Quote from Susa Africa on February 15, 2023, 10:42 am

The urge to acquire and maintain power, nationalism that sees one's own nation or group as superior, mistrust of outsiders, and a task-oriented attitude are frequently characteristics of African leadership styles. Africa will never be able to overcome its problems, realize its full potential, and defend itself against environmental and human abuse without effective leadership. Leadership in Africa places a strong emphasis on interpersonal skills, ethical standards of duty and accountability, and a sense of community and social cohesiveness.

In contrast to other, more widely known approaches, the African thought of excellent leadership calls for a variety of methods. There are a number of reasons for thinking that this ignorance of African
understandings of good leadership is unwelcome. One familiar rationale is that interaction in a globalized world requires familiarity with the views of “the other” as a matter of prudence. Another important rationale is that any long-standing culture probably has some insight into the human condition, such that one risks being mistaken about what counts as a good leader if one remains unfamiliar with African culture. According to Thaddeus Metz in his article "An African Theory of Good Leadership," despite having been a largely oral tradition until recently, African philosophy and related ideas have been in existence for at least several hundred years.

"To be a great leader, one must never give up, try to bring people together and be selfless. Leadership is about working with and for others to achieve a common goal that benefits everyone," says Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Mandela is revered as the founder of contemporary South Africa. He was crucial in the tearing down of the repressive regime and the establishment of democracy. Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Africans believe to prefer leadership styles that are based on humanistic principles, and desire more participative leadership that values individuality, authenticity, and serving the community. Having suffered centuries of slavery and colonialism, the development of the continent was largely stunted at independence and the early years of independence in many African countries were dedicated to correcting errors created during colonialism.

In some countries, nation-building efforts however suffered setbacks as conflicts and violence became prevalent and political power was hijacked by self seeking leaders who did very little to develop their countries. Economic development was also affected and many African economies remained agrarian and monocultural without adequate diversification that could have encouraged industrial production. The debt crises of the late 1970s and 1980s worsened the prospects of achieving economic progress and by the 1990s, Africa’s debt profile had risen tremendously.

Promoting Societal Change

Africa has historically produced some of the world's greatest leaders, among them Nkrumah, the Emperor Haile Selassie, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, Wangari Maathai, Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta, and Julius Nyerere, whose effect on leadership theory is enormous. Africa's development depends on cultivating leaders with remarkable character and abilities. Africa’s development partners should recognize that it is too late to teach someone who occupies a high position in government how to lead during side talks at global events. They should also bear in mind that there has to be alignment between the sense of identity of the leader and that of the followers for leadership to work. Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, and Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea are members of the current generation of African leaders who are committed to economic and democratic reforms. Other prominent figures on the list include South African Thabo Mbeki, Ghana's Jerry Rawlings, and Mozambique's Joaquim Chissano.

Today, the economic effects of colonialism can be viewed as a progressive integration of Africa into the world capitalist system within which Africa functioned primarily as a source of raw materials for western industrial production, according to study; "The colonial economy also caused agriculture to be diverted towards the production of primary products and cash crops, a situation that contributed to hunger and starvation in Africa. Africa concentrated on producing more of what was needed less and produced less of what was needed most. Africa was perpetually turned to the production of raw materials, a situation that caused unequal exchange in -- and balance of -- trade." While the phrase “African solutions to African problems” was coined by the Ghanaian economist George Ayittey in response to the crisis in Somalia in the early 1990s. His argument at the time was that “outside attempts to resolve African problems have regularly proven ineffective and even counterproductive” and that any “long-term solution to problems can come only from Africans themselves.” Meanwhile, a new generation of leaders has to be considered, who are capable of facing up to a number of challenges such as fragmentation of the region, history and knowledge, relaying the foundations of the post-colonial State, promotion of democracy and human rights and the implementation of new conditions for peace and freedom, the gauge of sustainable development. The ways in which these various challenges are tackled are crucial.

Transforming Institutions

Africa has undergone significant changes recently, with a growing diversity of political environments and economic development paths. The transformations being made affect both the function of leadership and its wider effects. The new Changemakers are a new leadership paradigm that is emerging across the continent. These African individuals have made a name for themselves in a variety of fields, and they are well known for encouraging leadership excellence on the African continent and abroad over the years. Hakainde Hichilema, Julius Maada, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tsitsis Masiyiwa, Emma Theofelus, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, and others are a few of them.

• Hakainde Hichilema

The seventh and current president of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, was inaugurated on August 24, 2021. Hichilema was born on June 4, 1962, in the Monze District of Zambia. After having contested five previous elections in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2016, he won the 2021 presidential election with over 59% of the vote. He inherited a country with a heavily indebted economy and a reputation for fiscal unreliability. Hichilema has seemingly managed to mitigate the leverage the Chinese had over the Zambian economy and has been strategic in both developing independence in movement and in building a range of alliances to offset dependence on one power alone. In doing so, he has displayed regional leadership – demonstrating the merits of ‘positive neutrality’ in pursuing policies that run across global geopolitical divides for the benefit of the national interest.

• Julius Maada Bio

Julius Maada Wonie Bio is a Sierra Leonean politician, and the current president of Sierra Leone since 4 April 2018. He is also known as the “Father of Democracy” because of his outstanding contribution towards the restoration of democracy and attainment of peace in the country. He said Sierra Leone’s blueprint for progress focuses on taking the country beyond the phase of peace building and consolidation, and firmly establishing a stable and pluralistic democracy. His government emphasizes job creation, access to quality education, youth empowerment, empowerment of women, combating corruption and fostering a culture of accountability and transparency. Grounded in the Sustainable Development Goals, Sierra Leone’s policy actions involve strengthening democratic institutions, opening democratic spaces, promoting democratic dialogue and creating a more just and equal society.

• Samia Suluhu Hassan

President Samia Suluhu Hassan is defining her political trajectory as Tanzania’s new leader after the death of her predecessor John Magufuli. She is known for her exceptional effort to spur Tanzania's growth. According to World Bank, her policies and programs reflect an evolving social and economic context, but the broad policy objectives remain guided by the Tanzania Development Vision 2025 and its supporting five-year development plans.

• Tsitsis Masiyiwa

Tsitsi Masiyiwa is an African philanthropist and social entrepreneur devoted to empowering young Africans with educational opportunities and access to technology. She is currently executive chair and co-founder at Delta Philanthropies and Higherlife Foundation, and she sits on the board of directors at Co-Impact, a global philanthropic collaborative. In late October 2022, she launched the Africa Gender Initiative, which plans to raise $50 million within the next few years from African philanthropists to support Co-Impact’s $1 billion gender fund. In the past few months,the Africa Gender Initiative has already raised $5 million. Co-Impact’s Gender Fund provides funding primarily to women-led, local organizations tackling systemic gender-based issues in the key areas of health, education, and economic opportunity in the Global South. In Africa the Gender Fund will focus on Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal.

• Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and international development expert with over 30 years of experience with over 30 years of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America. She was formerly Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. She is the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization as Director-General. Previously, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala twice served as Nigeria's Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and briefly acted as Foreign Minister in 2006, the first woman to hold both positions. She distinguished herself by carrying out major reforms which improved the effectiveness of these two Ministries and the functioning of the government machinery. She had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No. 2 position of Managing Director, Operations. As a development economist and Finance Minister, Dr Okonjo-Iweala steered her country through various reforms ranging from macroeconomic to trade, financial and real sector issues. Author of several books, including Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria. Recipient of honours and awards, including: named as one of the 50 Greatest World Leaders, Fortune (2015); one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World, Forbes (consecutively for four years); one of the Top 100 Most Influential People, Time (2014); one of the Top 100 Women in the World, The Guardian (2011); honorary degrees, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University.

• Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was elected WHO Director-General for a five-year term by WHO Member States at the Seventieth World Health Assembly in May 2017. He is globally recognized as a health scholar, advocate and diplomat with first-hand experience in research, operations, and leadership in emergency responses. From 2005–2012, Dr Tedros served as Ethiopia’s Minister of Health where he led a comprehensive reform of the country’s health system. All roads lead to universal health coverage for Dr Tedros, and he has demonstrated what it takes to expand access to health care with limited resources. The transformation he led as Ethiopia’s Minister of Health improved access to health care for millions of people. Under his leadership Ethiopia invested in critical health infrastructure, expanded its health workforce, and developed innovative health financing mechanisms.

• Dr Akinwumi Adesina

Dr Akinwumi Adesina is a Nigerian economist, who is currently serving as the President of the African Development Bank. Under his tenure, Nigeria ended 40 years of corruption in the fertiliser sector. A firm believer in private sector-led growth, Dr. Adesina radically changed the perception of agriculture in Nigeria from that of subsistence to a viable business that successfully attracted $5.6 billion in private sector investments. He is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa’s transformation. With Dr Adesina at the helm, the African Development Bank Group achieved the highest capital increase since its establishment in 1964 when on 31 October 2019, shareholders from 80 member countries raised the general capital from $93 billion to a historic $208 billion.

Enhancing the welfare of individuals and communities in ways that have inherent, long-lasting value drives leaders. Simply put, they prioritize serving their employer or community over their own interests. Profit thus becomes less important than meaning or purpose as a motivator. Meanwhile, leaders need to recognize the impact technological change has on followers and their ability to
manage proactively as “Informatics/Innovations effect the process of leadership. Finding a leader who exudes charm and passion while also possessing a distinctive style of leadership and strategic vision to open up new vistas for Africa is a search that must be balanced. A focus on Ubuntu (humanity and moral regeneration) and "Umoja" is what African leadership is all about: African solutions to local issues, and reawakening and reviving people's awareness of the richness of their collective experience (togetherness).