“I believe that everyone has the wherewithal to deliver without supervision.”

JL What was the most important lesson you learnt about leadership during the pandemic?

JM I have always believed that leadership is about being present. As a leader, your constituent wants to see and feel your presence. It may not always change much, but it instils confidence and availability.

JL What was the most challenging period for you during the pandemic, and why?

JM The realisation that all planned activities had to be cancelled and others postponed. Obviously when we had to put our meetings on hold, our training, our workshops, that was a major source of revenue that we no longer enjoyed and that was difficult. The pace and scale of the vaccine rollout was another issue in Africa, because we seemed to be the last people to be considered in terms of the rollout, so that was a challenge then and continues to be a challenge now. Again, we learnt that we (African associations) had little or no knowledge about the all-important force majeure contracts. In a nutshell, we lost, and that was depressing.

JL What were your daily coping mechanisms for stress?

JM I started listening to podcasts and audiobooks, homeschooled our children with my wife, and participated in morning cardio exercises routine together.

JL When you look back on the last 20 months, what makes you most proud?

JM Reconnecting with my wife, understanding my children better, appreciating their strengths and weaknesses, and working towards their improvement.

 

JL What did you learn about your leadership style?

JM I prefer seeing everyone involved and moving forward as a team. Leadership is being a pace-setter, leading with a human face and getting yourself surrounded by smart people. Pre-pandemic we used to organise weekly morning meetings where we could revisit the previous week’s achievements, failures and also get to speak directly. We currently do virtual meetings, and that removes the all-important human connection. Our quarterly team-building activities have equally been relegated. These were always highly anticipated as they used to help keep staff morale high and boost their motivation. Equally, many informal open conversations could occur among staff, with some of these conversations forming a very critical role in retooling our programmes and services.

JL Did you make any changes to how you manage your team and, if so, what were they?

JM I subscribe to the maxim for ends-based thinking in ethical decision making, which means that you do whatever produces the greatest good for the greatest number. Over the years, my team has always known me to be a hands-off manager, and I believe that everyone has the wherewithal to deliver without supervision and benefit those we serve.

JL What would you say to other leaders who are struggling in their role?

JM Don’t be in a rush to make quick and ill-conceived changes. Sit with your team for an open discussion, listen to their ideas, pick what you believe may be good and forge collaborative teamwork. It sounds textbook, but it works.