Status Updates From Lessons from the Boot of a ...

I'm one of those people who believes culture eats strategy for breakfast. If the spirit within the organisation is not right everything starts to suffer. "The classic founders trap" ... quite common when the founder generation moves away (from the business). You don't dictate, you relate...dictators always crumble in the end.

It is very difficult to create a connection (with your customers) like this if you simply do what all your competitors are doing. People make friends with individuals not with crowds. Therefore your individuality as a business and a brand must come across strongly.

At that time (80's) South Africa had precious few leaders with any credibility at all. If I was a thought-leader it was only because the situation was vacant.

Building a nation and building a business have more in common than some might think. To become a winning nation South Africa needs to create jobs - millions of them year after year. Only then can we alleviate poverty, generate sustained economic growth and meet the aspirations of our people.