SOVEREIGN
On EQUAL
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FOOTING Interview By Dr Marina Nani
H
er Excellency Dr Justina Mutale is a Stateswoman Extraordinaire. While one dictionary definition of Stateswoman is “… a woman who is active in politics or government; or who holds high public office”, another definition is of “… one who is intelligently active in work that benefits the citizens of a state or nation. Justina Mutale falls in the latter category of Stateswomanship and not only does she benefit one state or nation, but her work extends to the entire globe. The fact she does not run any country, nor is she actively involved in politics does not make Justina Mutale any less the Stateswoman that she is. Justina Mutale defies the conventional meaning of leadership and Stateswomanship with her global leadership qualities and Statewomanship, which challenge all stereotypes and norms. Sovereign Magazine caught up with Justina Mutale for this exclusive interview:
What is your definition of leadership? I strongly identify with and support the statement from US General, Norman Schwarzkopf when he said, “Leadership is a potent combination of character and strategy. But if you must be without one, be without strategy”. We live in a world where all too often leadership is focused on strategy, and where expediency and pragmatism are considered essential to getting the job done. You therefore, find that a lot people often make the mistake of thinking those with the highest educational degrees or the most admirable intellectual or academic qualifications can be good leaders. To the contrary, I believe leadership is something that has to come from the heart because leadership is about people. The ability to inspire others to give themselves unreservedly to the mission is not a management technique, but a leadership one - management is positional, while leadership is personal. I believe leadership is about putting humanity at the centre and acknowledging that
you are working with humans and not machines or statistics. There was once a time when leadership meant flexing muscles and pulling one’s weight around and intimidating others. However, in the 21st century leadership is about getting along with people. To be an effective leader, one has to be prepared to positively impact other people’s lives. You have to have the ability to inspire your team to go beyond what is perceived to be possible. A leader has to win the hearts and minds of the team and their commitment to go the extra mile. Tell us about your industry and what leadership represents in it. I work in civil society. Through my organisation POSITIVE RUNWAY, which spans 6 continents across the globe, we aim to deliver the HIV/AIDS message in a discourse appropriate to the 21st young generation, in order to secure an AIDS free world and AIDS free generation. In working with a global community of young people, we have to deal with varying cultures, behaviours, attitudes,
traditions and beliefs of a diverse group of people who work with us across the globe. Working in civil society demands that we strive to make a difference in a way that governments and business cannot. As civil society, we have an ethos that puts social and environmental issues above political or economic issues. As civil society, ours is to reach out to excluded communities to provide innovative solutions to new problems faced by society every day. The challenge for leaders in the civil society such as myself is not only to ensure that the daily work is completed and to a high standard, but to also win the commitment of our teams. This is because many of the talented and dedicated staff and volunteers who work with us do so for the noble cause of improving other people’s lives, rather than working for the money or personal advancement. As the primary voices of social, economic and environmental justice, and deliverers of innovative services to vulnerable people, it is important that we carry out our work armed with emotion-
