Ubuntu and African Humanist Leadership approaches. Faye Ekong interviewed.

In this week’s episode, we talk to Faye Ekong about management approaches to leadership which are rooted in African experience. Faye tells us about the absence of African approaches represented in mainstream management and leadership.Faye Ekong introduces us to African Humanism, which embodies dignity, social harmony, coexistence and community. We talk about the importance of understanding historical, social, and cultural contexts within organisational policy, instead of importing a prescriptive Western model.We also discuss the discriminatory assumptions around compensation and legitimacy for service providers from the Majority World (or Global South). Faye highlights approaches which are grounded in humility, inquiry before judgement, and courage over comfort.Faye is the managing director of RWA. She has over 15 years’ experience in human resource management, organisational design, learning and development, coaching and employee engagement programs including at the executive level. She has worked with a range of global stakeholders such as government agencies, private sector corporations, and non-profit entities in Africa, Europe, Asia and North America. She is certified by the Society of Human Resource Management as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM - SCP)Motto: “Growth begins at the end of our comfort zone!”If you’re interested to find out more about Faye Ekong’s work, take a look here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faye-ekong/Faye Ekong – Ravelworks Africa Ravelworks AfricaRecent work:Embracing Ubuntu Leadership: Insights From Africa’s Informal Sector | HumentumRelevant resources:Mungi Ngomane (2019) Everyday Ubuntu, Transworld Digital.GLOBE Project - The GLOBE researchers developed the Culturally Endorsed Leadership Theory (CLT) that posits the importance of leadership being anchored in the social and cultural markers and nuances of a given context.Johann Broodryk (2005) Ubuntu Management Philosophy, Knowres Pub.Lerutla, M. and Steyn, R. (2021) ‘African Business Leadership: Perspectives from aspiring young leaders’, SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 19. doi:10.4102/sajhrm.v19i0.1467.