QUEST AFRICA 2011 GRADUATION

Malcolm Henderson - Best Overall Student

Matt Macray - Most improved student

Bryre Groenewald - Student who contributed the most to the learning of other students

Cullem Guthrie - Best Technical Acumen

Devon Reynolds - Best social acumen

Abe Louw - Best physical acumen

Zach Louw - Best Multi media

Shawn Allman - Best Business acumen

 

The second graduating class of Quest Africa, Esigodini was a complete success.  The students spoke wonderfully, presented themselves in a way which showed all of the invited guests and themselves that they have indeed become young men.  They are now able to hold themselves with pride, for they have accomplished what few others have and will be able to go into the world knowing that in some areas they will never be tested to such extremes.

We are proud of the men they are and will always be on hand to offer advice and lend words of encouragement should they need it.  Congratulations and we wish you the best for your futures.

 

On the day we were honoured to have Tim Johnson as our guest of honour who had special, thought provoking words for the students as well as the invited guests.

Below is his speech which we hope will continue to provide inspiraton to those who read it.

 

Guest Speaker:  Tim Johnson – Speech

This is such an important time in your lives as you contemplate and face up to the reality that soon now you are going to be pushed out of the liar or den or nest and suddenly, it is you who has to make the decisions and you who has to fend for himself.

 

The first thing I want to talk about is moral values.  You have, since early school days and before, learnt the difference between right and wrong.

 

Now you are going to face the challenge of the grey areas in between these 2 fundamental pillars.  Someday, for sure, you will find yourself asking the question “do I want it so much” that will lead to you ill advisedly compromising your principles.

 

Remember, if you do make such a decision, next time you face a similar dilemma, it will be a little easier to once again compromise and so on, again, until it becomes the norm of your behavior – and people out there will say “I would question his integrity”.

 

There is no middle ground when it comes to the difference between right and wrong, just as there is no middle ground between good and bad.

 

All your lives, you are going to be challenged by these issues and of course, they apply as much in the home as in your work and entrepreneurship. 

 

The second thing I want to share are a few general guidelines.  Already you will have in your head, a number of adages or general thoughts that help you make decisions.  I will share a few of mine with you.

• Absolute honesty
• Be nice to the people you meet on the way up – to be sure you will meet them again coming down
• Always seek the win, win in every deal.  Be it at home or at work.  Make sure both parties to the deal win.  Thereby the agreement will stick.

 

I have always admired the strength of family.  The real family, at home.  I have enjoyed, in our family a 70^th (!) yes 70^th, wedding anniversary.  An amazing event to see the husband and wife and their by now widespread offspring, all together, all united and all living by the example of the old folks.  Think too of the same that should be the case in the business family, the old school tie family, the Quest family, the Falcon family, etc.

 

Now let’s turn to leadership.

 

Have you asked yourself in the past few months – ‘WHY SHOULD ANYONE BE LED BY ME?’  Your answer will probably be ‘because I am a leader’ or ‘because I want to be a leader’.

 

So how do you achieve this?

 

Many believe that replicating someone else’s style is the key, eg. Willie Walsh at General Electric. Tens of thousands of your budding business leaders have attempted to emulate this very successful business leader.

 

I say NO, it is much more to do with personal authenticity, than an easily learnt formula.

 

I hope you have learnt the value of personal authenticity here.

 

Your real challenge is to be true to yourself, rather than try and emulate others.

 

Find your own energy

Find your own sense of direction

Develop your own clear vision.

 

Years ago when I was at the London Business School, one of the faculty there shared with me his rather different or unexpected characteristics of an effective leader.

 

These are:-

 

1.     A capacity to reveal his or her weakness – this helps build a team because it shows others how they can help.

                  In the process, consider individuals, learn of their attributes.  Read your team and create a

                  balance between them.

 

2.     Genuine care.

Have an empathy with the people you are leading.  Genuine care balances respect for individuals against the requirements of the task at hand. 

BUT  remember, leadership is NOT a popularity contest.

 

3.     STRESS the difference.

Distinguish yourself through personal qualities, such as:-

• Sincerity
• Creativity
• Expertise
• Resilience and loyalty

 

and finally:

 

4.     Management

                  My definition of management is:

The art of Doing and Getting done.

I have discovered by personal experience and have corroborated by some reading that most companies, including successful ones contain a few isolated islands of action, amid an ocean of inaction.  But beware of businesses that exhibit a high energy level where activity is unfocused.

Conglomerate building 20 years ago was a prime example of high energy levels with little ctivity focus.  Not many of these still exist today.  Stick to the knitting – do what you know best.

 

Enough of the serious talk!

 

I have drawn up a few suggested - what shall we call them – rules of life OR things you didn’t learn at school.  The first is probably the most important:-

 

a)     Life is not fair – get used to it.

b)     Nobody cares about your self-esteem – make sure you accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

c)     You won’t have a big salary and lots of toys until you earn them.

d)     If you thought the staff here or at school are tough, wait till you get a boss.

e)     Menial work is not beneath your dignity – people like me, call it opportunity

 

And finally –

 

From your own website.  Think of today not as the beginning of the end by the end of the beginning.  Savour the last final vestiges of brotherhood before it is time to say farewell and move onto the next chapter in your lives.