Citizen Leader lab, a Public Benefit Organisation that develops leaders in the public and private sectors, celebrated the conclusion if its Leaders for Education cohort in Tshwane 

The Leaders for Education programme pairs public school principals with private sector leaders for 12 months. School principals benefit from enhanced confidence and leadership skills, while business leaders learn by navigating the complexities of the South African public schooling system. The cohort grew in leaps and bounds under the guidance Dr Mariette Myburgh, a seasoned Transformation Strategy Advisor, Life and Executive Coach and Mediator. 

In the presence of colleagues, Department of Education district officials and the Citizen Leader Lab team, the participants shared how they were able to develop their own leadership skills, collaborate effectively and ultimately apply these learnings to improve their schools and workplaces. 

The principal of Hoerskool Staatspresident C.R Swart, Susan Theron, said that her the Leaders for Education experience has helped her ‘’function as a better leader’’. 

‘’The programme has changed the way I listen and communicate, specifically with my School Management Team (SMT). I have been able to impart the leadership skills I gained to them. This has empowered them to be involved in decision making at the school, where as previously, they were not used to this. This has fostered new-found respect and appreciation for each other,’’ Theron said. 

Theron was partnered with Beverley Ngoako, a Control Room Manager for EKS Vehicle Tracking. The business leader said that she relished the opportunity to extend her professional network. She added the programme has also allowed her to bridge the ‘’disconnect between herself and her subordinates’’. 

‘’Being here allowed me to meet people from different industries. As a female leader, I admit that sometimes I feel isolated. Here, I became part of group of leaders I knew I could always lean on. 

I have also learnt that as much as I want to achieve my professional goals, showing empathy for my team is key,’’ Ngoako explained. 

The pair, together with the school’s teachers and learners, were able to establish a vegetable garden to supplement the school’s government-run feeding scheme. 

For the principal of Mapenane Secondary, Lydia Moseki, the Leaders for Education workshops helped her learn the art of effective delegation. 

‘’I have planted a seed of working independently. My team now feels confident to do this because I am able to delegate,’’ Moseki said. 

Moseki’s business leader partner, Brendan Fernandez, feels he has been able to ‘’leverage the strength of his partnership and the entire cohort’’. 

Fernandez, who is the Founder and CEO at Graf-in Tech, said: ‘’The whole experience was very practical – from gaining listening skills, understanding the importance of showing appreciation and including all voices. My relationships with my team, customers and even my family have vastly improved.’’ 

As a School of Specialisation focused on STEM subjects, Mapenane’s learners are always eager to apply their knowledge of mathematics and science to assist vulnerable community members. 

Moseki explained that Fernandez contributed to the school’s latest project to improve the lives of the blind. He also was instrumental in setting up a dashboard to monitor the school’s academic progress. 

‘’The learners came up with the SMART Blind Stick, with has sensors to help the blind navigate their environments. They also created ‘Goggles for Gogos’, which also has sensors to detect obstacles. The dashboard is data-driven, which allows us to drive improvement in the pass rates,’’ Moseki said. 

Johan Kleu, an Executive Head at Momentum Health, elaborated on his ‘’biggest leadership lesson’’ during his 12-month journey. 

 ‘’In the corporate sector, I can easily control resources, including access to human resources. Being on the Leaders for Education programme, I realised that I had to work ‘through’ my principal partner, not ‘over’ her,’’ Kleu said. 

The business leader worked with Rabia Nuruddin, the principal of Laerskool Generaal Beyers. Together, they focused on four areas of improvement at the school: Obtaining buy-in from the School Management Team, infrastructure improvements to make the school more functional and attractive, and instilling values in the learners. 

Martha Gladwin, the principal of St Annes Primary, praised Citizen Leader Lab for the platform it provided to develop her own and her fellow participants’ leadership skills. 

‘’I regarded myself as a good leader, but after this programme, I now believe that I am great leader. Referring to Citizen Leader Lab’s tagline, I do believe that we have Learned, Acted and continue to Become great leaders,’’ Gladwin expressed. 

The celebration concluded with words of gratitude and encouragement from Citizen Leader Lab’s Regional Manager for Gauteng, Audrey Jones. 

‘’Leaders for Education is successful because it takes active citizens, like you, to collaborate across sectors. With this spirit, I believe we can shift the dial in our country. I encourage all the school principals and business leaders of this cohort to continue to work together beyond the formalised programme,’’ Jones said. 

About Citizen Leader Lab  

Citizen Leader Lab, a leadership development and support Public Benefit Organisation, is dedicated to creating resilient leaders in both the public and private sectors. Our vision is Leadership that builds a better future for all.  

We offer a variety of programmes and workshops that work towards large-scale social change in South Africa, that empower individuals to be effective leaders and change agents in their communities. With over 14 years of experience, we continue to grow our presence in the education sector and extend our influence into critical public sectors, promoting cross-sector collaboration, active citizenship and social cohesion.