Friday 9 December 2011

UCT Allan Gray Academic Prize entry 2011

I got a rather interesting email three days ago:
"Your overall academic performance this year has put you in a position of eligibility to apply for the prestigious Academic Awards sponsored by Allan Gray. The top prizes are worth up to R25 000, so it is well worth taking the time to enter this competition. Note that if you are a winner of one of the prizes we will let you know on Tuesday 13th December and you will be invited to receive your award at the Ceremony at 17h30 on the 14th December."
And so I decided that I might as well give it a shot. Here is my response to the two questions that were posed: 

Q1: What are the qualities of an excellent leader and describe the experiences that have contributed to your leadership qualities?

An excellent leader is someone who leads not only by their words, but also by their actions. They live out what they tell others to do, without having double standards. They set a high standard for themselves and strive for excellence, but are also transparent and honest about their humanity and able to confess their failures and shortcomings. They live a life of integrity and those who follow them trust them with ease. An excellent leader is a visionary who can share their vision through their contagious passion. They inspire those around them and take time to build relationships with their followers. They are not aloof, but approachable. They support those under their leadership when they fail and encourage them to learn from their mistakes.

An excellent leader mentors people who show potential and spends time investing in those who may take over from them in the future. They enable their followers to develop new skills and to grow. They also allow others to stand on their shoulders and rise higher than them. An excellent leader is someone who is willing to both teach and learn. They never lose sight of the big picture and always keep in mind their objectives and goals. They provide a good structure which others can depend on, but allow for flexibility when needed. Finally, an excellent leader is able to laugh at their mistakes and see the lighter side of things. They bring humour at appropriate moments and draw out the best in those around them.

During school I was given a number of leadership opportunities, including being House Captain, Head of Orchestra, Head of Christian Union and on the SRC. I was also involved in leadership in church and community service. Retrospectively, I realise how often I fell short as a leader and that I failed to acknowledge my mistakes. I always believed that an excellent leader was one that set high standards for themselves and held to them constantly. Consequently, I pretended that I did not struggle and I covered up my faults. However, during my gap year I had the privilege of being under very inspiring leaders. Chris and Sarah trained and led my team on service opportunities around North and South America. What immediately drew me to them was their openness and honesty. They did not pretend to be perfect, but readily admitted their struggles and asked for support. I was amazed by how much this made me respect them.

They inspired me to be more than I ever thought I could be as an individual and a leader and I have aspired to put what I learnt from them and others into practice in my various leadership opportunities during university. I have subsequently worked with the youth in my community and in the Transkei; mentoring younger girls and running life-groups, amongst others. In addition, at UCT I was a class representative, tutor, society committee member and project leader. Throughout I endeavoured to always go above and beyond what was expected of me. I am so grateful for the inspiring leaders who helped me grow to where I am now, and I continue to seek others from whom I can learn and with which I can share what I have learnt.

Q2: What should business leaders be doing now to make the most of the world in 2021? 

One of the most important assets of a business is not the products or services, but the people. Thus the most important thing that I think business leaders should be doing now to make the most of the world in 2021 is to develop the promising young people connected with their business through mentorship and internship programs. They need to identify those with strong leadership potentials. These young people should not be seen simply as future leaders, but as current leaders. This is because the ability to lead is not determined by one’s rank, position or seniority, but by the way in which they inspire and impact others. As such, the identified young people need to be mobilised in their potential and given the freedom to lead in a way in which they can learn and grow from their mistakes. They should be given the opportunity to lead alongside established business leaders and to both learn from and teach them. Through this, business leaders can instil good values and leadership skills in those who will be shaping the business world in 2021. 

1 comment:

  1. I really love the way you portrayed the image of a leader in a very different light Sarah. I think this is such an amazing opportunity and leadership is something that you should strongly consider in your work field, as you would be a great asset. Good luck with future opportunities and keep it up.
    God bless !

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