Reclaiming Citizen Agency and Embracing a Leadership Paradigm Shift. (Paper Prepared by David Makhura, Principal of the OR Tambo School of Leadership, for the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation Drakensberg Annual Inclusive Growth Forum). 10-12 October 2025.

Greetings to President Kgalema Motlanthe and Mrs Gugu Motlanthe.

Trustees of the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation.

Ministers and leaders of various sectors present.

Sanibonani.

We see you all.

You are all leaders.

The Inclusive Growth Forum hosted by the third President of the Republic of South Africa and the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation has become an important platform for shaping ideas and influencing action on the economy and governance of our country.

This year’s forum takes place during an exceptionally turbulent period in global affairs.

The degree of uncertainty, volatility and geopolitical instability is increasing rapidly and causing major disruptions in economies and societies across the world.

At a domestic level, the advent of the Government of National Unity (GNU) following the 2024 elections created optimism that political parties would work together, despite their differences, to confront challenges such as economic stagnation, unemployment, crime, corruption, service delivery failures and infrastructure problems.

The GNU still has much work to do in proving that it is capable of turning the economy around and improving state capacity.

One does not need to agree with the GNU to appreciate that it must succeed if our country is to emerge from its current multiplicity of crises.

The 2025 Inclusive Growth Forum provides a platform to interrogate both global and national developments and respond with moral clarity and intellectual courage.

For my sins, I have been asked to share some thoughts on leadership and governance within the context of these profound changes that have shaped this year’s dialogue.

Surely, when all is said and done, leadership is everything.

Nothing moves without leadership.

And yet there remain many misconceptions about leadership.

What is leadership?

Why do we need leadership?

How do we shift the discourse from focusing on individual leaders towards building leadership capabilities among citizens, employees and members of organisations to ensure continuity and sustainable success?

1. The Question of Leadership in This New Era

When humanity faces enormous challenges or existential crises, we tend to look for a hero, a messiah or a strongman who can save us from destruction.

We lose confidence in our collective ability to find sustainable solutions to our problems.

The central proposition of this paper is that we need to shift the dialogue and mindset away from “the leader” and towards “leadership”.

This means moving from personalities to leadership as a concept.

It means moving from government to governance.

It means understanding that resilience and sustainability depend not on individuals but on institutions and systems.

Throughout human history, major transformation projects that relied on a single heroic leader or a personality cult have generally not survived beyond that leader’s tenure.

From emperors and presidents to revolutionary figures and charismatic reformers, many kingdoms and civilisations collapsed because leadership became dependent on an individual’s strengths and weaknesses rather than on institutional strength and effective governance.

We therefore argue that this age of heightened uncertainty, permanent disruption and multiple crises requires a paradigm shift.

We must move away from approaching leadership as a search for heroes or strongmen who will solve our problems while everyone else applauds from the sidelines.

Our assurance of a better future lies not in heroes or big personalities.

It lies in citizen agency.

It lies in embracing a distributed conception of leadership.

It lies in building capabilities among citizens so that every person can exercise leadership and responsibility within their own sphere of influence.

Leadership is one of the most misunderstood concepts.

It is often viewed as the exclusive domain of elites or those elected and appointed to positions of authority.

Yet there is a leader in every human being.

Citizens, community members and employees exercise leadership every day without necessarily recognising it.

They influence others, inspire people, solve problems and contribute to the wellbeing of families, communities and workplaces.

From the way we raise and educate our children to the way we govern communities and organisations, we must vigorously promote the moral idea that every person is capable of leadership.

Leadership is the ability to mobilise and inspire people to use their energy, time and talents to solve problems or achieve collective goals.

True leadership is about service and sacrifice.

It requires courage, conviction, humility and a willingness to learn continuously.

The real measure of leadership is not command and control.

It is the ability to build teams and inspire people to take action that benefits more than themselves.

Great leadership is about building the confidence and capability of others so that they too can step forward and lead.

The magic of leadership lies more in doing than in telling.

It is about:

“Leading by force of example rather than the example of force.”

Leaders must be willing to be the last to benefit.

Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last draws inspiration from the military tradition where generals eat only after their troops have been served.

Leadership is a science that can be studied and mastered.

Leadership skills and capabilities can be learned.

However, the best way to learn leadership is through practice and active participation in solving real problems in households, communities and society.

The tendency to view leadership as the exclusive domain of the “strongman” is rooted in traditions where authority and legitimacy emanate primarily from the personal attributes, character and charisma of individual leaders rather than the strength and culture of institutions.

While a leader’s vision, character and charisma are important to the success of an organisation, they are not sufficient to ensure long-term sustainability.

The shift towards institution-building requires investment in a broader talent pool and a mindset that sees every employee or member as a leader.

This enables organisations to thrive beyond the tenure of those currently at the helm.

Effective leadership transcends concern about personal legacy.

Its deeper concern is long-term sustainability.

During his first presidential visit to Sub-Saharan Africa in 2009, former President Barack Obama made a profoundly important observation:

“Africa does not need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.”

Little did he know that he was effectively encouraging Africans to return to the Ubuntu leadership principle.

Ubuntu shifts attention from the individual to the community, from personalities to governance processes, from pomp and ceremony to substance and impact, and from the reigning king to the resilience of the kingdom.

Ironically, the United States itself now finds itself wrestling with the challenges of strongman politics.

Strongman politics often emerge during periods of uncertainty when people seek certainty and security.

History is full of examples of leaders who positioned themselves as saviours while causing enormous damage to their nations.

Figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Idi Amin and numerous modern populist leaders rose to power through this approach.

Yet the strongman model carries profound risks and weaknesses.

It concentrates power in individuals.

It weakens institutional checks and balances.

It undermines governance.

The success or failure of a nation or organisation becomes dependent on the strengths, weaknesses, blind spots and whims of one individual.

When that individual departs—through defeat, death or downfall—the institutions they dominated are often left hollow and unable to sustain continuity.

There is no intergenerational success.

Consequently, there is no sustainability.

The paradigm shift from strongmen to strong institutions requires us to rethink leadership as a process rather than merely a person.

Leadership becomes a collective enterprise and a relational practice.

It involves setting an example through behaviour and culture, building talented teams and assigning responsibilities according to people’s strengths and capabilities.

It involves mobilising people and inspiring them to contribute their time, energy and talents towards a shared purpose.

Leadership is a team sport.

The leader is both captain and teammate.

The leader is expected to work hard, lead by example and inspire others.

Rather than dominating others or pretending to know everything, the leader becomes a host, organiser and coordinator of talent.

The task of leadership is to inspire everyone to play to their strengths while holding one another accountable, including holding oneself accountable.

Transformational leadership is about building a high-performing culture and a team guided by ethical values and moral ideals centred on the wellbeing of others rather than power and profit.

This approach emphasises institutional integrity, distributed leadership, continuity and ethical foundations.

Countries with strong constitutions, independent judiciaries and capable civil service systems demonstrate that institutional strength—not charismatic leadership—is what creates resilience.

2. Building Strong and Resilient Institutions: Lessons from Our Own Experience

The endurance and resilience of institutions during political upheaval reveal the power of institutional strength far more than the brilliance of any individual leader.

South Africa continues to feel the destructive effects of state capture.

Some institutions are still struggling to recover, while others have rebuilt themselves successfully.

For example, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) was deliberately targeted and weakened but has since recovered.

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) survived the years of state capture and remains one of Africa’s best-governed development finance institutions.

Eskom experienced severe disruption caused by criminal and corrupt interests but is now showing signs of recovery.

South African Airways (SAA) and Transnet faced similar challenges.

The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has successfully recovered from the severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

These examples offer valuable lessons.

The institutions that survived and recovered generally share common characteristics.

They possess strong governance cultures.

They have capable leadership teams.

They do not rely exclusively on a single leader.

Having an effective leader is important.

However, long-term success requires investment in institution-building.

Leaders come and go.

Institutions remain.

It is easy to disrupt the vision of an individual if that vision is not shared and embedded throughout the organisation.

Strong institutions require strong governance cultures and strong leadership teams at board, management and staff levels.

Effective succession planning becomes possible when organisations focus on leadership teams and collectives rather than strongmen and heroes.

Similarly, the reconstruction of Europe and Japan after World War II illustrates how societies can rebuild themselves through strong institutions.

Conversely, the collapse of many post-colonial states demonstrates that without institutionalising transformational leadership capabilities, leadership gains remain temporary.

3. Reframing Leadership Education and Talent Development

To move from focusing on leaders to focusing on leadership requires a rethink of both education systems and governance systems.

When we elect or appoint leaders, we are not surrendering our responsibility to lead ourselves.

We are simply entrusting others with an opportunity to serve.

Those in positions of authority should never assume they are the only capable people in society.

Citizens must continue exercising leadership and holding both themselves and their leaders accountable.

The age of uncertainty, volatility, ambiguity and constant disruption has profound implications for how leadership talent is developed.

We can no longer rely on linear planning systems or assumptions of long-term certainty.

New leadership capabilities have become essential.

These include:

Agility
Foresight
Adaptability
Ethical grounding
The ability to mobilise and inspire people amid uncertainty
The ability to lead when there are no clear answers

Leadership education has too often prioritised charisma, authority and vision while neglecting systems thinking, collaboration and governance ethics.

Modern leadership development should teach institutional literacy, promote collective leadership, develop ethical practitioners and embed accountability and transparency.

Universities, public administration schools and leadership academies must cultivate leaders who see themselves as custodians of systems rather than owners of power.

It is therefore proposed that leadership competencies should be integrated into both basic education and higher education curricula.

The Seven Leadership Domains

Accordingly, it is proposed that seven domains that shape leadership mindset, competencies and capabilities should be integrated into basic education, higher education, employee training and leadership development programmes across society.

First Domain: Leadership Is About Learning, Unlearning and Relearning

The best leaders are permanent students of leadership.

In a rapidly changing world, leadership responsibilities place enormous demands on those who lead.

Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, an artificial intelligence thought leader, argues:

“It became apparent to me that, due to the complexity of problems that face humanity today, those who do not know should not lead… those who do not read, should not lead.”

Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock, famously stated:

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

He further argued that:

“To survive and avert what we have termed future shock, the individual must become infinitely more adaptable and capable than ever before.”

Lifelong learning is no longer optional.

It is the only way to remain relevant.

Given the reality that artificial intelligence is fundamentally disrupting and transforming careers, meta-learning has become a survival skill.

Meta-learning refers to the ability to teach oneself, transfer knowledge across disciplines and remain humble enough to continuously learn new things.

The focus of learning is shifting from:

“What is the right answer?”

to:

“How do I find, evaluate and apply knowledge to the changing nature of the problems humanity is facing?”

Herbert Gerjuoy argued that:

“The new education must teach the individual how to classify and reclassify information, how to evaluate its veracity, how to change categories when necessary, how to move from the concrete to the abstract and back again, how to look at problems from a new direction—how to teach himself.”

The ability to learn, unlearn and relearn will become one of the defining leadership capabilities of the future.

Second Domain: Leadership Is About Building Resilience and Agility

Radical uncertainty does not only test knowledge.

It also tests the human spirit.

Young people today face rising levels of anxiety, burnout and mental health challenges.

This is not a side issue.

It is central to leadership capacity.

We need to teach and train young people to become resilient.

Resilience is not about being tough or unbreakable.

It is the ability to bounce back after setbacks.

Adaptability is the ability to bend without breaking your principles, to find meaning in adversity and to learn from mistakes.

Nelson Mandela captured this powerfully when he said:

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

And:

“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

Good leaders must learn to let go of excessive control and embrace collaborative leadership.

We need to cultivate emotional intelligence and intellectual agility.

This includes the ability to deal with fear, ambiguity and loss while maintaining cognitive flexibility.

These capabilities are becoming as important as coding, mathematics, relationship-building and business strategy.

What if schools taught not only algebra, but also mindfulness, reflection and stress management?

What if universities equipped students not only with professional skills but also with the inner toolkit needed to navigate crises?

Third Domain: Leadership Is About Cultivating Ethical Decision-Making and Moral Clarity

In an unstable world, ethical dilemmas multiply.

Artificial intelligence can create extraordinary efficiency, but it can also deepen inequality.

Biotechnology can cure diseases, but it can also fundamentally alter life itself.

The leaders of tomorrow must grapple with questions that are not merely technical.

They must also be morally proficient.

What should be the limits of surveillance in the name of security?

How do we balance national interests with global responsibilities?

Education must therefore teach not only what we can do, but what we should do.

We must cultivate ethical reasoning, empathy and a deep sense of interconnectedness.

Leaders should see themselves not only as citizens of a nation but as moral stewards of humanity and the planet.

The climate crisis and its implications for water, energy and food security are too serious to ignore.

Likewise, the hoarding of vaccines by wealthy nations during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed profound moral failures in a world that claims to value human solidarity.

Ethical leadership requires moral clarity, empathy and a commitment to the common good.

Fourth Domain: Leadership in the New Age Requires Digital Literacy and AI Proficiency

One of the greatest sources of uncertainty about the future is the speed at which digital transformation—and artificial intelligence in particular—is reshaping roles, responsibilities, workflows and leadership structures.

Digital literacy and AI proficiency have become survival skills.

Much like learning to navigate rough seas, individuals, communities and organisations must learn how to navigate digital disruption.

Countries, communities and companies that fail to invest significantly in digital skills risk exclusion from the digital economy and the opportunities it creates.

A critical leadership competency has therefore become the ability to guide organisations and societies through AI turbulence.

This involves:

Evaluating risks and opportunities.
Developing future scenarios.
Assessing options.
Designing strategies.
Safeguarding the future while circumstances change rapidly.

Leaders must become comfortable operating in environments where the target is constantly moving.

The ability to understand technology without becoming captive to it will be one of the defining leadership capabilities of the coming decades.

Fifth Domain: Collaboration Across Differences, Embracing Diversity and Building Bridges

Geopolitical instability thrives on polarisation, nationalism and division.

Future leaders must learn how to collaborate across differences in culture, religion and worldview.

They must become bridge-builders rather than division-builders.

Political parties must learn how to work across ideological divides in the interests of the nation and its communities.

Managing coalition governments in ways that advance national development goals is a leadership capability that all politicians should develop.

Consensus-building and the ability to rise above political differences are becoming essential leadership skills.

In our households, communities, schools and universities, this means creating opportunities for young people to engage with perspectives outside their comfort zones.

It means valuing dialogue over debate.

It means listening as deeply as we speak.

It means solving problems through collective intelligence rather than individual heroism.

The best leaders will not succeed because they are the smartest person in the room.

They will succeed because they inspire and organise everyone in the room to contribute their best talents and efforts towards solving problems greater than their own.

This represents a redefinition of leadership.

The leader is no longer someone who possesses all the answers.

The leader is someone who can unlock the collective potential of others.

Sixth Domain: Embrace Futures Thinking, Scenario Planning and Relearn the Art of the Long View

The discipline of futures thinking is the ability to anticipate multiple scenarios, imagine alternatives and prepare for the unknown.

This requires us to reverse the trend of short-term thinking that has become common in business and public life.

We must relearn the art of long-term thinking and embrace what Simon Sinek calls the “infinite game.”

In this context, leadership is no longer about having all the answers.

It is about remaining steady amid uncertainty, making decisions with incomplete information and mobilising people to search for new possibilities.

One of the defining leadership capabilities of the future is adaptability.

Adaptability works hand in hand with agility and resilience.

It is the ability to pursue objectives, navigate obstacles and overcome setbacks without compromising moral and ethical principles.

Charles Darwin is often credited with observing:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change.”

The world our children inherit will not ask:

“What did you memorise?”

Instead, it will ask:

Can you adapt?

Can you imagine?

Can you collaborate?

Can you lead with courage and integrity in the storm?

Can you embrace uncertainty and disruption as permanent companions?

The true task of leadership schools and talent development institutions is no longer to prepare leaders for predictable, hierarchical and control-driven organisations.

Rather, it is to empower leaders to navigate the storms of uncertainty, disruption and geopolitical instability.

Seventh Domain: Cultivating Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability Is Crucial for Human Progress

Education, training and leadership ecosystems need to shift towards building climate-resilient infrastructure within low-carbon economies while simultaneously leveraging green and digital technologies.

This shift is driven by the escalating impacts of climate disruption, which threaten lives, livelihoods and long-term economic stability.

Rising temperatures, extreme weather events and increasing resource pressures expose the vulnerabilities of existing systems.

This makes it imperative to redesign infrastructure capable of withstanding shocks while supporting sustainable growth.

Transitioning to a low-carbon economy not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

It also:

Drives innovation.
Creates green jobs.
Strengthens energy security.
Improves water security.
Enhances long-term resilience.

This dual approach—building resilience while reducing emissions—is essential for protecting vulnerable communities and safeguarding sustainable development for future generations.

4. Implications for Institution Building, Governance and Leadership Development

Strong institutions and strong leadership teams are not merely bureaucratic structures.

They are well-governed, living systems that enable societies to pursue collective goals with fairness, sustainability and continuity.

They ensure that rules apply equally.

They ensure public resources are managed transparently.

They ensure citizens can hold power accountable.

In development contexts, strong institutions:

Empower citizens.
Promote accountability.
Improve leadership excellence.
Enhance investor confidence.
Reduce corruption.
Foster social stability.

These are all prerequisites for sustainable and inclusive development.

Talent must be identified, nurtured and deployed effectively to achieve institutional ambitions and goals.

This transforms how leadership success is measured.

Success is no longer measured primarily by individual achievement.

Instead, it is measured by institutional resilience and team excellence.

5. Conclusion: Towards a Leadership Approach for the 21st Century

In this paper, we have called for a shift away from focusing solely on “the Leader” and towards understanding “Leadership” as a collective moral enterprise.

Leadership scholars and practitioners such as Professor Reuel Khoza have argued that the leadership model most relevant to the turbulence and uncertainty of the 21st century is African Transformational Leadership.

This approach is rooted in Ubuntu—African humanism—which proceeds from the principle:

“I am because you are. You are because we are.”

The relationship between leader and follower, governor and citizen, is one of mutual dependence and interdependence.

Service, compassion and trust are indispensable ingredients of this relationship.

Its emphasis is on our common humanity.

The function of leadership is to advance the common good and shared goals of humanity.

Given the scale and depth of the existential threats confronting humanity, it may be time to heed Steve Biko’s wisdom:

“The great powers of the world may have done wonders in giving the world an industrial look, but the great gift still has to come from Africa – giving the world a more human face.”

This is the gift of African Transformational Leadership.

The 21st century confronts humanity with challenges that no single leader can solve:

Climate change
Inequality
Technological disruption
Geopolitical instability

These crises require leadership that is distributed, adaptive and institutionalised.

Strong institutions provide the scaffolding for democratic governance, ethical behaviour and sustainable progress.

The mark of great leadership is not how much power leaders accumulate for themselves.

It is how effectively they strengthen institutions and deliver outcomes that endure beyond their tenure.

As Simon Sinek reminds us:

Leadership is a team sport.

The task ahead is to reimagine leadership as a collective moral enterprise grounded in sound values, sustained by strong institutions and directed toward human flourishing.