When I started my business, I really had a bad experience with my business partner, and for a few years after that, I was convinced that you need to be ruthless in business to be successful.
Over many years, I have come to realise that you don’t have to be that guy. You need to be firm but not ruthless, you need to be consistent and not erratic, and you need to be fair and not cruel.
VALUES DON’T STOP AT THE OFFICE DOOR
South Africans don’t leave their values at the office door. The same values that are running a good home should run a good boardroom. That’s when companies stop feeling fake.
Integrity is a crucial part of relationships. If you say you’ll be there, you’re there. No lying, even when it’s uncomfortable.
No double books. What you say at the breakfast table and the audit committee is the same. Transparent pricing, honest KPIs, fair pay. Trust is cheap to keep and very expensive to rebuild.
UBUNTU AND THE WIDER IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP
We live in a country where the word Ubuntu has real meaning: “I am because we are.” You don’t eat if your sister hasn’t eaten.
You don’t just make decisions in a boardroom without asking who else will be impacted by this decision—whether it’s staff members, the elderly, or the frail members of our communities.
Respect is a non-negotiable! Respect is earned, and no title will ever give you respect. You respect the elderly, and you treat the gardener and the domestic worker exactly the same way as the CEO.
STEWARDSHIP OVER EXPLOITATION
We need stewardship of the land, stewardship of the position, stewardship of the money, and stewardship over the food. We don’t waste food!
We think like farmers and not like miners. Are we leaving the people, the community, the environment, and the business in a better place than we found it? Long-term thinking instead of looting.
BUILDING FOR VOLATILITY AS A NATIONAL SUPERPOWER
Resilience becomes part of you when you stay in this beautiful country. Load shedding, taxi drivers, and petrol prices can come at you, but you make a plan.
Stop planning for perfect conditions. Build for volatility: cash flow, energy independence, Plan B, and Plan C. “Make a plan” is a strategy, not a slogan. This is our national superpower.
REAL BELONGING VS. DIVERSITY THEATRE
Hospitality, brotherhood, and sisterhood are cherished. Everybody gets a place to sit at the table that is set by strong women who lift each other up.
Real inclusive leadership, not a diversity theatre. A real belonging with a mentorship mindset that shows big hearts. When people lead with their hearts, standards and results always follow.
There is a great saying that says, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
Corporate South Africa doesn’t need imported values from America or China. We have world-class values right here, and we must have the courage to live them at work!
GET IN TOUCH
If you would like to get in touch with me about my key note presentation, Debunking Motivation, please send an email to corne@cornekrige.com. Visit my website to review my speaker sheet for more info. I also share my story on my social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.