"Dear Miss Zwane We regret to inform you that your application has been unsuccessful".

I have probably received these more times than I could ever possibly count. There have been many doors which have

violently shut in my face, leaving me uncertain and even questioning who I am as an individual. It's easy for rationality to

be overshadowed by the overpowering natute of fear and self-doubt.

What adds salt to injury is the fact that there are more rejections to come; that is an inevitable part of life. I have no

control over that, but what I do have control over is how I respond to rejections and that

defeaning 'No'.The first thing that needed a re-arrangement was my perception of a 'No'; do I allow it to become an

insurmountable psychological jail-sentence in solitary confinement or do I use it as a trampoline to give me the height

(not that I'm in need of any more height) I need to achieve greater things? A 'No' should not act as a deterrent but as

stimuli; stimuli that fuel your commitment to achieving your goals and a source of emancipation of your energy. It

should invoke, in you, a willingness to use setbacks as a means of catapulting yourself to an even greater yes.

Making mistakes and not getting the kind of response you would have hoped for initially, are central to one's growth and

wisdom. Mistakes are like our own pretty scars which add colourful embellishments to the pages of our lives . Great

leaders have earned their stripes , they bare the scars of the chosen. To be great, one must also abandon one's comfort

zones- nothing worth writing home about ever happens there. With this, comes a propensity to err, but past 'Nos' should

not deprive one from trying again. A lecturer once said to me, "Zwane, our greatest set-backs give birth to our greatest

successes". Through my SAWIP journey, I am finding this to be so true. It's ohkay to fall. Regardless of how many times

I fall on the outside, what matters most is how many times I got back up on the inside.

My first and most significant accomplishment was learning to walk. Humans fall over 400 times before they're

able to walk, 400 times. If I could find the courage to stand up after every fall and try again, what prevents me from doing

it now? We are born with an innate ability to overcome adversity... So all those times I fell on my backside and still

continued to try and walk are so profound in understanding my ability to overcome 'Nos'. Baby me was on to

something....

There is one unifying factor for ensuring co-operation amongst countries and that is their mutual desire for certainty. We as individuals operate on the same premise as we yearn for direction. Subsequently, we as a populace right or wrongly so, also bequeath our leaders with this task of providing this much desired certainty. ‘VUCA’, coined by the US army War College in the early 1990s to describe what the world would be like after the Soviet Union’s collapse, stands for: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. More than ever, it feels applicable in the contemporary global environment as testament by the outcry for direction.

The month of May marked a period in the world when millions of people went to the polls (India, South Africa and so forth) to decide on whose direction they want to guide them through this ‘VUCA’ interim. This got me to thinking; can we honestly outsource uncertainty and wait for direction from outside before we undertake our own journey? - Definitely Not.

Instead of opting by default for the easiest options of either inertia or outsourcing to politicians (and waiting on them to provide direction) we should rather strive to live as we have ‘certainty’ while remaining causes of excess confidence. Only then will we not feel succumb by the ineptitude brought forth by ‘VUCA’. We need to empower ourselves with the knowledge that uncertainty is a sine quo non our time on earth. With the acceptance of the inevitable ‘VUCA’ we open the way for a direction of your own choosing. Getting going, uncertainty is no longer an excuse for inaction.

Week two of the SAWIP journey focussed on leadership values and ethics. Nigel Bailey’s workshop essentially left team members with messages in groups of three. Three-Cs and BEE: Caring, Confident, and Composed and Build, Elicit, and Express (not necessarily in this order) respectively. Nigel’s workshop focussed on these two simple principles as ingredients of balanced leaders. The Three-Cs explanation follows below, while Elicit and Express refers to key characteristics for building relationships. Through one’s eliciting, prompting, and encouraging others to express themselves while carefully listening to them, one has the opportunity to build a relationship with them.

April was a significantly challenging month for me as I found myself in some hot water. The circumstances over the course of the month tested the Three-Cs of Balanced Leadership. Let me first provide a brief explanation of what the Three-Cs entail.

When a balance between being caring and being confident is realized we find that caring leaders respect others, know the needs and rights of others, and are humble when needed. Similarly, with this balance, confident leaders respect themselves, know their own needs and rights, and assert themselves when necessary. The crucial ingredient that helps maintain a balance between these polarities of care and confidence is composure. I would argue that composure is dependent on striking this balance between being caring and confident, as well as balancing one’s concern for himself with his concerns for others.

My composure has been radically tested over the last few weeks. This was particularly the case due to an imbalance in my confidence and care. Being tested by a situation that was very new, yet very personal, resulted in my being overly caring and somewhat lacking confidence with regard to the outcome of the trials that came my way. It is the ideal time to remind myself to be confident, and that no matter how big the situation is, the storm will pass. Tough times will not endure, but the balanced individual will.

It has been roughly 6 weeks since I began my journey with the SAWIP. In this time I have been, challenged, taught, inspired, introspective, shaken and driven. It is for these reasons that I think SAWIP is something we all need, especially something that the youth of South Africa need.

University only awakens certain aspects of your person, while SAWIP has awoken much more.

SAWIP has challenged my ideas and caused an intellectual awakening within me like nothing I have experienced before.

SAWIP has taught me to view an issue through many a lens instead of the one-sided approach that I would have take before.

SAWIP has inspired me to ensure that whatever I do, I do to change South Africa for the better.

SAWIP has caused me to become introspective to the extent that I question my motives whenever I am faced with a challenging situation.

SAWIP has shaken me, it has brought me out of my comfort zone and has pushed me to grow.

SAWIP aims to drive me toward my goals and dreams.

It is for these reasons and many more that I believe the SAWIP to be something special and something that each young South African could use in their lives.

In South Africa we are consistently reminded of how valuable human life really is. This reality check is provided without prior consultation and most often happen when you least expect it. In the book “Bring my Machine Gun – From Mandela to Zuma”, the author, Alex Russell, correctly emphasised that lawlessness and fear remains the most terrible legacy of Apartheid to date. I fully concur with this. Our ideals of a peaceful society remain steadfast, yet 20 years on we still hear unacceptable stories of daily acts of violence. News coverage portrays it, yet it is only when these reminders strike close to home that we are once again forced to reflect on this indictment.

Fortunately for some these reminders only strike now and then, for others, it is a consistent reality. A reality in which the line between peace and violence has become so distorted, that the violence have merely been accepted as the status quo. Yes, crime is terrible. Yes, violence is unacceptable. That much we agree on. What remains disputed is what exactly withholds us from collective action to stand-up? More introspection on this is required. Perhaps this is testament to lack of leadership in civil society? Maybe we have become too complacent to still be startled. I seriously hope this is not the answer. In the past, citizens removed an oppressive regime based on their eventual realisation of a shared recognition for humanity. If they were able to achieve that given the limitations, surely we can foster mutual respect for humanity? It must be possible.

Despite these numerous reminders I remain now, more than ever committed towards realising a South Africa at peace with itself. We as change agents ‘in training’ have a tremendous task ahead of us. Yet, I consciously chose to be optimistic, there is just too much abundance of good all-a-around to not believe that it could be possible. We have freedom. Now it’s time for peace.

This week’s session focused on social entrepreneurship and how the traditional business model is not perfect. The way in which competitive markets are structured, put greed above social and environmental factors. It got me thinking about innovative ways in which business can put social and environmental friendliness above profit.

Profit is general defined in business as the revenue leftover after the cost of manufacturing a good are covered. Quite often the leftover revenue is paid to the owners of the business and whatever is leftover is reinvested into expanding operations. However profit as traditionally defined is not really profit or surplus revenue. There are environmental and social costs that exist which are often not taken into account when the products are manufactured.

In economics, the external benefit or cost transferred in the production process is called an externality. An externality can be both positive and negative. In an industry where there is an external benefit, the government will often subsidize the costs in order to further the benefit to more of the population. For example, the government often subsidizes educational costs as the benefits of an educated labour industry is greater than the costs.

For a negative externality the government will regulate the industry through pigouvian taxes. The costs of producing the goods cannot be shown in accounting terms, the people and the environment will however experience these externalities. For example, a factory that releases polluted water to a drinking water dam is a form of a negative externality. Companies will often ignore these costs while a community faces the severe consequences of drinking polluted water. The mere acknowledgement of these costs will limit the dividends paid to shareholders and also possible funding to expand operations.

Surely then, profit is not simply a matter of generating surplus revenue without considering the environmental and social costs. A new business model is slowly making inroads to the mainstream economics. This model will ensure that profit is not a mere financial gain but also factors the environmental and social benefits. Therefore, we need to define real profit is the sum of the financial, environmental and social benefits. The three factors can no longer be looked upon independently, theses three factors will be key to sustainable growth globally.

On Wednesday, 7^th May 2014, for the first time in my life I had the right to vote for a party which best represented my wishes for the country. I savored every moment, from the time I woke to the cold touch of the voters marking pen. It seems that nearly every South African had a similar experience that day. In fact over 70% of registered voters cast their ballots on May 7^th, the largest number since 1994. It seems that the ‘born frees’ came out in their numbers to support the democracy in which we live.

One would think that these ‘born frees’ would be substantially better off than their parents. It would be expected due to the fact that these children had the opportunity to grow up in a politically free South Africa. However, this is not the case. In my previous blog, Freedom Day, I outlined that political freedom has not come with economic emancipation. It is for this reason that I believe the youth of South Africa are voting not to entrench democracy but rather to indicate their desire for a more inclusive economy.

There is no doubt that South Africa is a wealthy country. Although many of our people live in abject poverty on the converse a minority live in excess luxury. It is with this understanding that the youth have voted and their votes have determined which political parties will have the biggest sway in the 5 years to come. Whether these party’s will carry the mandate of the youth is as of yet unclear. Nonetheless one can be sure that the youth will have a larger role to play in the future of this country.

Being a middle-child means that standing up for myself is something I mastered quite early in my childhood. I did not

grow up having someone who fought my 'battles'; I was often the General, the Commander and the Soldier of my own

army. One particular memory I have is bringing a bully (who was 4 years my senior) to his knees after months of

terrorizing a classmate. I guess, if I were a super-hero, I would probably be Xena warrior princess.

Growing up, my parents insisted on not abiding by society's ideals in terms of what is appropriate for a girl-child. I could

always be found playing cops and robbers, hanging upside down from the jungle gym or wrestling in the sand-pit. I took

great pleasure in winning contests of physical strength, especially amongst boys. I'd roar and beat my chest in delight.

Our home was always a place for debates; and there was always an interest in my opinion and giving me the platform to

express it.My father and I would debate for hours, even till the next morning; if I had something to say, I made sure he

heard it. I picked out my own clothes and took charge of the aspects of my make-up which would inform my indentity. I

even insisted on travelling on my own to and from school; the idea of being dependent on someone to drop me off and

pick me up later did not sit well with my ego. My parents gave me the space to do this; I suppose they recognised my

need to feel in control of my life-even at only 9 years old.

Conventional gender-roles do not exist in our home. My brothers do the cooking, sometimes I clean the yard and take

the bin out. If the door needs to be unhinged, or the tap screwed on tighter , or even the walls painted -my mother does

it. Through how things ran/run at home, the lesson is to always defy norms and do things even if they're conventionally

reserved for males. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my parents raised me in a way which did not force me to

become a docile woman, or one who conforms to conventional gender ideals, particularly in a country as traditional as

South Africa. They have always respected my judgement and have always allowed me to make my own decisions. They

don't raise their eyebrows when I tell them I'm not interested in having children or even marriage for that matter.

I have always likened myself to fire, and now that I'm older, I'm learning to channel my fire in such a way that it does not

burn everything in its path. I'm learning that not everything is a conquest or an opportunity for me to stand over an

opponent spear in-hand.

South Africa today is one of the most unequal societies in the world. Despite massive advances encouraged by our Constitution in the areas of civil and political as well as socio and economic rights, our country remains deeply unequal- often, something which is most evident through the parameters of race and sex. South Africa’s failure to achieve greater income equality is reflected by its Gini Index which has deteriorated from 66 in 1996 to 70 in 2008. Perhaps a figure which can put this into context is that the top 10% in our society makes 110% more than the bottom 10%.

All of these things are of course bad for the natural progression of society, and the tangible realisation of Constitutional entrenchments guaranteed in the 1994 promise. Moreover, there is no doubt that the resources of the earth are rapidly deracinating. By 2035, there is expected to be a 50% jump in the demand for energy sources as the population increases.

A question which should be on the mind of everyone is “how do we solve these problems”? The gap between the rich and poor is must be reduced and finding new and cleaner energy resources are fundamentally important for the survival of our way of life. At a SAWIP session this week, a solution to the above problem came in the form of social entrepreneurship. Essentially what this is, is an attempt to pursue innovative solutions to social problems, with the particular aim of creating and providing social value through sustainability. Whist conventional business entrepreneurs measure their performance in terms of profit and return, social entrepreneurs measure their return through a positive return to society. But, is the mandatory condition of social entrepreneurship- something which was proposed at this session- the solution to our problems?

The economist, Milton Friedman, famously noted that “[t]he world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests”. The profit motive is something which is fundamentally interlinked with human nature. Businesses exist because they are self interested and wish to make a profit. For the most part, that is why they exist!

Now all of this doesn’t of course mean that labour protection shouldn’t apply to workers (as some seem to suggest); nor does it mean that those large businesses which use massive amounts of the earths resources should be taxed and penalised for their actions when they pejo0rativley affect persons and the environment. But the salient consideration here is whether a system of mandatory social entrepreneurship will work for South Africa.

I am of the opinion that the answer is a resounding NO! When business, especially small business- something which is fundamentally deficient in South Africa- are told that their existence is mandated on the policy belief that they must do social good in their aspiration of profit, I am more than convinced that most would not even give the idea of starting a small business a second thought. As the National Development Plan notes, South Africa’s economy suffers from a “missing middle”, that is, businesses that employ between 10 and 300 workers. The report notes that inspiring a growth of this “missing middle” is fundamentally interlinked with encouraging start-ups, and small businesses. The effect of all of this is that job creation, and a thriving middle class cannot be realised. When businesses are told that their existence must conform to a government policy of do social good, or be gone, I am convinced that they would accept the latter. The corollary of this is that income inequality, particularly in developing economies will expand, and those at the bottom will continue to scramble for the crumbs.

100 metres to decide… 50 metres… 20 metres to decide. I’m at the door… they’re colouring in my thumb. I still have a few minutes to decide. Wait, there’s the ballot. Let me read all of the party names to give me more time to decide… Bushbuckridge Resident’s Association? That’s a party? The process could be delayed no more; I had to choose, for the first time, who I could trust to represent me.

On the 7^th of May, I voted in an election for the first time and the importance of the act weighed heavy on me for a very long time. People had fought for decades for the right to vote and it is not something that to be taken for granted. I faced the struggle that I think many young people face in that I have no particular affiliation to any party. I am not free of political inclination; it is simply that, after reading the various party manifestos, a vote for any of them seemed like a compromise of my beliefs. I didn’t spoil my ballot, if that’s what you’re thinking, instead I voted ‘strategically’ in an attempt to strengthen our multiparty democracy. However, I take issue with the fact that many voters could not vote for a party that they trusted to represent their beliefs because they did not think that such a party existed. This was the basis of the ‘No Vote’ campaign and while I believe that people should exercise their right to vote, I can fully understand the frustration of feeling that no party deserves it.

This week the Gauteng SAWIPers had a session with Mr Nic Wolpe. The son of Harold Wolpe, an Apartheid activist, Mr Wolpe is the CEO of the Lillies Leaf Trust. He specifically told the team about the importance of remembering and learning from history, emphasising that, unless history and the humanities are brought to the fore, we will never find harmony in the ecosystem that is our complicated society. After the session, I started to wonder whether some of the representational problems South Africa is experiencing could be put down to a loss of history.

When I speak of a loss of history, I do not mean that we don’t learn about it at school or that there aren’t monuments commemorating amazing people and prolific events, rather I mean that the way our history is represented means its true lessons are being lost in translation. As Erwyn pointed out in the session, we commemorate Madiba by putting his face on bank notes and we name streets and buildings after struggle leaders; I think that while these acts remember the people, they do not honour their message. For me the struggle was a multi-racial battle for equality and a sense of community. It was not about individual gain but rather about the greater good and objective right. The best way to honour the messages of visionaries is through our actions and I think that our current politicians may have lost sight of that. I sometimes feel that public servants have forgotten that they are meant to serve the community, and not themselves; more importantly though, I think they overlook the fact that there are countless examples of ‘balanced leaders’ in our history (from Mandela to Luthuli to Sobukwe) for them to follow.

When Madiba is relegated to pieces of coloured paper that only the privileged possess and our past leaders demoted to labels on maps, it’s difficult not to be disenchanted. I truly believe that the needs of the present society can be directly linked to past from which we came. Perhaps if politicians partook in an exercise of memory, they would be more in touch with the needs of their people and voting wouldn’t have been such a stressful affair for me.

Over the past few weeks, I have been feeling so overwhelmed by the sheer generosity of family, friends, and people in general. When I say generosity in this context, I think of two things.

Firstly, I have experienced generosity from family and friends who have so freely shared their congratulations and well-wishes for being selected for the SAWIP Class of 2014. Believe me when I say it took a while to explain to each person who wanted to know more about this prestigious opportunity, what SAWIP actually is. But I would honestly explain everything over again because the genuine support, encouragement, and congratulations that I have received from family, friends, and family friends has been and still is invaluable to me. I feel so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such special people, and I would like to thank you all for all that you do.

Secondly, I have experienced the generosity of people who have parted with their hard earned money and sponsored me as a part of my personal SAWIP fundraising. The personal SAWIP fundraising was the part of the program that I was most nervous about. This was mainly due to the fact that I find it difficult to ask for sponsorships. Consequently, fundraising is not my favourite things to do. That being said, raising R7000 is a requirement for the program and, accordingly, I had to face my nervousness and send out a few very well worded emails.

Within a week, I was staring at my laptop screen, completely speechless, reading an email that confirmed payment of a donation. How incredible! The thought that someone supports my SAWIP experience to the extent that they are willing to make a donation is overwhelming. How can I say thank you enough? To those who have so generously donated, I can only hope that sharing my SAWIP journey with you as it enfolds will be enough. Thank you for your continuous support and, more importantly, thank you for allowing me to take part in a life changing experience.

On Saturday, 3 May 2014, the SAWIP 2014 Team had the wonderful privilege of visiting Solms-Delta Wine Estate (Solms-Delta). We were taken on a tour around the farm by Sana, who is the chairperson of both the Farm Committee and the local community choir - Music van der Caab. Listening to Sana’s personal account of how her farm has changed over the last few years was very special. Already, it was clear that the things happening on this farm are different. Better.

After the tour, we sat down with Solms-Delta’s CEO, Craig MacGillivray, who explained how Solms-Delta came to be the place it is known as today. It was so amazing to learn about how Solms-Delta has transformed over the past few years, and how this transformation has affected the people of Solms-Delta. Craig told us of how, when Professor Mark Solms first arrived, the farm was in a bad state and, he (Mark) was barely able to have a conversation with the farm’s workers in order to try and make things better. This was mainly due to their distrust of Mark.

This all changed after Mark and the farm workers learnt more about the rich history of the farm and, consequently, the history of the farm’s workers. Slowly a relationship between the farm’s workers and Mark, founded on trust and communication, developed. It became clear to Mark that part of the farm belonged to its workers, and overtime, a three-way ownership scheme was created. Now a community trust, with the farm’s workers being beneficiaries, owns one-third of the farm.

This trust, among other things, ensures the education of the children of the farm’s workers. Over the past few years adequate housing was built for the farm’s workers, an afterschool program for the children was started, and a permanent social worker was appointed. These changes highlight that the farm’s workers are the focus at Solms-Delta.

Great things are happening at Solms-Delta and it is all because of the focus and importance placed on the people who work there. Our visit to Solms-Delta showed me that more people, especially companies, should take social responsibility seriously. It really does work when people are the focus.

I'll never forget the day a lady randomly walked into my house. Her clothes were a bit torn. She asked

me if I don't have any old clothes for her. Initially, I wanted to say no, but I went to go and check. I gave

her the clothes that I hadn't worn in a long time. She asked me to make her a cup of coffee, I did that and

then she asked me if I had bread for her which I also gave her. She repaid me with a sweet, which to me

was so significant because she gave me the little that she had. We sat in silence; I sipped my tea while she

sipped her coffee and ate her bread. When she was done, she got up and thanked me and I walked her to

the street.

I wondered if her family knew where she was, and where her next meal would come from. Her gratitude

really touched me;she did not allow the fact that she did not have much to prevent her in showing

kindness towards me. That day will always be imprinted in my mind.

I suppose the greatest lesson I took away from that day was that irrespective of how small your gift may be,

we all have something to give to the world. Too often, we allow ourselves to adopt the misconception that

whatever we do for others needs to be of a material nature and also quantifiable. I feel like one needs to

one's self, "What is it that I can give to the world?" and not be fixated on the idea of "I do not have

enough" or "I have nothing". That idea is so limiting. We should approach servant leadership with an

abundance model- one which is informed by our abilities and all the things that we can do; instead of a

deficit model- one which is informed by our limitations and all the things which we cannot do.

In my SAWIP journey so far, I think I'm finally grasping the idea that I am enough. Just as I am. I have a

lot to give, I have a lot to share and there is something about me that will immortalize the fact that I once

walked this earth even long after my flesh has decomposed. I think we delve into an unfathomable realm

of servant leadership when we become inquisitive as to how we can be of service to the world,

particularly in a way which is embroidered with our own threads of authenticity.

It is wonderful to know that there is so much significance and value in even the seemingly "little" things

that I can do for someone else. In a world which is fixated on material wealth, it's the greatest act of

defiance. As I sit here, I know I'm enough. I am enough.

“Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward.”

Sometimes I feel like a bit a pessimist, so decided to write this blog with these words from Nelson Mandela in mind. On Saturday the Gauteng SAWIPers visited Lillies Leaf farm, Constitutional Hill and the Apartheid museum. When I first conceived this blog, I thought that it was going to be a comment on the fact that many of the horrific tales we heard at these historic sites are nearly identically echoed in today’s society. Around election time we tend to see problems-solution gaps around us, and so instead of going with the trend, I wanted to write about the triumphs South Africa has had, triumphs which transcend any particular political party or individual.

I’m going to focus on Constitution Hill because it is far and away my favourite place in Gauteng. It helped to inspire me to study law; it perfectly encapsulates our unique heritage; but more than anything, it is a stunning example of how far South Africa has come in the past 20 years. Constitution Hill is the site of the Old Fort prison, part of which has now been converted into the Constitutional Court. A tour of the Hill involves a tour of both the remnants of the prison and the brand new court – a trip into the past which helps visitors truly appreciate the present. The differences between our two governmental dispensations are exemplified in so many ways - the most obvious example is the austere prison, enclosed by peeling walls, juxtaposed with the vibrant, modern court design. But I don’t think it’s possible to visit the site without having some kind of personal realisation of the progress we have made.

In Grade 10 I visited the Hill for the first time, I was struck by the unconventional court structure. None of the wooden panels and Corinthian pillars you’d associate with a traditional court. This court was set out in a welcoming way, with views to the outside, colourful carpeting and cow-hide desks. It didn’t seem like a place of punishment, there was no oppressive atmosphere. For me this shows our new approach to the law – it is not so much a weapon for retribution but a tool to help the vulnerable.

Last year, I had the privilege of assisting at the National Schools Debating Championships which were held in Johannesburg. Two personal experiences from Constitution Hill stand out. One evening, the Hill hosted a social for the schools debaters in the Women Jail. During Apartheid the courtyard of the jail was used as a church but was off limits to people of colour. As far as I know, a priest is buried under the courtyard and prison officials deemed it disrespectful to allow black prisoners to walk over his grave. However, 20 years into our democracy, over a 100 school children (from every race and walk of life) danced and laughed and sang in that very courtyard. It was previously a site of oppression, but on this night, the courtyard acted as a stage for the uninhibited joy of born-frees. The second instance took place on the final day of the tournament. The final debates were held in the actual court allowing the teams the opportunity to present their cases in the highest court in the land – a place usually reserved for the most qualified of legal professionals. This was able to happen because the court understands and values the importance and power of the youth. In 1976 young people took to the streets in Soweto because it was the only way to make themselves heard, now school children have been given the most revered stage of all to air their views.

While the SAWIP team sat in the square on Constitution Hill, laughing and eating pizza, forgetting that we come from different races, belief systems and economic backgrounds, I took a quiet moment to appreciate that this would have been impossible 20 years ago. It’s easy to get bogged down in our problems, but we have come a long way and sometimes you just have to take the time to stop and celebrate the triumphs.

Nigel Bailey’s session on Balanced Leadership was powerful, I think we all left the room having a sense of how we should become more balanced leaders within our circles of influence. Leadership is not a stagnant skill gift, like many talents we possess it is something that must be refined constantly through various crucibles.

The key is to take a balanced approach in how we lead and I would also argue “are led”. In the media we often see charismatic and confident individuals taking centre stage and being defined as ideal leaders. The facilitator argued that we need to find a balance between three key elements, these are namely: 1-Composure, 2-Confidence and 3-Caring. In order to be an effective and ground-breaking leader one needs to balance these.

I couldn’t agree more, in fact I recently experienced the adverse effects of losing balance. I told my peers in the workshop that my mentor reminded me to keep my feet grounded despite having achieved remarkable feat. As an individual who is continuously crafting his identity it is very important for me to be Self-Aware and understand when we I am losing my balance.

We assessed these three elements further and found that if one becomes too confident, it comes across as being domineering, and if one is too caring it comes across as being meek. I would like to say that I have mastered this, but unfortunately I am human and am fallible. The key is to pick yourself up when you lose your footing and strive to balance the 3C’s of leadership.

Lastly I believe that given the complex world we now find ourselves living in- a leader will be met by lots of pressure, we will be stretched because the knowledge economy we now live in and operate in is quite intensive. In order to succeed we must be able to keep our eyes on the prize, keep our feet grounded and strive to be balanced and be able to discern when we are giving too much.

This is what made those who colour our history pages indispensable- when faced with chaos they remained confident, in the face of difficulty they remained calm, and despite these strong attributes when it came to leading individuals they did so with care.

On September 11 of 2001 an earth shattering event took place in the United States of America. The North and South towers of the World trade Center were attacked by terrorists who highjacked a United Airlines flight. This is arguably was the height of terrorism in the United States.

After over 13 years since incident, the new tower which is called the One World Trade Center is edging towards completion this year. The building of the new did not happen overnight. The construction team took years of planning before they laid the first brick. Most importantly, the team took four years constructing the foundation with precision. The foundation is ultimately what holds the building from falling. This is the most important phase of constructing any building and most importantly when you are planning on constructing the tallest building in the Western hemisphere.

On the same note, I look at leaders today in society as tall building that always stand out among the people in society. Some leaders will rise up overnight and so quickly will they fall unnoticed by many. Most often some leaders fall causing loud alarms globally to the lack of leadership.

On the same note, there are leaders who stand out but not because they are above the rest of the people in society. Quite often they catch people by surprise for their unconventional ways of thinking. These leaders act with humility and grace, ensuring that communities have a voice and their needs are met collectively.

What values do these leaders have?

Honesty

Respect

Integrity

Selflessness

Compassion

They have a set of values by which they live by and most importantly they are loyal to the people and their cause. In all the works that they perform, they will never compromise their values. Most importantly servant leaders examine their motives and ensure that they are acting under the right impulse. In addition, as leaders they have the courage to stand for what they believe in order to make a positive change the world.

Looking at the One World Trade Center, everyone would be taken aback by the spectacular height it has and not the foundation that holds it. However, the without the foundation the skyscraper will not be able to stand tall. Like the one World Trade Center, servant leaders cannot stand without an ethical moral basis which they apply daily. They are the foundation upon which we can build a better world for all.

Requirements for making the most of opportunities: Commitment, endurance and grit? From the onset, most opportunities seem easy to adhere to, especially at the start when you are still infused with optimism and joy. Yet, it is when the ‘going gets tough’ when you are in the middle of that process of being tested (essentially being molded towards that what you can and could be), that’s when endurance becomes pertinent. It is only within that period of when everything simply seems too much, the most distressing period, this is when you are actually growing. If your motivation for for the opportunity have been in order to grow, the stressful period is actually testimony to the fact that your request is being fulfilled. It’s now been just over a month of being part of the SAWIP team, and with exams and academic deadlines lurking around the corner; time seems to be in short supply and commitments many. What to do?!What does it require of one in order to make it through? For me at least it can be summarised as having internal ‘grit’. Grit is defined as ‘a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual's passion for a particular long-term goal’. It might seem trivial, but the moment you lose track of your long term goal, when you run out of motivational fuel (the bare necessity demanded when times are pressing) that is when your require grit. It’s simply about keeping faith admits all the winter clouds. It therefore is pertinent to have a consistent internal reminder that the ‘sun’ is ever-present even though you’re not able to see it right now, it requires you to tap into the ‘grit’ side of life. Being tested? – checked. Remaining driven – checked. Growing? – Most definitely!

Transformation: The Dream Deferred…

Transformation: the dream of the idea that the inherently prejudiced system of apartheid will be flipped upside down to see the most oppressed becomes the most empowered.

What becomes of the Dream Deferred?

Transformation: The dream of the idea that we will work half as hard as our forefathers did and be remunerated twice as much.

What becomes of the Dream Deferred?

Transformation: The dream of the idea that the land which was taken from us whilst we closed our eyes and said prayers alongside missionaries will be restored to us either by Cadre deployment, divine intervention or nationalisation.

What becomes of the Dream Deferred?

Transformation: The idea that we will have to work and be innovative and supportive of each other – across race – to achieve sustainable and prosperous living amongst all South Africans, correcting the injustices of the past and affirming the hopes of our future.

What Becomes of the Dream deferred?

It was never to be a quick-fix solution. So we’re told. It is not meant to be manna from Heaven contrary to what we were told at the ballot box. It’s meant to be a tenacious process. A process where the ever so-patient masses linger on only to be disappointed, for now. Maybe it should be done differently. Maybe it should be redefined. Maybe we’re just fed up. Maybe we’re blind to the many ways in which we can achieve it; afraid to take the road less travelled and pioneer transformation in a new light. How much longer should we wait?

What becomes of the Dream deferred?

It explodes.

Today, Saturday the 26th of April, was the first of many excursions where the Team of 2014 had the opportunity to engage with the past based on history. It is said that, to know where you’re going, you have to know where you come from! As young individuals committed to steering South Africa towards a prosperous future, I must highlight the importance of today’s visit to The Slave Lodge Museum one day, incidentally, before Freedom Day. The injustices committed before (and during) Apartheid towards people were horrendous – the fact that individuals were packed like parcels in ships to settle and work in foreign lands, separated from their families, and sold like commodities leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. The price paid for centuries of injustice is far too great to measure. Identity lost, cultures stolen, future’s determined, condemned to a life where the choice between life and death doesn’t have a resoundingly obvious answer. It saddens me to think that whilst many of us look back in history and critique slavery as wrong, modern day oppression takes place right under our noses. However, something’s got to give. I feel a great sense of hope for our beloved South Africa in dealing with the complexities and multi-layered problems we face. Nobody said it would be easy. Nobody said it would be quick. For it is a long walk to freedom that has just begun. Yet as we walk into the Promised Land, one by one, leaving no stone unturned, we cannot truly enjoy the fruits of our labour unless we loose the noose and the shackles that bound us - so that we, both the oppressed and the oppressor, may sit around the table as equals. As children of this land. As people who are, above all things, free.

This past Wednesday-we had the honour of being facilitated by Reverend Peter Storey, he was the first Prison Chaplain to Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe on Robben Island. The session revolved around Ethics of Servant Leadership.

Firstly, I really appreciated this session because a lot of the time, as young Leaders we are told to focus on the vision, the mission and strategy. We tend to focus so much on these concepts that we neglect Ethical and Moral Based Leadership, which deals with striving to do the right thing and testing everything against ones values.

Reverend Peter Storey probed us to think deeply about the traits which enhance one’s ability to be a values based leader, we also had to tell the group about an individual who has played a pivotal role in shaping how one has crafted their journey within the sphere of ethical leadership.

After the session-I left with a sense of deepened knowledge on compassion, servant hood and lastly how to inculcate a sense of moral duty in all my doings. Rev. Peter Storey shared many anecdotes of leaders who rose through the ranks of society because they had a deep sense of understanding of what was needed on the ground, and who were not afraid of carrying out their roles because it was the RIGHT thing to do.

One inspirational story he shared was how when as President of the Council of Churches he had managed to galvanise all churches in signing a document and had approached Madiba to endorse their stance. Madiba asked him if he had got the support of a particular Church, and Rev. Peter Storey mentioned that he had not for obvious reasons. President Mandela then told him that he would not support their cause until he got support from all churches including the particular Church. This story emphasized doing the right thing, being inclusive and bridging gaps with individuals who have wronged us in the past. Even with those who may have hurt us-we must do strive to do the right thing…two wrongs don’t make a right.

I left this session feeling challenged. It heightened my ethical awareness and forced me to reassess my understanding of Servant Leadership.