Mantsika Matooane

Topic: Leadership in turbulent times

The turbulence of global pandemic has affected every area of our lives at a global level.
Most economies are already reporting significant contraction, as business leaders confront a
health crisis and the business impact of wide-ranging pandemic lockdowns.
This session explores three leadership dimensions that we believe leaders will have to
navigate to create ‘breakout strategies’ for their businesses; At personal level we discuss
whether leaders can carve out time to reflect, even within the turbulence. For female leaders
in particular, the work-from-home assumptions for increased time discount the additional
stresses and demands of combined home and work responsibilities that limit time for
reflection. At organizational level, I will argue that leaders have to identify the inflection point
to delegate the survival strategy, in order to focus on building the ‘breakout’ opportunity. At
national level, we explore how closed borders and limited travel contribute to making our
business environment ‘smaller’, at a time that African Leaders in particular will have to carve
out connections and growth with a ‘developmental approach’ to business.

Mantsika is a tech entrepreneur based in Johannesburg. She is an experienced business leader  and chairman of board IT Committee for Nedbank Group and chairman of JSE board risk committee.  Mantsika read for a PhD in Computer Science at University of Cambridge, UK and completed MBA and Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching from Henley Business School.  Mantsika sees a part of her role as a corporate advisor to develop talent hence devotes her time to coaching young executives.