– by Ayanda Radebe
The management and leadership field constantly proves to be fast growing and requires a lot of change over time, and with that comes the adaptation to a new environment and acquiring new skills. At the UKZN Extended Learning open evening, we gave out bursary and discount vouchers in a lucky draw to empower some of our attendees. We recently invited these voucher winners to chat with them and help them enrol in their choice of studies.
Sabelo Wiseman Mbatha, founder of IT Solutions, won the Management Development Programme (MDP) full bursary. The MDP is designed to build your capacity to lead your organisation into the future by challenging your views about management, expanding your horizons, and enhancing your understanding of the relevance and role of managers today. The programme allows you to refocus, immerse yourself in the latest thinking about best management practices and provides personal and professional tools to strengthen your effectiveness as a manager and leader. Mr Mbatha shared that the programme is related to what he does in the IT industry, as it’s a field that is constantly evolving, more especially with the introduction to the 4th Industrial Revolution. This has brought about new technological advancements, and he continually has to adapt, from a tech point of view and he also has to assist his employees in learning to adapt to these changes. He also added:
“Even ways of working have changed post covid-19 where now I have to learn how to manage individuals who work in hybrid mode to make sure that everything is still effective, since I am used to the traditional way of managing employees.”
We also engaged with some of the other prize winners on the significance of management and leadership in today’s professional world. Khanyisile Nene (Clinical psychologist, founder of Khanyisa Holdings), won the 50% off any 3-day programme voucher and has an interest in enrolling on the High Impact: Women In Leadership programme. She expressed that there are so many challenges that women face in the space of entrepreneurship and it has always been her wish to help empower other individuals within her organisation. Emotional intelligence at the workplace plays a vital role in contributing to a peaceful and productive workplace. Being emotionally intelligent allows individuals to build relationships and resolve conflicts easily, further promoting self-awareness. Khanyisile also spoke about the huge effect emotional intelligence has in a working environment, and she mentioned that:
“When you are at work, you should be aware that you are dealing with a lot of personalities, some which may overpower each other and it is essential to be educated about such which can be obtained from the strong leadership skills.”
Zamaswazi Luswazi (Mechanical Engineer at Transnet), also won the 50% off voucher and is enrolling on the Effective Board Leadership: Technology, Governance and Strategy as it aligns with her sector of work. She expressed how corporate governance affects the productiveness of an organisation and as these laws constantly change, one needs to be well informed of such for an organisation to be effective. Zamaswazi further highlighted the importance of education at large when she stated:
“As individuals we learn until our final day of rest as you can never say you have learnt enough or you know enough as a human that constantly wants to progress in life.” It is important to continuously keep your mind stimulated, and it allows space for more growth personally and in many other aspects.
UKZN Extended Learning will be hosting its flagship Management Development Programme on the 26th of September 2023 and encourages all to register to upskill and empower themselves.
As UKZN Extended Learning, we are delighted to have such bright minds engage with us, having had provided the opportunity to assist in shaping a better future in their respective fields and careers at large. Through the constant positive testimonies, we are in no doubt that these courses will positively impact what we envision the world to be in the future, having produced such exceptional leaders.