MentHer Magazine March 2022 - International Women's Month Edition

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH

MARCH 2022

#05

NTOMBENHLE

RADEBE Shared Value And Leadership At It’s Best

& SHAPING LEADING

WOMEN DRIVEN LEADERSHIP IN BUSINESS

w w w. m e n t h e r. c o . z a

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Publisher’s LETTER

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

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t was Sheryl Sandberg, author of ‘Lean In’ and COO at Google who said; “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders”.

There are many quotes I like about women in leadership, however when I think about the mission to reduce inequality, close the gender gap in corporate and entrepreneurship as well as create economic development opportunities for all, this one stands out the most.

Publisher MentHer

Founding Editor Ntsiki Mkhize

Production M e D 8 M e d i a ( P T Y ) LT D

Contributors Alice Dlamini Advocate Aurelia Nxumalo Candice Pillay Janine Starkey Kelebogile Molopyane Kholeka Mkhize Mona Willis Neo Enzel Ntombenhle Radebe Wendy Chalmers-Mill Vimbai Schwalm

#01

This statement for me epitomises the end goal, that now we’re fighting for equality, we’re taking up space, taking a seat at the table and even creating our own tables. However, when all is said and done, there will be no argument or need to prove that women are in fact equally or even more competent than their male counterparts, there’ll be no debate or unconscious bias, and hopefully no more “boys” club.

It is the fact that women are human and inherently leaders at home and in every other space that they show up in, it only stands to reason that they can and should lead in corporate, business, government and other prominent spheres in society. In this issue we

spotlight leadership and explore the qualities, values and lifestyle of a good leader. Our cover interview with Ntombenhle Radebe takes us into her leadership journey and successful corporate career, highlighting the importance of shared value models and how women are the ones to take us to the next level.

Leading others starts with how well we’re able to lead ourselves and you will find gems just on that in every column. We share research from Value for Women on building women’s businesses in township economies and the British Council on social enterprise supporting women, while both detail the gaps that still exist, they equally point to the progress that has been made and the opportunities that lay ahead.

I hope you are inspired and encouraged through these pages and begin to see and celebrate yourself, not only for the leader you will become in the future, but for the leader you already are.

Purposefully Yours

N t s i k i M k h iz e Founding Editor

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TA B L E O F

Contents 5

MENTHER MAGAZINE Social Impact Founders Club membership

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LEADERSHIP The beauty of leadership

by Alice Dlamini

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RELATIONSHIP Successful leadership starts with self leadership

by Vimbai Schwalm

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EDITION COVER FEATURE EDITION

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22 MentHer Set Available Journal, Pen & Face mask R200 Delivery R99 (RSA only) Whatsapp: +27 67 676 5404 sales@menther.co.za

MARCH LEADERSHIP EDITION

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TECHNOLOGY Leading Technological Trends by Kelebogile Molopyane

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SUSTAINABILITY Light at the end of the tunnel by Neo Enzel

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WELLNESS Nutrition and wellness for women in leadership

by Kholeka Mkhize

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You are Enough by Tumi Sibanda

RESILIENCE Women in Leadership

by Wendy Chalmers-Mill

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Shift your mind and make yourself great again by Sarah Wamala Andersson

SYLING How to dress Like a boss

by Mona Willis

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SYLING Lead with Style

by Janine Starkey

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RESOURCE Activist to entrepreneur: the role of social enterprise in supporting women’s empoerment by British Council

BOOK CLUB The book every leader needs to read by 48 Authors

COVER FEATURE Fail Forward, leave a legacy & show empathy with Ntombenhle Radebe LEGAL Women’s innate & unique qualities by Advocate Aurelia Nxumalo STRATEGY Swot yourself - Finding your strength in every opportunity by Candice Pillay

Building Women’s Businesses in South African Township Economies

by Value for Women 45

CONTRIBUTORS Thank you to our contributors Inspire | Connect | Empower

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MENTHER LEADERSHIP

THE BEAUTY OF LEADERSHIP “As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honour” - Ecclesiastes 10:1

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here is nothing more painful in life than to see a person take all that has been gifted to them and waste it away because of ignorance, foolishness, selfishness, and greed. This can best be explained as follows: “Ignorantia juris non excusat or ignorantia legis neminem excusat” this is a legal principle holding that a person who is unaware of a law may not escape liability for violating that law merely by being unaware of its content. In the same way, this legal requirement would hold in our daily lives.

In Matthew 25:14-30; the

parable of the talents and the three servants speaks exactly to the above. A master leaving on a long journey entrusts his servants with his property.

The servants do not have an idea of the day of his return thus they need to work as hard as possible with integrity to prepare for their masters’ return because therein lay their reward. So it is with us as leaders in this world and or our various capacities.

We need to be trustworthy, take risks, work hard, act justly and all with humility for our reward as diligent leaders will manifest whether it’s in our life time or through those whose lives we have impacted. We can’t wait for someone to confer that leadership upon us, we are to assume our leadership roles in all stages and spheres of our lives.

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The moment you took your first breath, that is the moment your purpose started. The rest is up to you – whether you have a willing heart and spirit to receive it or making earthly excuses as to why you can’t take up your rightful place as a leader and do what you’re called to. You have to live with the decision.

We are all leaders, no matter how big or small that scope may be – the value that you place on your leadership depends on you. You set the tone on how others should value you as a leader.

The truth is that it doesn’t matter what others think or say, what matters is that you seize your assignment with a heart of gratitude and with stewardship make a difference to the people around you.

The mistake that many of us make, is comparing ourselves with other people. “Surely I cannot be a leader; because I have not amassed as much fame as Oprah Winfrey, I do not have the lightning speed of Allyson Felix, I am not a celebrated actress like Viola Davis, I am not as beautiful as Janet Jackson, I am not graceful as Misty Copeland and neither do I possess the agility of Simone Biles. My life has no purpose.

These people and others seem to know what their leadership skills are and where to execute them”.

This is all a lie! Here is the truth, leadership comes from wisdom.

Wisdom is attained through knowledge formulated from our truth learnt from the past – regardless of how painful it may be. Once you have a good understanding and appreciation of your knowledge then you are on your way to a truly divine revelation which is your present truth and thus making your wisdom most relevant.

Give yourself access to bloom and unlock your potential. Be open to learning, teaching and growth. It comes with pain, but the rewards are incredible. Pain and adversity are a powerful way of life to unlock the leader in you.

You only need to be willing and open to embrace the journey. You stand up straight and fight. Fight from a position of victory because the mere fact that you are still breathing means that there is a lot more in store for you to attain and to give. A leader’s mental aptitude requires a tremendous amount of emotional resilience and fortitude.

There is a saying: “You ought to serve with your gift – if your gift breaks the camel’s back, then it is murder most foul”.

Change your attitude today imbued with victory. Initiate an intense future filled with adventure.

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MENTHER RELATIONSHIP

SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP

STARTS WITH SELF LEADERSHIP At the end of the day, self-leadership is about you taking responsibility for your unique talents and skills and effectively utilising them

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rue leadership is a verb that is measured in actions and does not have a title. It starts with seeing a gap, a place for opportunity and showing up to influence a solution. It starts with the self and overflows into others following the lead, because the leader has shown up for themselves. We are not able to action leadership fully until we are leading ourselves. Otherwise leadership is then just a title.

I was reminded of this on a recent flight when the usual flight safety drill started and the announcement to first put the mask on your face before helping others put their mask on came up.

Self leadership is a topic that I am extremely passionate about that extends into true leadership of others, teams, families, organisations, communities, and expands into countries and

nations. We’re living in the fourth industrial revolution, we’re living in a world of disruption, volatility, uncertainty, change, agility and diversity. We’re seeing more and more that true leadership in these times is the key to success and starts with the self.

This means that we need to be showing up as our best selves for each of us to show up to our roles, opportunities and making a positive impact on our lives and the planet we live on.

Brayant Kazan, a great mind on leadership traits says that; “self-leadership is having a developed sense of who you are, what you can do, where you are going coupled with

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MENTHER RELATIONSHIP

the ability to influence your communication, emotions and behaviour on the way to getting there.” All phenomenal leaders have many important qualities that make them successful. One of the most important of these leadership qualities is a strong sense of self-awareness and the ability to use it to lead by example.

Developing self-leadership skills can have many benefits in both our personal and professional lives. Let’s unpack and explore what self-leadership truly is, why it’s important and the skill-set you can focus on to develop your own self-leadership.

Self-leadership is the ability to influence, motivate and lead ourselves to achieve our personal and professional goals and objectives. We set personal leadership objectives with selfled strategies to consistently deliver great results, while also helping other individuals that we are in contact and connection with to be successful in reaching collective objectives and goals. We need to have a good understanding of who we are, where we want to go and what we can accomplish whilst harnessing the ability to control our emotions and behaviour in a way that guides us toward success.

Great leaders need to have the ability to lead by example. In our professional lives, selfleadership actually benefits the organisations we are associated with as a whole.

The benefits of self-leadership are that we are able to: • be more efficient and productive • Be more motivated and accountable • Have healthier and more trustworthy relationships • Stop leaving things to chance and put clear plans in place to achieve what we want • And, we inspire others to follow our lead.

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MENTHER RELATIONSHIP

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. Embrace your intuition. Successful leaders are really powerful at trusting their intuition in decision making and taking risks associated with those choices. Your intuition is always based on the survival and the need to succeed, so it’s never wrong.

Learn to harness your intuition, trust it and follow it.

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. Emotional mastery. When you’re aware of and manage your own emotions, you can be more aware of others’ emotions and therefore manage your relationships. To be a successful leader, you need to be curious about others around you in order to know where to add value in their lives. You won’t be able to do this unless you’re in tune with your own emotions. Exercising your emotional intelligence muscles daily will help you to go a long way in your self-leadership journey.

3

. Be accountable. Own your attitude, actions, behaviour, effort, and mistakes.

Avoid complaining and blaming. Instead, take responsibility of actions and ask yourself what you can do differently for more positive or fruitful results.

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. Networking, Relationship-Building and Credibility. Great leaders have a healthy relationship with themselves and are thus

able to motivate and inspire others. Your ability to inspire and motivate others comes from your credibility to maintain healthy relationships and your ability to network with others.

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. Become organised. Take a look at how you plan your day, week, month, quarter and year. Can you honestly say that in most instances you invest your time as wisely as you could? Are you spending time on your self-growth and development or only that of others?

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Communication. Open and clear communication is a critical facet of leading self and others. Harness the skill of communicating on a regular basis in a way that others can relate to and engage with.

Showing empathy and clear understanding of others means that they feel heard and this in turn builds opportunities to exercise impactful leadership.

At the end of the day, self-leadership is about you taking responsibility for your unique talents and skills and effectively utilising them to deliver the results that you want to achieve in your life and the life of others.

So which of these six areas of improvement will you start to work on to upskill your selfleadership?

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MENTHER BOOK CLUB

The Book Every Leader Needs to Read Lessons from leading business minds and thought leaders

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or our world to survive, and thrive, we need people who can lead the way to a better future for everyone, be that in corporate, government, or society in general.

What we need is great leadership – not mediocre leadership; and an attitude of ever-learning, growing and developing.

Business leaders have a financial and moral obligation to uplift the people of this country. A narrow focus on profit won’t achieve that, but a culture that puts people first can.

We need ethical leaders, visionary leaders, empathic leaders, courageous leaders, forward-thinking leaders, transformational leaders, human-

centric leaders, purposeful leaders, curious leaders.

This book is the antidote to the lack of mentorship, and is the

resource for the saying: ‘When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.’ Incorporating the collective leadership wisdom for both the leaders of tomorrow and for the leaders of today, The Book Every Leader Needs to Read is full of lessons, insights, pep talks, advice and direction for building your own style and approach to great leadership, and not shy away from the ecstasy (and sometimes agony) of becoming a significant leader.

If you are striving for excellence as a leader, get your pen and notebook ready, start reading and make notes from the thousands of hours of lived experiences, and list what you can start doing, right now, to craft the art of leading.

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MENTHER BOOK CLUB

YOU ARE ENOUGH

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n the eight years of her coaching career, Tumi Sibanda has come to recognise a monster that has held society hostage for generations. This monster has and still keeps many people stuck in a loop of unfulfilling relationships, stagnant careers, stunted businesses and toxic existence. The monster is characterised by an internal battle with a constant feelings of inadequacy that makes people live their lives from the belief that they are not enough.

In You Are Enough, Tumi Sibanda introduces the readers to this monster. She openly shares how the monster shows up and how it takes over the lives of individuals and ultimately influences society. To

TUMI SIBANDA show you that you are not the only one battling inadequacy, Tumi Sibanda shares her own encounter with the monster, from how it ran her life on auto pilot, to how she ultimately won the battle against this monster and took charge of her own life. She also shares stories by people who have also emerged victorious against this monster.

Whether you are a professional, a business owner, a CEO, a leader in society, a parent, a teacher, a lover or a friend, this book will get you to pause and reflect on how you may be engaged in an unending dance with the monster without knowing it. As well as how you may be enabling this monster to pass on from generation to generation. The practical

tips shared in this book are designed to help you become aware of your chains and to break the chains to start living from the knowing that you are enough.

About the Author:

Tumi Sibanda, founder and Managing Director at Coaching For Dreams, is an attorney who turned to entrepreneurship. She is a Life and Business Coach with a client list spanning from professionals, entrepreneurs, leaders and teams, whom she dedicatedly assists to transition to their next level of growth.

She is an inspirational speaker, thought leader and seasoned writer. She is the author of My Voice Through My Eyes.

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MENTHER TECHNOLOGY MENTHER BOOK CLUB

Shift your mind and make yourself great again

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he book demonstrates a new way of thinking about power. It is about mindset being everything and the source of true power, happiness and well-being.

The book provides you with seven keys how to shift your mind to become more powerful, become more conscious, live in abundance and to make yourself great again. It is about taking possession of your mind and your thinking pattern to create the life that you want. It is about becoming a creator and not a victim.

The book provides you with philosophical insights and wisdom to understand how your mind works, to take

Sarah Wamala Andersson possession of your thinking pattern and how you can live in abundance.You will get

access to the seven keys how to shift your mind and change your thinking pattern to become more powerful, more conscious and change your reality - to live in abundance and consciousness. You will ultimately make yourself great again!The uniqueness of this book lies in the scientific approach used to summarize vital philosophy and huge volumes of scattered wisdom - based on a holistic perspective to transform life.

This is your opportunity to reclaim your inner power to get freedom, happiness, fulfillment and well-being.

Become a better version of yourself and increase humanity!

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MENTHER COVER FEATURE

Ntombenhle

Radebe Occupation Business Development Manager LinkedIn @ntobenhleradebe

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VISIT: www.menther.co.za/magazine

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MENTHER COVER FEATURE

Fail Forward “Fail forward, leave a legacy & show empathy”

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tombenhle has worked for over 19 years in the South African financial services industry, mainly in banking and asset management. Her specialisation includes strategy setting and execution; stakeholder engagement; project management; as well as client and business innovation, with a passion for Shared Value approaches. She began her career at ESKOM as a Graduate in Training in the Treasury Division. Thereafter she focused her career on the financial services sector, mainly working in some of the biggest financial institutions such as RMB Unit Trusts, Nedbank, and Absa. Her experience has been centred on different functions in Corporate and Investment Banking. She joined STANLIB in 2019 as Business Development Manager for STANLIB Index Investments, overseeing the 1nvest products. Ntombenhle has an MBA from Tel Aviv University, a BCom (Honours)

degree in Business Finance from Wits University, and she also serves on several boards of corporates and non-profits.

As a woman who has charted an incredible career for herself in corporate, leading others and pushing for social impact.

We spoke to her to share some leadership insights.

What does leadership at your level look like?

Sometimes, the term ’leadership’ can be misunderstood as being the same as ‘management’. As far as I know, leadership is more focused on results – the outcome of leadership should be some kind of discernible result. At this point in my career and life, trust is a big thing. So trusting the system, trusting the process, and trusting myself, means that I am able to lead from the front or the back in order to get effective results. Over time it’s also about building the trust in self to fail forward, knowing that sometimes you’ll get it wrong, but when you do, trusting that you will fail forward. Legacy is also important

to me. This is about leaving a discernible positive impact that will outlive me, whether it’s a small meaningful shift in the processes at work or a significant shift in the prospects of communities. A leader should do what they can to leave a strong and positive legacy and trusting that it’ll have the positive impact that it should have, and being able to recover after falling forward.

What does being a good leader entail?

From my experience, from looking at people who are good leaders and from what I try to do, the first thing is that a leader needs to have empathy. There is something sacred about being able to empathise with people by putting yourself in their context, so that you can visualise and see the world from their perspective, then use those insights or their qualities towards their betterment so they get closer to what you’re trying to achieve. Good leaders are able to engage, instil and ignite a reaction from their people and

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MENTHER COVER FEATURE

the situation that they’re leading.

Secondly, foresight – where are we going? What is the intention and desired outcome of what we’re trying to achieve? It’s good to learn from hindsight, but foresight allows for people to see the vision when you engage with them and to see the ultimate outcome with you, resulting in them wanting to help you achieve that. With that comes the effective use of resources, including assigning your people effectively. Once you know who has which skills and knowing how they’re different, you’re able to utilise them and engage them to the best of their ability. You can’t have someone on your team who is a fish and judge them on their (in)ability to climb a tree. You have to respect them as a fish; hire and develop them accordingly. In order to get the effective result at the end of the day. A good leader should understand their team dynamics and understand what each person brings to the table.

Do you find expectations are different for men and women, how have you navigated this?

Certainly, especially in

corporate there are many different expectations between men and women, which are very well documented, known and recognised, but nobody is doing much about it. On top of glass ceilings, we still have stiletto ceilings – where women themselves hold each other back. We have the corporate ladder – where at times it feels like it has been intentionally made difficult for women to climb. There are still expectations whereby if you get married as a woman, someone will make the comment that you may no longer to continue to be a good employee as you’ll likely have children or be distracted by your husband and building a family. So many unfair, unjustified and sometimes downright rude differing expectations between men and women. I’ve never heard of a man being told he’ll be less effective, because he got married or was about to have children. This is the global reality that many women face.

There are many horror stories we can go over, but it’s important that we learn how to navigate this space. First, you need

to choose your battles – you can’t fight every battle as not all of them are meant for you.

Stand up for yourself and be firm on the battles you choose.

Second, is the expectation that you may be coy. Speak up in meetings, be learned, research, have an opinion – say something! The worst they can say is that you’re incorrect or that they don’t agree, but you would’ve said something, you’ll be noticed. Your aim is to be deemed a good contributor in meetings, someone that brings a different view or someone who is worthwhile listening to. So, definitely speak up from a place of knowledge.

Third, remember that “no” is a complete sentence. If you feel like you are being marginalised or spoken to in a certain way, or the conversation changes when you walk into a certain room – stand up for yourself and say no. Insist on being treated equally and you also don’t have to justify yourself. The fourth, thing to do is to strategise your career, and don’t expect that it will just fall in place or that someone will hand anything to you. Where do you want to go,

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MENTHER COVER FEATURE what you want to do, what you want to expose yourself to in your career, how do you want to achieve this, and what are your milestones? Align yourself with people, with mentors inside and outside the organisation, as well as with organisations that are influencing or are interested in achieving what you also want. If it’s not happening within your organisation, find out where what you want to do is being implemented and go there or associate yourself. You don’t have to know every step of the way – let there be room for magic to happen – but think about what you’re doing, what the outcome would be, who you would need to assist you in getting there, as well as who you can assist in their career – it’s not a one-way street. Lastly, they may expect you to be the more ‘tender’ gender…but you go on and celebrate your femininity!

You are a woman – you are everything you want to be, you have a different way of thinking and approach, you can be soft or hard, whatever your femininity version is, celebrate it. Bring it to the table, bring it to the boardroom, because it makes you different and diversity is valuable in an organisation.

Don’t join running or cycling clubs just because the men are doing it, do and celebrate what is authentic to you and your femininity.

What is your leadership style and philosophy, what informs it?

My leadership style and philosophy inform each other.

From a style perspective I believe in inclusivity – hearing a lot of voices and opinions then milling over them to come up with the best solution that everyone can buy into. I believe in everyone feeling like they were heard, even if you didn’t use their suggestion or it wasn’t the right fit, they can still stay engaged in the team and give the effort and impact required.

I’m also very open minded, people can often come with a solution you didn’t expect and have a different way to approach things to achieve a different result. Also being empathetic is key, realising that we all wake up in order to achieve something – to fend for our families, to put food on the table, to express ourselves creatively or critically, or to spend time with people, or to do something with our lives.

We wake up for something, so being an empathetic leader allows for that and creates a safe space for people to meaningfully express themselves..

My philosophy is to build a legacy that leaves a discernible positive impact on all endeavours that I engage in.

To build things that will outlive me and be of service to others, allowing others to develop it further. What has informed this in me, are the leaders that I’ve taken into heart, who I aspire to emulate. I’ve been fortunate to see great and horrible leaders, and seeing how the great ones conduct themselves, how they play the game and not the

player, how they engage people and bring them along on the journey, how they instil a sense of confidence and trust in their people, and how they lead by trust. These leaders are fallible, they know where their short comings are and they’re not afraid to acknowledge that. This in turn then gives an opportunity for the team to come in to fill in the gaps, complement the leaders skills, and prosper together as a team.

A key focus of your work in your various roles as an executive or board member is focused on bringing corporations to the impact table to make a real difference.

What does this look like and how does it work through a shared value approach?

Shared value and making impact is a massive thing for me.

Utilising my talents, education, networks and work in order to make an impact through shared value is important.

If we define shared value very rustically, which a lot of people misunderstand or don’t understand at all, what it really is, is ‘responsible capitalism’.

It’s not about charity or giving alms or people coming to ask with hat in hand. It’s about corporations and entrepreneurs, even individuals, doing work that makes a social difference and making significant money out of it as well.

The traditional charity NGO, NPO or NPC model as it has been existing is perhaps

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approaching its sunset. However, there are some encouraging winds of change in some NPCs models that are geared towards creating more self-sustaining or self-reliant communities.

I’m lucky enough to be on the Africa Tikkun NPC Board as well as two other boards that I was referred to by Africa Tikkun to add value. Africa Tikkun has been doing tremendously impactful work for many years through their various development programs, but there’s also a number of initiatives that they are involved in that are focused on revitalising township economies and supporting small businesses. The organisation has also been very instrumental in setting up hubs and partnering with local entrepreneurs in townships to help people start their businesses. They’ve also partnered up with other businesses in various industries that are looking to make discernible impact.

In general and globally, there are many Shared Value businesses coming up and lots of talk around ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) and using these lenses as an investment measurement or inspection tool.

There seems to be a greater awareness in the world that is being ignited about responsible capitalism and being responsible in how we engage with our clients, customers, stakeholders, suppliers, producers, partners and the entire corporate ecosystem. It’s taken a while,

but I think people are starting to see that we need to have a more responsible lens. In Asset Management we are starting to look at and classify investments through that ESG lens and invest accordingly and in turn rewarding companies and investments that score highly on those ESG categories. Then translating that into a Shared Value impact approach, where entrepreneurs and companies are encouraged to get involved in business models and products that are intrinsically designed to leave people better off, while making an attractive profit. These are forprofit businesses, where nobody needs to feel worse off by investing or starting businesses that have a social impact link or agenda to them, and are intentional about social impact outcomes.

All the greed, excess and the bad associations that come with capitalism are softened by the social good we can do if we start paying attention to businesses, products and approaches that are socially aware. We need to think about how to solve social ills by combining approaches beyond CSI and B-BBEE, and incorporate shared value as a differentiating strategic approach in business models and in products.

Why is this important for women-led start-ups and closing the gender and economic gaps in SA (and Africa)?

It’s critical for women be in these spaces. The problem is that the start-up space is very scary and a lot of women tend to want

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MENTHER COVER FEATURE more secure ventures. We may find that many of women are breadwinners, single mothers, divorcees – whatever has happened in life – but women led households are becoming more predominant and common place. This has added to a more risk-averse mindset. Start-ups by their very nature are seen as a scary venture, because nothing is guaranteed, it may fail, it may be a success or just be mediocre – there’s also a lot of stress that goes into running a start-up.

We need women to engage in the economy and significantly so. Women-led organisations are becoming more of an imperative not only because the dynamics of family life have changed dramatically, but also, because women want to! We really want to…and why not?

We should get involved, be economically savvy and be in more leadership positions in our economy. It’s important for us to have women representation, for diversity in that field, across industries, within start-ups and importantly, diversity within the ecosystem of start-ups.

Especially so that more women can get access to financing - whether it is venture capital initiatives, angel investors or banks themselves - we need more women representing so that there’s more trust in women, that women are deservedly seen as just as capable, demanding and needed as their male counterparts in start-ups. It’s currently very skewed towards men, with women on the safer side of things.

We need to occupy that space, leaning into it and adding our diversity so that we can truly democratise access to finance and the economy of South Africa. Once women are more confident and dominant in that space, getting their voices heard and their ideas out there, it’ll encourage even more entrepreneurial women.

We’ll see more female-led consortiums, we’ll see new faces, we’ll see a new breed of women, coming in stronger with more ideas and confidence. How beautiful it would be to have so many women in start-ups that we can’t even count them. To have a wide spectrum of ideas, thinking, voices, and approaches. To have those legacies created and inspire others to go for gold, even straight out of university.

We can build that confidence and that ’can-do’ nature – we need that feminine boldness.

What’s still missing and what do we need to do, to do better?

That’s really like asking “how long is a piece of string?”

There’s so much that is still missing. From a woman’s perspective we still need to be blatant, brave and unapologetic about bringing femininity into the workplace. We need to occupy and speak up and do so from a learned and sharing voice. It’s unfortunate, but some people still do speak from a place of not knowing and engage in ways that aren’t moving women forward. It may be unfair, but

it’s the world we live in – so you have to realise that it’s not just about you. It’s about the women that are still coming, those who are being marginalised in the workplace and the women at home that are not thought of as contributors to our economy or to business, when in fact they are the caretakers of everybody. It’s important that you realise that you are part of something bigger.

When it comes to social impact, it’s important to know that not just us women, but men also, we as human beings are all part of a much bigger picture, and we can only get so far before it starts to crack because we didn’t take care of the social needs of our community, country or continent. For example, can you imagine how much the crime rate may be reduced if we focused on innovative businesses that solved the social ill of unemployment?

It’s not about charity, it’s about engaging in business that is impactful, meaningful, measurable, and profitable. We also need to think about being socially responsible in a way that allows you to eat – we all want to eat, I know I do - but I don’t want to eat knowing that it’s going to catch up with me or my nieces and nephews or the people who come after me. Our capitalistic mindsets need to adjust to seeking or creating opportunities that move our societies forward, reduce or remove social ills, and leave a trail of improved conditions wherever we engage in business - you also get a just reward for being entrepreneurial.

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MENTHER COVER FEATURE There are low-hanging lucrative business fruit that can be picked. Plug into ecosystems where you can do more than just paint classrooms, instead do things that are effective and economically self-sustaining and viable. Start thinking more creatively, innovatively, and more drastically about the future.

The way we think is missing. We still think of social as charity, we still think of women as less than, of opportunities as greed, and of capitalism as take what you need and get out. What about thinking about responsible capitalism or women leadership or sustainable social impact as a desired outcome.

What keeps you going or reminds you of your mission when things get hectic?

There’s a lot that keeps me going. My faith in the Almighty is paramount! My family – my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews – that keeps me going quite a bit. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep going when life throws things at you, but it’s always good to know that there are people on your side, who understand your perspective or can show you a different perspective, help you lift your chin, and propel you forward.

I’ve also chosen well when it comes to close friends. I have wonderful, deep, and meaningful friendships. I can lean on my friends, they are generous and very helpful, have good advice, bring additional joy into my life, and accept me warts and all.

My resolve to do better and be better also keeps me going. My resolve that I love this country, this continent of Africa. I love life and building and making things better, contributing, talking, getting my perspective out there and getting people to see things differently.

Also, it’s an interesting challenge to not necessarily change the status quo, but to use it to get a different result. It may sound counter intuitive, but sometimes we need to look at what we do have and what is established and what the practice is, and sometimes the way you think about it, look at it or approach it can help. It’s about creatively working with what you have to achieving a different result to what has been.

Going back to your early career, what key moves or people enabled you to create the career you have today?

I learned earlier on to speak up and to trust my voice, as well as to lean in and get involved.

I was lucky enough that I was encouraged by my various good leaders to speak up, to have something to say, to develop my thinking and my opinions. That was a positive development that shaped the professional that I became. I’m lucky in that I had great leaders who identified certain positive qualities in me and allowed me to take them forward - people who recognised my strengths and shortcomings, but focused on my strengths, which allowed me to harness

those and improve on them. This really boosted my confidence.

My education also helped, I made the brave decision of leaving my job and ‘cashing in all my chips’ as it were, and going overseas to pursue my MBA at Tel Aviv University – which was an excellent move – but scary!

At around age 35 I left a cushy job and income, to return to student life in a new country with a different language, different people and very different culture.

It was one of the bravest and most exciting things that I’ve ever done, and I came back with not only an MBA qualification, but also with a different mind-set and approach towards things, a different view of the world and life and that shaped the professional and contributor that I am.

I love to contribute, I love to make a difference, but I also work hard and play hard. That has also been shaped by the good leaders that I’ve had, as they’ve helped me to be proud of how I show up in everything.

What advice do you have for women in whichever sphere on how to show up as a leader / how to lead with confidence?

My advice is to speak up. Say something. You don’t have say something all the time, but when you do, do so from a place of knowledge and an informed opinion. Also ask, there’s nothing wrong with asking. There are platforms and forums, such as Toastmasters that help you build up confidence, formalise your

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MENTHER COVER FEATURE

thoughts and thinking in order to deliver your message effectively.

Choose your battles in the corporate world and when you do, be confident. Remember that “no” is a full sentence. You will be tested or relegated to a position or role you don’t want – in those moments, remember that it is your prerogative to say “no, not for me!”

I’d also love for women to take another woman forward with them – I’ve had great male bosses, but my best bosses have been women.

They really encouraged me, saw talent in me and allowed me to see what it’s like for women leaders and what it’s like to be a woman leader that brings other women along with you. It’s time we shatter the stiletto ceilings – there’s no need for them!

Celebrate your femininity in the workplace, you don’t have to be a guy’s girl, you don’t have to learn golf or join the cycling club to get ahead because that’s what the boys are doing. Find your avenue, find your niche – that thing that celebrates who you are and what you bring

to the table, because what you bring is important. It’s okay to be an emotional being, it’s also okay to be non-emotional. The more we allow women to have that comfort, the better they are able to express themselves as valuable contributors. The more comfortable they’ll feel in boardrooms and workspaces, and will perceive such spaces as safe zones where they can fully express themselves and bring all their creativity and brilliance to the table, be fully engaged and make a financially and socially impactful difference. Lean forward confidently, fearlessly and celebrate who you are.

There’s

nothing wrong with crying in a boardroom because you feel frustrated - in fact you should be applauded as you’re not going to go punch a wall (or slap a comedian)!

So take back that space or occupy the space and let’s move things forward as women entrepreneurs, women in corporate and women at home. We are fearless contributors, and it is because we are self-aware that we will succeed and help each other to succeed.

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MENTHER LEGAL

Women’s

Innate & unique qualities

I

An ability that assists in approaching leadership differently

n uncertain economic times like the ones faced at the onset of Covid-19, start-ups have become more and more common place. The past two years have been a swim or sink situation, apart from the lives lost and adversely affected, our livelihoods have been largely impacted – many people have lost jobs and many have been forced into entrepreneurship (when I say ‘many’, myself included).

Majority of leadership roles in companies, business or government are still filled by men. The lack of female representation in leadership positions can make it near impossible for hope for other women to reach those heights.

Women are just as capable of handling issues, running companies, and making executive decisions just as our male counterparts. Needless to say, we are past debating the integral role women play in growing economies

Women have always been shaping the world. We need women in leadership. If the majority in leadership (i.e. male leaders) viewed gender diversity as a business imperative, they would work to understand the challenges women face in the workplace and take bolder steps to support and advocate for change. Those in leadership positions, both men and women, need to use their authority to promote and advocate for women. It’s imperative that we lead deliberate and structured approaches towards combating gender inequality in the workforce.

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MENTHER LEGAL

We should come to any role as a woman before as a leader. The qualities of nurturing and /or developing people, the innate ability to connect, our intuition, sensitivity and empathy. As women, we have innate and unique qualities that assist in approaching leadership differently.

Leadership is not simply having a title or being placed in a position that carries the responsibility of leading. One of the best ways to move forward and have an active role in your development is to surround yourself with support, accountability and the positive energy of other women thriving in their businesses or careers.

Having a mentor can be important to your development, both personally and professionally, but a single mentor in most cases cannot fulfil all your needs or have the time or the capacity to be your only source of support.

Considering that we learn and develop through lots of relationships in our lives, focusing on finding one mentor limits our personal growth.

Therefore, the more diverse your mentorship circle is, the greater the exposure you’ll have to a range of perspectives and experiences.

You can lead where you are, for instance in a start-up, you lead by ensuring that your foundational documents are in order. It’s understandable that entrepreneurs are focused on growing their businesses and not on legal matters.

However, some of the greatest pitfalls that face start-ups, if not at the outset, then later down the track, arise from the failure to lay a proper legal

foundation.

A shareholders’ agreement and memorandum of incorporation are foundational documents for any start-up.

Keep records! One of the most common mistakes made by start-ups is the failure to maintain basic company secretarial and other statutory records. A failure to maintain proper records can also prove to be very costly if the business grows and wishes to obtain investment in the future.

Future investors will want to conduct a due diligence on the business before investing any funds and statutory compliance (or non-compliance) is a key consideration.

While funding is a crucial aspect for any budding entrepreneur, the understanding of all the compliance and legal requirements of starting up your small business is as important.

Falling behind or not complying with legal and statutory regulation can quickly sink a business, so it’s always best to keep in mind getting the legalities right from day one. You must take steps to protect your own assets in the event of your business failing.

I urge you to engage the services of an accountant and attorney to assist with book keeping, tax returns and legal compliance, this also helps to ensure that your start-up has a solid legal foundation from which to grow.

Start-ups need to be flexible to adapt and grow. Get the legalities sorted and soar.

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MENTHER STRATEGY

SWOT YOURSELF Finding your strength in every opportunity

O

ne of the first lessons learnt in business school about strategy is the idea of “fail fast succeed fast”. This is in fact a well-established model that forces the entrepreneur to quickly learn from her mistakes and restart. The model is premised on the logic that the quicker the failure, the quicker the lessons learnt and the quicker the turnaround time to developing a new business or strategy.

This is not always true in practice. A quick fail can cause an entrepreneur to become disillusioned and she may never try again. Or trying again might take a bit longer the second or third time around due to lack of confidence or morale from the failure. There might be loss of finances, resources, partnerships,

Candice Pillay | Director Norton Rose Fulbright SA markets, reputation, etc. that was a consequence of failing fast.

There is always a good time and opportunity to introspect. There is also a very good tool that can assist any entrepreneur to understand the failure process and recover if not better, but more insightful, from failure. The SWOT analysis is taught as a tool utilised to take stock of any opportunity. It is the first step in the creation of a business strategy, but it is also a helpful tool to do some really good introspection.

What is SWOT all about?

The acronym refers to the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing any opportunity or business when looking at strategy. By considering and documenting each quadrant of SWOT, the entrepreneur is better

positioned to build a strategy that can easily spot opportunities and grow.

The question is however, how do you SWOT yourself, and why is it necessary?

It’s vital at any point in the journey that you stop to introspect and consider the direction of your journey. In failure it’s important to plot a course. It’s not enough to get up, it’s important to move forward.

The first important question is to consider, what are your strengths?

These are defined by what you’re good at and what comes easily or naturally to you. The relevance for this is to map out what you’ll spend most of your time on. We tend to do what

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MENTHER STRATEGY

comes naturally to us and what we enjoy. You’ll also identify and set out what is going to make you happy, because happiness is an important component of the journey of entrepreneurship.

The second enquiry is to list is your weaknesses.

This insight is invaluable. It demands complete honesty about what you can’t do or what you need to do better as well as what you will not do. Being an entrepreneur does not mean that you need to know everything and be able to do everything. Once these traits are identified you can then focus on finding the correct solutions and resources to suit your weaknesses or growth areas. A lot of people spend time on aspects of their business that are their weaknesses and are unhappy and soon end in failure.

The value of this exercise is to turn your weaknesses into strengths.

As an entrepreneur and leader it’s important to know what you need to be working on to improve your business. This will also give you insights as to who to employ and how to allocate resources to where you most need them.

The third exercise considers what the personal threats that you’ll face are.

In strategy these would be external forces or influences that threaten your business.

However, when it’s personal

introspection, make room for internal influences. External forces, like lack of finances, potential litigation or disgruntled staff is important. However, lack of confidence, negative family and friends, untrustworthy business partners or stakeholders, is just as relevant.

From the first three enquiries you’ll notice that you’ve already commenced mapping out your opportunities.

By looking at your strengths you’re able to identity easy wins, low hanging fruits to get over the slump of failure or not starting.

From your weaknesses, you can now plan to fill the gap. The honesty tells you where you need to be spending your resources or finances to bolster your business or organisation.

Honesty, insight and strategy will help turn weakness into a strength.

Finally, threats will help you to change your environment.

Who are the people, events or circumstances preventing you from starting or restarting your dream?

This is an opportunity to find new friends, find new business partners, find new environments, and look for opportunities to grow in a fertile environment.

Once that honest conversation is had, the future does look different, perhaps brighter and there is already a plan on how to start or restart – because you have given yourself the best opportunity to succeed.

You’ve found your strength in your entrepreneurship journey.

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Investing in innovators and entrepreneurs to build world-changing businesses Managed by Seed South Capital info@seedsouth.com

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MENTHER TECHNOLOGY

LEADING TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS and their impact on business leadership

O

nce upon a time where business was concerned, there was great emphasis on management versus leadership debates.

Everyone was zooming into the different types of leadership where we all wanted to be led by transformational and charismatic leaders such as the late President Nelson Mandela and the former US President Barack Obama. With the introduction of the third and fourth industrial revolution the concept of “business unusual” was personified. Suddenly it’s not so much about the leadership style as it is about the technology that makes the organisation more effective and efficient.

We can’t over emphasise the role that the Covid-19 pandemic played on changing the business dynamics worldwide. Suddenly managers and leaders were challenged.

Managers had to learn to manage the work and not the person. There was no room for centralized and hierarchical management styles. Everyone was forced to think on their feet.

Leaders had to lead people into the unknown while reassuring both the customer and the staff members that all is well. The show had to go on somehow.

Here are a few trends that have surfaced that we should note, as well as understand how

they have impacted business leadership.

Virtual events and meetings: This platform provided a solution to allow work to continue. It allowed for remote meetings, conferencing and events while breaking international borders. This trend created new opportunities and sparked competition between companies.

1 2

Blockchain: Became the buzz word making datamining the new currency. Although most people think of blockchain technology in relation to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, blockchain offers security that is useful in many other ways. In the simplest of terms, blockchain can be described as a system of recording information in a way that is impossible to change, hack, or cheat. It’s basically data you can only add to, not take away from, or change.

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MENTHER TECHNOLOGY

3

Cyber Security: It might not seem like an emerging technology, given that it has been around for a while, but it has evolved overtime and become more important during the lockdown period where hacking increased rapidly. Since organisations were working remotely, they became more vulnerable, and it was and still is, imperative to ensure strict security measures are in place.

Business leaders are thus constantly looking for ways and means to protect their data. After all, data is king.

4

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI is known for its superiority in image and speech recognition, navigation apps, smartphone personal assistants, ride-sharing apps and so much more. AI is used to analyse interactions to determine underlying connections and insights, to help predict demand for services, such as; hospitals enabling authorities to make better decisions about resource utilisation, and to detect the changing patterns of customer behaviour by analysing data in near real-time. Greater reliance

on machines was realised during lockdown due to the pandemic.

5

Edge Computing: Cloud computing has become mainstream, with major players like AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform dominating the market. The adoption of cloud computing is still growing, as more and more businesses migrate to a cloud solution due to remote working.

Edge computing is designed to help solve some of those problems to bypass the latency caused by cloud computing and getting data to a data center for processing. For this reason, edge computing can be used to process time-sensitive data in remote locations with limited or no connectivity to a centralised location. In those situations, edge computing can act like small or miniture datacentres.

According to Gorodetsky, Larukchin and Skobelev, it’s vital for leaders to embrace these digital ecosystems of smart services which challenges leaders to be agile, adaptable, self-organized and competitive.

The industry is talking about Industry 5.0 which brings a collaboration between human

and machine, making it easier to work better and faster because of the internet of things. There is no sector that has been spared of the impact of technological trends, those that refused to adapt closed shop.

In a nutshell the incorporation of technology in organisations has encouraged most companies to become ‘Enterprise 5.0’ where there is a visible and innovative way of doing business. Being an Enterprise 5.0 allows leaders to innovate in a manner that is cost effective, promotes continuous improvement in business processing, mitigates risk and ensures compliance because of the smart approach. So, to succeed as a leader given the current trends it’s important to embrace technology.

Remember the people behind the machines, maintain relationships, keep your eye on the ball and create an assuring atmosphere as change becomes a constant. Technology is here to make life easier not hard. Yes, some jobs were lost, but new jobs were created too. It’s the leader’s job to share the vision and reassure the people while helping them to embrace the new dawn.

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MENTHER SUSTAINABLITY

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

W

e love our beautiful and colorful country, it is memorable for any tourist that comes from abroad and even our fellow African neighbouring countries.

As each state faces its challenges, we also have our own crises that are unavoidable. It may be beautiful to gaze at the stars in the dark but it is not a pretty picture if the power is cut-off constantly. Living in the dark can never become a norm no matter how you look at it. For households and businesses, power cuts are disruptive and cause a lot of damage. Is there a solution to this nightmare?

Eskom is still struggling

today as it did with our first recognition of loadshedding in 2014.

Last year, South Africa struck a R131 billion deal with the EU, France, Germany, the UK, and the US at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) which will help with repurposing and repowering some of the coal

NEO ENZEL

plants reaching the end of their lives among other things, this is according to our president, President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mr Daniel Mminile was appointed as the head of the Presidential Climate Finance Task Team to lead the mobilization of funds for the transition to “ a sustainable, inclusive, resilient and lowcarbon economy”, this might be an indication that our president is understanding the importance and the opportunities that arise from green energy.

President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that South Africa is located in one of the regions of the world which is most affected by climate change and this implies an

SOLECTRIC POWER

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MENTHER SUSTAINABILITY

SWAZILAND SOLECTRIC INSTALLATION TEAM AND NATIONAL DIRECTOR

urgent need for renewable energy. Loadshedding is also a serious problem in the country increasing the need for off-thegrid energy alternatives, our president also acknowledged that renewable energy will make electricity cheaper and more dependable.

Google has invested R15 billion in Africa at a time when the economic atmosphere in terms of foreign direct investments is not looking good. Reports suggest that foreign direct investments are now sluggish which is attributable to the global pandemic.

Google’s R15 billion investment, is different in its approach, there sure are anticipated returns on all investments, as the giant search engine possesses ample data for one to assume that their investments are carefully measured which implies that Africa has potential.

Google and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporations’ joint report forecasted a R2.7 trillion “e-conomy” value that Africa would reach by 2025.

Therefore, Africans should read between the lines understanding that business opportunities and careers are foreseen to be scaling in the digital industry.

Google’s Managing Director for the Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Nitin Gajria admitted while he was speaking to CNN that there is going to be an increase

in Africa’s youth rising than in any other state in the world as this target market in the technology industry is the future generation.

Around the world women are taking a stand and it is a slow but growing industry recognition within the energy sector. Eisha Mohammed, is a solar engineer in Mjimwema, a remote village in Tanzania.

She installs and repairs solar equipment, bringing electricity to many homes in her village.

She spent six months training to be a solar engineer at the Barefoot College in India, supported by UN Women and the Government of India. This is one of many that are making a difference in the lives of communities and a light to the women youth who are studying and aspiring to fulfill the same goals and bring solutions.

Let’s take our front row seats and bring “Light” to our livelihoods through the education, support and spreading the green energy conversation into action.

CONTACT MENTHER MAGAZINE TO BE PART OF THE RENEWABLE POWER INITIATIVE: Email: info@menther.co.za

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MENTHER WELLNESS

Wome n Nutrition and wellness for

in leadership

T

he year 2022 started with a bang and it looks like it is going to just fly by as it leads us into new frontiers.

These will require skill-full leadership where leadership is the ability to adapt the setting so everyone feels empowered to contribute creatively to solving the problems.

Qualities of a leader • Integrity • Delegation

Kholeka Mkhize

• Humility • Vision • Compassion • Empathy • Accountability • Transparency • Confidence • Grit • Creativity A leader that has most of the above qualities has the ability to empower the team sufficiently to reach one goal. A leader should lead by example as part of the team in any organisation, business and at home. Nutrition plays a pivotal role in leadership; a leader who eats well is able

to focus throughout the day and remain on top of the game.

Women in leadership should start by teaching their families how to eat well, especially their children. Children are like the team at work, they need a leader and act on what they see, therefore giving them these tools at a young age will help them develop good habits as they grow.

Taking care of business and positively contributing to the growth of the business is important, however that can’t be achieved while neglecting one’s own family and health.

In this society we are judged

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MENTHER WELLNESS by our families’ behaviours, we care to provide for our families financially and should equally (if not more) care about their health, so ensuring that they’re well cared for should be the start and the results will be replicated in other areas of life. A good leader (leading by example) will always reap excellent results wherever placed. A balanced diet is therefore necessary which is one that contains carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables, fruits and water which can only be achieved by eating a variety of food throughout the day divided in six meals. The main meals are constituted by breakfast, lunch and dinner while inbetween these meals, a snack is important to keep the body’s energy constant.

A balanced diet in conjunction with good exercise helps the body utilize the food adequately and to keep fit; therefore; it is important to choose what is eaten wisely to get the ultimate health benefit that maintains the body, mind and spirit on a daily basis.

Here are some examples of how to carry oneself nutritionally healthy to lead a healthy team:

1.

your water to make it taste great.

Make time to prepare

food Meals can be pre-prepared ahead of time especially meat and frozen until needed, so use the weekends and spare time wisely.

2.

Always eat breakfast It is the most important meal of the day as you “break” the “fast” to get energized in the new day.

3.

Snack inbetween meals Nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables keeps you full and provides vitamins and minerals needed by the body during the highest brain functioning times.

4.

Prepare a lunch box to

work Take-away food can be costly if eaten on a daily basis and may contain much higher salt, fat and calories which may lead to weight gain and lifestyle diseases.

5.

Carry clean & safe water to drink It is very important to keep one’s body adequately hydrated, therefore, ensure to have some water to drink throughout the day. You can also add fruits to

6.

Make time to eat with family Work will always keep one busy as it can often be never ending. Dedicate dinner time to eat with family so children can be taught what sort of healthy and enjoyable food to eat; table manners; how to chew properly and have good quality time with them to learn how their day went. Things learned as children become embedded within us to be executed as adults.

Childhood memories should be building and enjoyable.

7.

Purchase food enjoyed by the family Most people label healthy food as not delicious and expensive.

Make a grocery menu that covers everyone’s favourite healthy food and stick to it. Buy food high in fibre for gut health, fresh and colourful fruits and vegetables; legumes that can be added to stews; lean meat and low-fat dairy products. Limit sugar, salt/salty-spices and oil.

8.

Prepare food in the most delicious manner If cooking is not for you, try using recipe books which can assist with the cooking skills in order to make healthy food tastier.

Remember: “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, SO DON’T BE FAST, CHEAP, EASY OR FAKE.”

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MENTHER WELLNESS

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MENTHER RESILIENCE

Women in Leadership

By Wendy Chalmers-Mill “EQ in Leadership is a fundamental requirement”

L

eaders lead by example inspiring others to achieve their vision. Successful leaders are confident, honest and authentic.

They are not afraid to listen and understand other people’s points of views, collaborating with their management team and then having the insight to make inspired decisions and communicate them to the organisation with clarity and influence.

In other words, they tune into emotional intelligence sometimes referred to as emotional quotient (EQ).

increasing use of technology, EQ in leadership is a fundamental requirement. A leader without empathy, social skills, selfawareness, self-regulation and motivation does not set an example of how to influence sustainability and successfully

lead an organisation to thrive and grow.

Generally female leaders have more empathy (EQ) than there are male leaders. Male leaders with higher emotional intelligence and but most women leaders display more of this type of transformational leadership style.

By incorporating this style of leadership, the leader focuses on changing followers’ attitudes and beliefs and engaging them in a more emotional level rather than using a command and control style of leadership and just tell staff what to do.

In today’s society and with the

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MENTHER RESILIENCE An empathic leaders’ ability to see problems from other people’s perspectives makes them less selfcentered and more flexible in problem solving. A big part of personal effectiveness, including resilience, is selfcontrol.

Decades of psychological research show that from an early age, women display higher levels of self-control and emotional intelligence than men do.

Women’s brains are hardwired to focus more on feeling the emotional nature of things and on nurturing the emotional space. Men’s brains are more focused on hearing the emotion with a certain amount of detachment, and then turning it to find a solution. This is not a criticism; these differences naturally exist. There is great power in understanding this and that the objective overview and the empathetic reasoning together are a real strength in any business and its success.

In addition, women generally, are more open to enhancing their personal growth, self-control and innate strengths by using techniques which regulate their emotional state when they need to make decisions.

Embracing tools such as breathing, meditation, taking time out, help in managing their emotions and bringing more clarity to their decision making during conflict and other difficult situations.

Overall, women can carve a path to professional success by leaning into these skills and continuing to develop them.

Emotional intelligence is fast becoming a key indicator of success in organisations and is better developed with maturity.

Exceptional leaders excel at turning their vision into an actionable plan for change, and they are strong role models for their subordinates and followers.

Leaning into these valuable EQ skills can help women and organisations close the gender gap in leadership.

Top Ten tips for women in Leadership • Hone your emotional intelligence • Be passionate, energetic and enthusiastic complacency is your enemy • Understand your strengths and weakness and play to your strengths (not your weaknesses) …trust in your knowledge and abilities • Be of service to others, motivate and coach your peers for success • Support and offer training to your team to enable them to reach their full potential.

• Offer support not criticism • Find mentors, seek advice, surround yourself with people who believe in you • Look for opportunities to build your self-knowledge, skills and networks.

• Don’t compare yourself to others • Take care of yourself and your work-life balance

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MENTHER STYLING

HOW TO DRESS LIKE A BOSS

You don’t have to continue waking up every morning and dread getting dressed.

D

o you sometimes look at a well-dressed, confident woman and think; “How does she do it?”

Do you spend a lot of time thinking about how you’ve missed the mark on your style and what you wear to work every day, but have no energy to change it or don’t even know where to begin?

The first principle is understanding your shape. Look, I’m not about to tell you what kind of fruit you are (ever heard of the pear or apple shape?), because that’s just not how I roll. However, it will benefit you to understand which silhouettes are best suited for your shape so that you know what to wear

Here’s the thing, what we wear and how we wear it tells a story. It can either say; “Hey, I’ve kind of given up” or it could say; “I feel like a leader and I know where I’m headed”. I’d like to encourage you today by giving you some industry tips on how to dress for success. There are styling principles that, when put into practice, will work in every wardrobe and almost any style profile. I’ll be discussing three of them today.

when you finally deliver your presidential acceptance speech.

We all have that one dress we feel fantastic in and always get compliments on. I want you to analyse that dress; think about the design and the fabric choice and how it falls on your body. Does it hug your shape or accentuate a certain part of your body? Is it a specific colour that really suits you? Taking note of the elements of that dress (or item that gets complimented) this will really help you pin down which silhouettes work well on your shape and will help you to recreate similar outfits with different items of clothing.

Secondly, and probably my favourite of the three, is the principle of ‘sparking joy’. We all binge-watched ‘Tidying Up’ on Netflix (if you haven’t yet, go and

Virtual Stylist

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MENTHER STYLING check it out and it’s a pleasure). I think people are so impacted by Marie Kondo and her methods, because it appeals to that deep need within us to feel good.

Sometimes I work with clients who have completely lost the joy of getting dressed. It might have happened because they have extra weight after having a baby and don’t know how to dress their ‘new’ body. Often the restrictions of their jobs cause the frustration. Teachers have a million rules about what they are not allowed to wear or ‘more creative types’ find themselves in a corporate job and feel completely uninspired.

The good news; I can help you marry your ultimate style and your current season! The key; adding elements that ‘spark joy’ for you in your everyday styling choices. Love colour, but need to wear neutrals? Add creative scarves around your neck or in your hair or add a killer lipstick to your repertoire. You have to find things that spark joy for you and find appropriate ways to style them.

Lastly, I want to touch on the principle of vision. Leaders have a vision and they know what to do in order to see that vision come to life. If you don’t have access to a stylist like me, I would like to encourage you to make a styling mood board for yourself. You need a style vision! Source pictures of colours, dresses, textures and accessories that really spark joy for you. Try not to edit what you add - sometimes we disqualify things we really love, because

they seem inappropriate. Adding all the elements we love creates ample inspiration, helping us to find creative ways to implement them in our daily lives.

The moral of the story is that you do not have to live one more day feeling uninspired or stuck with your wardrobe. You don’t

have to continue waking up every morning and dread getting dressed. By applying the style principles above, you will make your ultimate style a reality!

We are all so uniquely wired. Understanding your shape, identifying your ‘joy sparkers’ and creating your vision will give you a clear styling direction that is not only interesting, but uniquely YOU. Still feeling stuck? Need someone to help you sift through what you have and help you decide on your style profile? I would love to help. Check out

my Virtual Styling packages or simply pop me an email and we can chat.

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Train The Trainer Mentoring Program WOMEN IN FASHION

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MENTHER TECHNOLOGY MENTHER STYLING

LEAD WITH STYLE

P

Building your very own look that combines your body, colour, and personality.

re-pandemic the most common outfit I saw in a women’s wardrobe was black trousers, a coloured blouse, perhaps a jacket and some heels.

When I asked why, why the corporate, ready to wear, selfinflicted uniform? I am often told; it’s easy, it’s comfortable, it’s practical and it will always be acceptable. It is a style, no doubt, BORING – same thing day in and day out, eish!

Nowadays, it’s a little different, my favourite outfit I see is leggings and a blouse or jeans and a top with a pair of sneakers. I may not be very

popular in saying this, but it’s time! ladies it is time for: 1. A splash a lip colour 2. Mascara everyday 3. Earrings make a difference

These little changes affect how you feel about yourself and how you feel when you look in the mirror. Simple things, but high impact.

Now let’s talk style. You can’t have style if you’re not sure what style is so here goes. Style for me is;

1 2 3

. know your silhouette, body assets and flaws, learn how to dress them. . know your colours, wear them close to your face. . most importantly, know how your personality and wear it every day!! Now that is the STYLE! CEO of Tweak n Style

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MENTHER STYLING One of the most valuable questions I ask a new client is, “what are 3 words that describe your personality, who you are at the core?” If they use this to help her build up her style.

It’s difficult to build or create our own style, if we don’t know who we are.

Write down your three words.

These words become the foundation to create your style. Every woman has their own personal style, there is no cookie cutter solution. That is the best part of what we do as image and style consultants. Building your very own look that combines your body, colour, and personality.

This is the magic equation to find your style.

Why style is so valuable for you as a leader?

You may not be a CEO or in management at a big corporate, but make no mistake, you are a leader. As a mother, as a sister, as a friend, as a colleague and as a proud woman, you lead.

Here are a few valuable tips you can introduce into your style.

Powerful colour:

Fucia, Turquoise and Peacock are colours that every woman can wear, these are not very popular colours in fashion, but there are ways to add them to

your style. Jewellery is key, lips always and of course, a scarf.

Elevation: I have spoken

much about elevation in the past saying that a heel elongates the legs, adds presence and power to anyone’s style as well as ensures the look is finished to perfection.

Truth be told, I am ready to toss my heels and be in flats for a while, but I will say some elevation is better than no elevation. Try some wedges for comfort or sneakers with a higher base – those are comfy and add instant personality and height.

Shoulders:

We can enhance shoulders in a few ways. Shoulder pads for sure, wider necklines and a good neck piece all aid in widening your shoulder lines. I must also mention deportment, the oldfashioned walk with a book on your head is outdated, but valuable nevertheless as good posture makes all the difference in putting confidence in your stride. Slumped shoulders are an indicator of bad body language, your body is saying I am less than, that’s without saying a word. For those who struggle with this issue, masking

tape is fabulous. Train your shoulders to be squarer by running a stripe down your spine and across your shoulders.

If you do this while standing upright, as you slouch the tape will pull causing you to be more conscious of your posture. It may be uncomfortable at first, but as you go your body will adjust and in time you won’t need it.

Remember, it takes 7 days to kick a habit and 21 days to form a new one so every time your shoulders curl down you will automatically correct – the tape is a mere reminder. This is also helpful when working from home, to help you take note when you’re slouching over your laptop too much.

In the same way that leadership is a choice and a discipline you can grow in, so is style a choice. We choose to walk tall, we choose to smile more, just as we choose the pieces we put on our body. Choose clothing, shoes, jewellery and makeup that makes you feel amazing every day. Kick start your day, confidence and leadership with clothing that makes you smile when you look in the mirror this will; boost your inner strength, ensure a powerful presence and guarantee you look like the amazing leader you already are.

Janine Starkey CEO of Tweak n Style Visit: www.tweaknstyle.co.za

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MARCH 2021

LAUNCH EDITION

JUNE 2021

YOUTH MONTH

OCTOBER 2021

MENTAL HEALTH EDITION

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#04

DECEMBER 2021

DECEMBER

SOCIAL IMPACT EDITION

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EDITION

MENTHER RESOURCE

ACTIVIST TO ENTREPRENEUR The role of social enterprise in supporting women’s empowerment

Less than five per cent of OECD members’ aid budgets go towards projects that explicity target gender equality and women’s empowerment, and of this only 0.5% goes to women’s rights organisations. The median income of women’s rights organisations is just $20,000.

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MENTHER RESOURCE

READ REPORT

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MENTHER RESOURCE

Building Women’s Businesses in South African Township Economies A View On Intersectional Approaches to Entrepreneurial Support The Gender Deep Dive: Building Women’s Businesses in South African Township Economies: A View On Intersectional Approaches to Entrepreneurial Support takes a closer look specifically at the support provided to women entrepreneurs in township economies. It is based on desktop research, data from the Ecosystem Snapshot, and in-depth interviews with entrepreneurial support

organisations. We asked them about their reasons for focusing on women entrepreneurs, their approaches used in doing so, and which approaches have worked particularly well. The report describes how townshipbased women entrepreneurs face a double set of intersecting and mutually reinforcing challenges - those inherent in being township-based entrepreneurs; those inherent in being women entrepreneurs;

and those specific to the experience of townshipbased women entrepreneurs.

The report provides a loose framework of ESO approaches used in supporting women entrepreneurs, categorised according to which set of challenges they take into account. It concludes with key recommendations for the ecosystem, directed at ESOs, donors, and researchers respectively.

READ REPORT

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Our Contributors Thank you for coming together to make this possible and for the work you do to support and empower women

Alice Dlamini (Leadership) International Speaker and women in leadership development consultant Advocate Aurelia Nxumalo (Legal) CEO of Bliss | Director at Meraki Legal Co- Founder of Learned Friend and The Professionista www.theprofessionista.co.za www.learnedfriend.co.za @aurelianxumalo Candice Pillay (Strategy) SWOT YOURSELF - Finding your strength in every opportunity Kelebogile Molopyane (Technology) Chief Executive @ AB4IR www.ab4ir.org @KelebogileMolopyane

Vimbai Schwalm (Relationships) Trust Builder and Coach - Healing With Trust Vimbai Schwalm Mona Willis (Styling) Virtual Stylist www.wearejona.com moh_nah Ntombenhle Radebe (Cover Feature) Business Development Manager Janine Starkey (Styling) CEO of Tweak n Style www.tweaknstyle.co.za janine@tweaknstyle.co.za Wendy Chalmers-Mill (Resilience) Positive Performance Training and Development

Kholeka Mkhize (Wellness) Dietician / Nutritionist kholeka-mkhize Neo Enzel (Sustainability) Solar Energy Solutions www.solectric.co.za 45

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