Back in 2017, Nhlanhla Mbele, then principal of Groutville High School in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, joined the Leaders for Education (formerly Partners for Possibility) programme. What began as a professional development opportunity transformed how the entire school understood and practised leadership. 

Among those under his leadership at the time was a teacher named Nduduzo Ngcobo, who observed Mbele’s evolution firsthand. Years later, now a school principal himself, Ngcobo reflects on how Mbele’s growth shaped the kind of leader he has become. 

“When I think back,” Ngcobo began, “Mr Mbele was the kind of leader who didn’t compromise. It was either his way or the highway.” 

However, through his participation in the programme, Mbele began to rethink his approach. 

“He moved from just delegating work to developing people. He would delegate not to offload, but to capacitate us as leaders,” Ngcobo said. 

He recalls one pivotal moment. 

“Mr Mbele called me and my colleague, Simphiwe Gumede, one day,” Ngcobo shared. “‘There’s a Partners for Possibility workshop happening. Go in my place. You might benefit from it.’” 

At the time, it felt like merely an errand. Looking back, Ngcobo recognises it as a turning point. 

“That one day opened my eyes. We started to see that leadership was no longer the task of one man. It was the collective responsibility of a team.” 

From teacher to leader 

The shift in Mbele’s leadership began to influence every facet of school life. One of his most notable reforms was the introduction of the ‘Grade Head System’, a structure that gave teachers more responsibility and accountability. 

“A grade head was like a mini principal,” Ngcobo explained. “You’d be responsible for 400 or 500 learners. It forced us to lead, not just teach.” 

Teachers, even those new to the profession, began chairing meetings and taking initiative in ways that would have been unthinkable before. 

“We learned to think strategically, to make decisions, to see the bigger picture. It changed how we saw ourselves.” 

Over time, Groutville became an incubator for leadership. 

“So many people who worked under Mr Mbele have gone on to lead their own schools,” said Ngcobo. “Simphiwe is now the school principal of Groutville. Over ten of my colleagues from that time are in leadership positions.” 

Conscious leadership 

To Ngcobo, leadership is inseparable from life itself.  

“I grew up in a one-room mud house,” he shared. “Every time it rained, we’d get soaked inside. The only way I could escape that environment was through education.” 

Now, as the principal of Stanger Heights Primary, he sees himself in the learners who arrive each day carrying the weight of similar struggles. 

“Some of them come from homes where there’s hunger, where there’s no one to push them. If I can be a better leader, they can benefit and maybe escape poverty too.” 

So, when the Leaders for Education reached his district, Ngcobo joined without hesitation. 

Leadership as a shared practice 

As Ngcobo settled into his own Leaders for Education journey, he was reminded that leadership is not a solitary pursuit. It flourishes in community and diversity. 

 “In the past, school principals were mostly older men, and it was hard for women to get these positions. Now I see young, passionate teams who are already working in ways that benefit society. They don’t just complain, they act.” 

He tells a story that illustrates this proactivity: “At our school, we built a guard house using small donations,” he said.  

“A fellow school principal asked me how we did it, and he started the same project at his school. That’s how we work. We don’t wait for things to happen; we make them happen. We share ideas, we act.” 

This spirit of collaboration and cross-pollination lies at the heart of Leaders for Education, where business leaders and school principals work side by side. It is a partnership that bridges two worlds, proving that the skills that grow businesses can also grow schools. 

“Sometimes we just focus on education,” Ngcobo admitted. “We don’t think outside the box. Having a partner from a different sector helps us learn how things are done elsewhere and how to bring that into our schools.” 

Sustaining the change 

Despite big ambitions, Ngcobo prioritises efficiency and careful stewardship of what he has. 

“I want to learn how to better manage what we have,” he said. “If resources come in, that’s a bonus. But the goal is to learn to run the school efficiently, even without extra funding.” 

When asked to distil his Leaders for Education journey so far, he simply said: “When the school principal grows, everyone benefits. The learners, the educators, the community, they all feel the impact.” 

From a single awakening to a network of leaders finding their voice, Mbele and Ngcobo’s story reminds us that leadership rests not in systems, but in people. In the years ahead, the next generation of leaders will trace their beginnings back to Groutville and Stanger Heights — places where leadership began not with power, but with purpose.