In honour of the legacy of Nelson Mandela – one of the greatest leaders to walk the Earth – Good Work Foundation (GWF) recently held its first-ever Mandela Month Talks session, where we brought together some of our inspiring youth leaders to discuss the concept of leadership and its impact on young minds
Participating in the session were Ntsako Jane Mandlazi and Fumani Mathumbu.
Ntsako, GWF’s Bridging Year Academy manager, and Fumani, the Hazyview campus manager, shared their thoughts on what it means to be a leader, the influence of GWF on their personal growth, and how their understanding of leadership is helping to shape the next generation of leaders in their community. Here’s what they had to say ...
Note: the conversation has been lightly edited and abridged for the purposes of our article.
Ntsako: Hi, Fumani. It's great to sit down with you and talk about something so close to our hearts – leadership. Let's start with a brief introduction for those who might not know us. I started as a student in 2014 and have grown with the foundation ever since. What about you?
Fumani: Hi Ntsako, it’s a pleasure to be here with you. I joined GWF as a facilitator in 2016 and since then I’ve fallen deeper and deeper in love with our mission here and with the impact we have on young people.
Ntsako: Leadership is such an important part of the impact that we, as a foundation, are having on our young brothers and sisters. For me, a good leader is someone who constantly wants to empower others by transferring knowledge and skills. It's about giving selflessly, being open to continuous learning and always seeking improvement. How do you define leadership?
Fumani: Well, I see leadership as an opportunity to guide others towards a common goal while being humble enough to remember that you serve the community and are not above or more important than its members. It's about you creating a space where everyone feels valued and can contribute their best.
Ntsako: Absolutely. I've been influenced by many leaders, but one who stands out is our former head of programmes and campus operations, the late Maria Awogu. She had a unique way of handling difficult conversations with empathy and empowerment. And, of course, Nelson Mandela is also on my list of people showing exemplary leadership. His spirit of forgiveness and unity is something I strive to embody as a person and a leader.
Fumani: Tata Mandela is indeed a profound example. His resilience, integrity and ability to unite people from diverse backgrounds are qualities every leader should aspire to.
My grandmother, Dinah Mthambini, also taught me a lot about leadership through her patience and acceptance. As a leader in our family, she raised us with compassion and allowed us to figure things out at our own pace so that we could better understand our strengths and weaknesses, which is something I benefited from a lot.
Ntsako: She must be so proud of how far you’ve come with everything you have learned from her. As youth leaders, we need to listen to those we lead and ensure they feel heard and valued.
Fumani: That’s so true. At GWF, we see this every day. We help shape future leaders by providing them with the necessary skills and knowledge that they can use to better their lives. From teaching young children to preparing school-leavers for the world, we’re on a journey of development with them. The young people here are so creative and have their own unique ways of arriving at solutions when given tasks to complete.
It’s really fulfilling to see them come back here and share how they’ve applied what they learned to improve not only their lives but those of their families, too.
Ntsako: GWF empowers young people to find their spark and, once they do, to dedicate their talents to uplifting others. It’s about building a chain of community service-focused individuals who are eager to make a positive impact.
Fumani: Definitely. And by uplifting others, we ensure that the legacy of great leaders like Mandela continues. We especially want to see those who come after us taking charge and helping to create a better future for the coming generations.
Ntsako: And that’s basically the essence of leadership – creating that ripple effect of positive change. As we continue to grow and learn, we must remember to pull others up with us. Thank you, Fumani. I enjoyed listening to your thoughts on this topic.
Fumani: Thank you for joining me in this conversation, Ntsako. Hopefully, it does not end with us. I’m looking forward to seeing GWF invite other voices to this platform to share their views on topics like leadership. Until then, let's keep inspiring and nurturing these leaders of tomorrow. It is our own little way of honouring Madiba's legacy.
