the Mosquito emphasises the value of collaboration and collective decision-making, reflecting the communal values that are at the heart of many African cultures. It offers a powerful reminder that leadership is not just about individual achievement, but about building strong relationships, fostering a sense of community, and making a positive difference in the lives of others. Through this collection of African concepts in a contemporary context, Letlhokwa George Mpedi sounds the call for authentic African leaders. Letlhokwa George Mpedi is the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg and a Professor of Labour and Social Security Law at the same institution. Before his current position as Vice-Chancellor he served as Head of the Department of Practical Business Law, Vice-Dean, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic.

Awareness of the community culture is necessary for a successful leadership. No leader can successfully lead a community ignoring its culture. Knowledge of the culture helps shape the strategies that would convince people to buy-in and reduce resistance and weaken opposition attitudes. A leader must govern with moral purpose on all his/her actions or initiatives. He/she cannot tolerate social vices such as stealing the community's money, embezzling money from the people's business, behaving as political gangsters, displaying indifferent attitudes in face of calamities, and ignoring people's misery. A good leader is someone who strives to work for the betterment of his community. He/she is someone who helps everyone to succeed. He/she is the guarantor of the people's security and hope for the better. Any political leader, any organizational leader who neglects the importance of the culture would cause chaos that would lead the country or the organization to its demise, sadly. The relentlessness to quick enrichment from embezzling the country natural resources, squandering its assets through stingy abominable deals depriving the country from its economic and financial means is clearly the curse to the country development. Again, a leader must live with a moral purpose. He must be the embodiment of a decent model of live to the people he is in charge of or the organization he oversees. His first and utmost responsibility should be the welfare of the people and not his own quick enrichment. Some African leaders should consider going back to the traditional African model of leadership, adapting it to the world's everchanging events and realities. This book is to remind African leaders the meaning of leadership.