NKOSINATHI SOLOMON: The true mark of good leadership is worthy character

One of the reasons SA is not progressing as it should economically is the dearth of good leaders. We find ourselves in this position because we haven’t paid sufficient attention to the character of the people we have chosen in the past. Not only must we bear this in mind when we choose future leaders, but we also need to support them in developing the character traits that form the foundation of good leadership.

Academic theories set out three qualities as a prerequisite for a good leader: competence, commitment and character. While competence refers to the leader’s ability, commitment measures the extent to which his or her heart is in the job. But the fundamental and most important of these “three Cs” is character since it determines how the leader will go about doing the job. Yet it is somewhat nebulous and difficult measure objectively, and has been overlooked often in the selection of leaders.

Character is an embodiment or blend of a person’s traits and values, good or bad. Courage and a sense of fairness are good traits, while greed and jealousy obviously aren’t. Likewise, character could embody good values such as integrity and respect for others, or bad values such as dishonesty or rudeness. Good traits are often described as virtues.  

The concept of virtue is complex and has been debated since the time of Greek philosophers Aristotle and Socrates. They both spoke of the “virtuous state”. For Aristotle, this could be reached only by exhibiting moderation in nearly every aspect of life, and could be gained only through practise and self-control. For Socrates it was embodied in wisdom; he regarded wisdom as the all-embracing source from which all other virtues, such as fortitude, modesty, justice and prudence, flowed.

Lack of character, profusion of scandal

Our failure to treat character as a critical leadership requirement has led to several of the more recent corporate scandals. The global financial crisis of 2007/2008 was widely attributed to the greed and dishonesty of corporate leaders, as were the accounting frauds committed at Steinhoff and Tongaat Hulett. Another example is the state capture of our country by the Guptas and their acolytes under the leadership of former president Jacob Zuma, all of whom are alleged to have acted with greed, dishonesty and callousness. In each of these examples society has paid a heavy price for selecting leaders of bad character.

Academic research has shown that leaders of good character tend to be the most transformational leaders, as we have seen with the likes of Chief Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It has also shown that leaders of good character tend to run the most successful businesses.

The good news is that research has also shown that good character can be developed and moulded through early childhood development, education and, most importantly, through experience. One can thus argue that although leadership cannot be taught, it can be learned.

While I do not hold myself out as qualified to provide an academic treatise on leadership, I have drawn on my own experiences over 22 years of corporate leadership to illustrate what goes into the character of a good leader. I am grateful to my strict mother, whose own strong Christian values of honesty, respect and justice were instilled in me from a young age.

I grew up in a rural village in the Eastern Cape, and after my father’s untimely death when I was 10 my mother had to leave home and seek work in the city. Money was short, and I along with my five siblings had to become self-sufficient, independent, and responsible from a young age. This taught me to be resilient and hard-working, and to believe in myself, as I had no-one else to fall back on.

Character and accountability

I also developed a strong understanding of shame during these formative years, as if anyone in my village community did something wrong such as lying or stealing they were held to account. The older people in the village regarded it as their common responsibility to ensure that every child was raised according to the prevailing moral code, and if your parents were absent these elders took it upon themselves to discipline you.

There has also been a downside to my tough upbringing though — I learnt from several feedback sessions that my leadership style was overly demanding, perfectionistic and lacking in empathy. I have had to work on these shortcomings, and it is a part of my character that has matured during my leadership journey.

Like most others my career has been marked by highs and lows, and it is these experiences that have defined who I am as a leader. The highs have included graduating with an MBA at the start of my career and then learning from mentors and other leaders along the way. But it is the lows that have been the most character-building experiences. When I lost my job through a corporate restructuring I learnt the value of family support, and I became more sympathetic and empathetic towards others. The most important lesson I have learnt is that leadership and success are not instant. They need time to develop and mature.

Those aspiring to be good leaders will develop their character over time and through practise. They need mentors and role models from whom they can learn and whose conduct they can emulate. The leadership programmes taught at business schools must emphasise the importance of learning through experience and should include a compulsory course on ethics. We need to develop and nurture the character of our future leaders, as this lays a strong foundation from which they can grow.

• Solomon is MD of Rentokil Initial for Sub-Saharan Africa and chairs the MBA advisory committee at Wits Business School. This article is an adaptation of a speech he gave at Wits Business School’s “100 Minutes of Business Talk” in celebration of the centenary of Wits University in September 2022.