PEOPLE - ROBUST MAGAZINE SITS DOWN WITH NTOMBI LANGA-ROYDS
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR



The Murray & Roberts Holdings Board is the highest governing authority in the Group and is ultimately responsible for corporate governance. The board integrates strategy, risk, performance and sustainability in approving the strategic direction of the organisation.
The board consists of eight non-executive directors (NEDs) and two executive directors and Robust Magazine spoke with three of the NEDs about leadership, success and taking risks.

WHO HAS HAD A POWERFUL IMPACT ON YOU AS A LEADER AND EXECUTIVE? HOW AND WHY DID THIS PERSON IMPACT YOUR LIFE?
The person who has had the greatest impact on me as a leader and executive was a man named Mr. Arie van Der Zwan. He unfortunately passed away in 2003. He was my mentor, friend and big brother, since I was 17 years old. He taught me a lot of what I practice today in terms of how to conduct myself as a leader as he not only was an exemplary leader, he lived it. He believed strongly in the goodness of human beings, and that everyone needed to be given a chance, regardless of their race, gender, sexual preference and all the other “isms” we live with today. The late Dr Zack De Beer introduced us one day over coffee in his home. He told me that Arie was one of the best human resources executives he had ever had the privilege to work with, and he advised I should stick close to him because I would learn a lot. I must agree that Zack was absolutely correct. I think if I had not met Arie and taken Zack’s advice I would not have followed a career in Human Capital. I would probably have landed up in Advocate Chambers giving multiple opinions.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LEADERS AND ORGANISATIONS TODAY?
I believe that one of the biggest challenges facing leaders and organisations is the appropriate use of Human Capital in an environment where the world of work is rapidly changing. These are some of the questions that need to be carefully considered:

What are the jobs that will be available in the next 10 years?
What are the kinds of skills, attributes and competencies that will be needed?
What will the true impact of artificial intelligence on Human Capital be?

In the South African context, leaders need to engage on the social impact of the current state of affairs in our country on all fronts: political, economic and social. This is especially so because of the things that have gone on in and around our country over the last few years, including the state of the ethics and integrity of our corporates, the political turmoil we are going through, the lack of focus on environmental, social and governance matters for sustainability and transformation, to mention a few.

Simply put, South African organisations and therefore their leaders, have a lot to contend with, and I strongly believe that the profile of the successful leader in a successful organisation in South Africa has been significantly altered. It is certainly no longer business as it was in 2000 or even 2010 for that matter.


WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF CAREER ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED?
“Never stop learning and applying what you have learnt because education is not an end goal it is continuous process, as a girl never let any man stand in your way”. That is what my late father Humphrey Malesela Langa ingrained in me.

He told me that he could never give or leave me material things; he was after all a political exile for much of his adult life so had little or no material possessions, but that he would give me an education which no one could ever take away from me. Today when I make decisions, especially in my career and life in general, I always measure their efficacy against that benchmark.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST RISK YOU’VE EVER TAKEN AND DID IT DELIVER THE RESULT YOU EXPECTED?
I walked out of a top global job. I literally picked my handbag up and said: “When you boys are ready to deal with a black woman of my calibre, call me and I will consider whether I want to assist or work with you.” I did that in a full time job and I have done that as an NED as well. I do believe it has delivered the results I expected.

I can truly say and feel, I am not indebted to anyone and that I sleep well at night.

My journey in life has been about doing my best to give others a chance, and I do not believe that if I did not hold the value base I have shared above, I would not be able to fulfil this legacy. So, yes, I do believe these risks and others have given me the expected results.

WHAT ARE YOUR DAILY HABITS FOR SUCCESS?
First and foremost, spiritual grounding, so daily prayer is essential. In addition, I try to stay healthy, therefore eating properly and participating in reasonable exercise form a part of my daily routine. I love Zumba by the way; it is for me a wonderful way to get a full workout and also have fun. I guess it is because I love to dance. I walk in the various big walks quite frequently too; it is a great way to meet people. I also do a lot of reading which I find helps me to relax.

Success is an individual thing and can really only be defined by the person seeking it. Mine is to make every effort to give as many people a chance, as is possible, because primarily, I was given a chance too. I am forever grateful to all those that have believed in me and to God for making certain our paths cross.

PEOPLE - ROBUST MAGAZINE SITS DOWN WITH EMMA MASHILWANE
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR






WHO HAS HAD A POWERFUL IMPACT ON YOU AS A LEADER AND EXECUTIVE? HOW AND WHY DID THIS PERSON IMPACT YOUR LIFE?
I have been fortunate to have a lot of different mentors in my career who took a keen interest in my goals and supported me directly or indirectly by connecting me with the right people to ensure that I achieve my goals. It is a bit difficult to isolate one particular individual.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LEADERS AND ORGANISATIONS TODAY?
The world is changing at a rapid pace and there is often so much risk with limited time to juggle a lot of responsibilities. It can be daunting to prioritise and make sure the important things are done. With these pressures comes the challenge of ethical leadership and staying true to one’s values.

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF CAREER ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED?
“Stay TRUE to yourself no matter what challenges you might encounter, challenges will always be there but remember that they never last.”

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST RISK YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN AND DID IT DELIVER THE RESULT YOU EXPECTED?
After many years in the professional services industry space, I took a leap of faith in 2018 and starting my own audit practice, MASA Risk Advisory Services. It has been a difficult journey but certainly rewarding to see the firm growing from strength to strength. We have managed to secure employment for 20 professionals who work tirelessly to service our clients who have taken a huge risk to support a start-up audit practice like ours.

WHAT ARE YOUR DAILY HABITS FOR SUCCESS?
A daily dose of the bible and prayer keeps me in check and gives me an opportunity to reflect on how best to manage the daily challenges but also just to pause and be grateful for all the blessings.

I am a workaholic so daily exercise helps keep me focused and energised.

I also try and read regularly to stay informed and abreast of local and global news and developments that may impact how I conduct myself as a professional and to ensure that I am agile in my approach to servicing my clients and executing my various responsibilities as a NED.


PEOPLE - ROBUST MAGAZINE SITS DOWN WITH DIANE RADLEY
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR






WHO HAS HAD A POWERFUL IMPACT ON YOU AS A LEADER AND EXECUTIVE? HOW AND WHY DID THIS PERSON IMPACT YOUR LIFE?
So many people I could not possibly choose one. I find I am most developed and impacted by people who believe in me and give me opportunities beyond my own expectations of myself. I was once told by Dr John Maree, previous CEO of Eskom, that I should also acknowledge that when I work for poor leaders they probably develop me the most as I am required to develop skills beyond the norm to deal with these difficult people. And there have been many times when I have had to remind myself of the many skills that poor leaders and difficult people help me develop. Every person you meet and work with gives you the opportunity to develop new skills, no matter how few, and this increases the tools in your tool box to handle all the many new jobs that will come your way.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LEADERS AND ORGANISATIONS TODAY?
More than ever leaders and organisations need to adapt, change and grow and do so more rapidly than ever before. Technology is constantly changing the competitive landscape and early adopters of technology, which often involves changing mindsets, (we all know change is difficult!) are most often the winners. The way you run your business must also change to access agility and innovation. Too often organisations try to build innovation solely inhouse, which makes them slower than competitors. This increased use of outsourced services, especially in areas of technology, where organisations can access innovative solutions but can also change service providers when they cease to innovate and perform satisfactorily, will grow. As these skills are no longer built inhouse, it may drive the development of expert skills outside of the organisation, increasing risk which will need to be managed. People and skills, particularly in South Africa, are challenging as we look to build skilled, transformed and diversified workforces comprising individuals that trust and respect each other and are confident in their roles. We need to create working environments that challenge and reset natural biases to build a more accepting society.

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF CAREER ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED?
Play the ball and not the man. As a woman, I do tend to get more emotionally involved in addressing challenges and when it involves hard discussions with people I tend to bring compassion and my “helping” side into the discussion, which is not always helpful! By focusing on the issues and not the person, it enables one to address the facts and the issue rather than the emotions of the person and you often end up being more fair to the person. As a leader, it also enables you to deal with your own feelings and not end up second guessing all your decisions. Leaders are, after all, human beings too!

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST RISK YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN AND DID IT DELIVER THE RESULT YOU EXPECTED?
I did not realise it at the time, but when I made the decision to leave my awesome role at PricewaterhouseCoopers and join Altron as CFO, I probably took the most significant risk of my career and family life. Statistics showed that partners in the profession did not make a successful transition into commerce. I was a woman entering a very patriarchal business environment, just had a second baby and my husband had been retrenched. I did not have the financial resources to manage a failed career move. It does reflect my approach to life, where I go, where opportunity and excitement leads and have confidence that I will deal with any obstacles or challenges as they arise. It was a wonderful move for me in developing my leadership skills and having the opportunity to learn from passionate and engaged colleagues and founders, and I formed some life-long friendships in the process.

WHAT ARE YOUR DAILY HABITS FOR SUCCESS?
I believe that if you look after yourself you are better positioned to look after others. So I take time to be kind to myself, forgiving myself for mistakes and not dwelling too much on disappointments. There are many mental health challenges resulting from stress and anxiety in our environments, so it is important to look after your mental well-being as well as your physical. It costs nothing to be kind to yourself and others and it generates enormous returns. I also believe that you can never over-recognise. Not just at work, but to the cleaner who cleans the restroom you use at the shopping centre or your husband who lets you sleep in after a late night flight. Taking time to be thankful and appreciative grows your own sense of self-worth.