Diversity and Leadership

South African Experiences

Stanley Arumugam

17 Jan 2010

Presentation to a

delegation of Dutch senior

leaders on a study tour

exploring organisational

diversity in SA context

Invited by ITO Focus

Presentation Overview

• Mandela as a shining light example…how is his vision

working in the new SA with relation to diversity and

leadership?

• What does it mean for leadership competence and

development in organisations…also in relation to

diversity

Individual Organisational Global

SA Leadership - Diversity Journey

• affirmative action

• Mandela era

• post apartheid 90’s

• new democracy

• nation building

• discrimination

• capacity building

• Mbeki era

• early 2000

• institution building

• economic development

• skills building

• valuing diversity

• Zuma era

• current challenge

• service delivery

• citizenship participation

• ownership

2 3 1

Opposition -----------------------Compliance ---------------------– Commitment

2010

Koestenbaum Leadership Diamond

Diversity is about greatness

• “Never, never and never again

shall it be that this beautiful

land will again experience the

oppression of one by another.“

Mandela 1994

• "When I have control over native

education, I will reform it so that

natives will be taught from

childhood that equality with

Europeans is not for them"

H.F. Verwoed, 1953, Minister of

Native Affairs.

• "We should not give the Natives

any academic education. If we do,

who is going to do the manual

labour in the community?"

J.N.le Roux, 1945, National Party

politician.

Diversity is about vision

Diversity is about reality

Diversity is about ethics

Leadership

at all Levels

Free and Fair Society for ALL

Hum

an R

ights

Em

pow

erm

ent

Responsib

ility

Diversity is about courage

Diversity and organisations

Leadership

at all Levels

Building a

Great Organisation

1. I’m doing my job

2. I aim to be the best in

what I do

3. I am part of the vision

Diversity Leadership in Organisations - How ?

• Principle and values based policies – dignity of all

• Shareholder vision engagement – more than financial profit

• Eliminate unfair practices – race, gender, class

• Empower people – diversity competencies

• Create opportunity for ownership

In Zuid-Afrika ondersteunt Niza verschillende

partners om toezicht te houden op de

platinawinning. Dit is nodig omdat de

platinamijnbouw ernstige gevolgen heeft voor

gemeenschappen die in de buurt van de mijnen

wonen. Niza pleit voor betere regelgeving en

komt op voor de belangen van lokale bewoners

• Our vision

A world without poverty and

injustice in which every person

enjoys their right to a life with

dignity.

• Our mission

To work with poor and

excluded people to eradicate

poverty and injustice.

ActionAid is an international anti-

poverty agency whose aim is to fight

poverty worldwide. Formed in 1972, for

over 30 years we have been growing

and expanding to where we are today -

helping over 13 million of the world's

poorest and most disadvantaged people

in over 50 countries worldwide.

AAI Values

• MUTUAL RESPECT,

• requiring us to recognise the innate worth of

all people and the value of diversity

• EQUITY AND JUSTICE,

• requiring us to work to ensure equal

opportunity to everyone, irrespective of race,

age, gender,

sexual orientation, HIV status, colour, class,

ethnicity, disability, location and religion

• HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY, being

accountable at all levels for the

effectiveness of our actions and open in our

judgements and communications with others

• SOLIDARITY WITH THE POOR,

• powerless and excluded will be the only bias

in our commitment to the fight against

poverty

• COURAGE OF CONVICTION,

• requiring us to be creative and radical, bold

and innovative – without fear of failure – in

pursuit of making the greatest possible

impact on the causes of poverty

• INDEPENDENCE from any religious or

party-political affiliation

• HUMILITY in our presentation and

behaviour, recognising that we are part of a

wider alliance against poverty.

Diversity Leadership in Organisations - How ?

• Multicultural Leadership Competencies

• Respect and dignity for all

• Commitment to corporate governance

• Communications styles

• Participation and Collaboration

• Willingness to learn and teach

• Conflict management

• Courage to challenge the system

Dank U