Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook and author of ‘Lean In’, says “there will be no female leaders; there will be just leaders” and challenges women to focus on closing the “ambition gap” by “leaning in” instead of holding back.
The search for a time when leaders will be identified only by their roles and not gender is getting more frantic, what with the green shoots seen in various roles and sectors.
Across the world, universities, thought leaders and authors are firing on all cylinders or keeping their feet on the gas pedal as Sandberg would say to produce top women leaders.
Strathmore University, a regional trainer with a presence in eight cities including Nairobi, through its B-school, has chiselled a number of executive education programmes, some targeting women.
The university end of November 2021 recognised nine recent women alumnae of its executive education holding top jobs in Nairobi and other regional cities.
In a full-page advert in the upmarket Business Daily newspaper published by the Nation Media Group in Kenya, Strathmore honoured the nine for breaking the glass ceiling. The alumnae used the space to share how they have kept breaking the barriers to the point they are now key decision-makers as chief executives, entrepreneurs, directors, and vice-presidents in key organisations.
Rita Kavashe (pictured above), the Isuzu East Africa managing director, who has been in the automotive industry for 26 years, went for Strathmore’s Effective Director Programme. Among other roles, she chairs the BAT Kenya board and the Kenya Roads Board and sits on the advisory board of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, the umbrella of private enterprise in Kenya.
Phyllis Gachau enrolled for the school’s Women Directors Leadership Programme. The head of corporate affairs and investor relations at Transcentury Group, she says her journey is anchored in three philosophies: curiosity, passion, and diligence. Phyllis, who serves on the strategy committee of East African Cables board, is challenging the rest to show up. In Kibera, she chairs the board of Little Rock ECD Center.
Betty Korir, the chief executive of Credit Bank, is also an alumna of Strathmore’s Women Directors Leadership Programme. To aspiring leaders, Betty says the secret is in putting in the hours, continuous skills improvement, and speaking up. “Don’t be shy to put your ideas across,” she says.
Sarah Karingi, the CEO and director of Sarma Holdings Limited and the Queens Network Africa, enrolled for the Owner Manager Programme. Known as the queen of networking, Sarah believes in connecting brands. She has been the director of hospitality at the United Kenya Club and the national chairperson of Global Business Roundtable.
MP Shah Hospital CEO Toseef Din, an accounting and finance authority with more than 19 years experience, who went for Managing Health Businesses Programme, says she is “passionate about employee and patient safety” while boosting access to care.
Nancy Matimu, the MD of Multichoice Kenya, registered for the Advanced Management Programme and Programme for Management Development. She says: “I have continuously challenged the status quo by continuously developing skills and competencies, honing relevant and unique tranferrable skills across functions.”
Nancy is challenging younger women eyeing corner offices to invest personal development and master adding value “with a mark of distinction and excellence”.
Equity Group’s director of customer experience Seema Dhanani, an alumna of Senior Management Leadership Programme, is transforming customer experience one individual at a time in effort to “spread the CX gospel”.
Before the Equity role, Seema was the head of customer experience at NCBA Group.
Aggie Asiimwe Konde, the Agra vice president for innovation and delivery, was at Strathmore for the Global CEO Programme. At her desk, she leads the Agra team that supports, develops, implements and reports progress on more than 500 catalytic grants, technical assistance and capacity building in agriculture in 11 countries.
Stanbic Bank Uganda’s Emma Mugisha, who is the executive director and head of business and commercial clients, registered for the Effective Director and Women Directors Leadership Programme. Boasting 20 years of banking, she has had a presence in global markets, business banking coverage, micro-finance, corporate and investment banking and client solutions.
Across the world, as people keep conquering various mountains and breaking career and leadership glass ceilings, the warning is that hurdles mutate, making the climb a continuous race. Women, especially, have been warned against playing the gender card if they were to become leaders of influence and impact.
“If someone believes they are limited by their gender, race or background, they will become more limited,” says Carly Fiorina, the former HP chief executive who wanted to become the President of the US on the Republican ticket in 2016. She has warned women: “Don’t think of yourself as a woman in business.”
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