4 minute read
INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Claim your seat at the boardroom table
Marketing and media should represent an aspirational, empowering environment for women, writes KOO GOVENDER.
As a female CEO, I have always had and continue to have a strong passion for female leadership and upliftment. I am humbled to lead a marketing and advertising agency in South Africa with an 88% female-led management team and 69% female staff capacity, and constantly look at opportunities to uplift women – more specifically, women in business.
Although the numbers mentioned above are extremely positive and a step in the right direction, they are agency specific and not a true representation of the South African media and advertising industry. Throughout my many years in the industry and as a chairperson of The Advertising Media Forum, the challenge of and focus on increasing women working in leadership positions within media agencies has remained consistent.
Through experience, I have learned that we as women, particularly women leaders, have an enormous responsibility to 1) encourage other female leaders to support women in business, 2) encourage women to reach their full potential within the industry and beyond, and 3) encourage, inspire and attract young, future female leaders to the industry. It is essential that marketing and media be seen as an aspirational career that delivers many opportunities, including working with a range of different clients and getting experience across a variety of brands.
The possibilities for individuals within the industry are endless, and one of the greatest unique selling points that we as industry leaders should continue to highlight is that for as long as consumers consume, brands have products/services to sell, trends continue to transform and the digital landscape continues to evolve, professional marketers will never get bored.
Koo Govender
LEADING VS MANAGING
“Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal. Leadership refers to an individual’s ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward organisational success. Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and control.” – Harvard Business Review
Personally, I believe that leadership is people focused, which is where my passion lies. I have always taken pride in the achievements of others, and choose to continue my career journey uplifting individuals and empowering professionals to live up to their full potential and to reach their goals. While this is my leadership style, I do recognise and respect that some leaders and managers lead differently. This is why I strongly believe in the power of mentorship and having that ‘go-to person’ to hold one accountable, provide encouragement and act as a constant support.
THE ROLE OF MENTORSHIP
Throughout my journey, I have had many mentors for many different reasons, whether for personal development, career development or networking. However, since the start of my professional career, my passion for mentorship has only deepened, inspiring me to play a significant role in the success of individuals and the promotion of women into senior leadership positions.
Personally, I have mentored an array of women from young graduates to professionals, and both have been equally rewarding and educational. Through offering practical experience and connecting others with new knowledge, networks and markets, the role of mentorship has become increasingly important, and I strongly believe that we as female leaders need to guide other women to rise as we as continue to climb the corporate ladder.
SUPPORTIVE PROGRAMMES
My passion for female empowerment has not been limited to mentoring one or two individuals, but rather extending it to large groups and supporting programmes (both personally and professionally) that take an active stand in bridging the gender parity gap across South Africa.
In 2014, through the VWV Group I developed and implemented the Phakama Women’s Academy, which is targeted at final-year marketing university students, empowering and equipping them with the necessary tools to enter the corporate world. To date, more than 150 students have graduated from the Phakama Women’s academy.
In 2019, dentsu South Africa launched the Female Foundry business growth programme, which is designed to close the gender parity gap by offering training and mentorship to female entrepreneurs. Fifteen female founders graduated from the programme in 2019, and after the successful launch of the programme
there was no question that we needed to run it again. Thus, in 2021, dentsu South Africa launched the second edition of Female Foundry (virtually) in conjunction with National Women’s Month.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I have been in many situations where I was one of the few female leaders around a boardroom table. I believe that diversity of thought among different genders is crucial to create a balanced, collaborative, creative, successful and thriving workplace that not only breeds diversity but also encourages women to have a voice and to be heard.
As female leaders, we need to show up and be generous with our experience and learnings. We must mentor, coach, enable and be invested in other women’s success, as this will develop longlasting relationships, foster a deep sisterhood, and allow for more women to claim their seat at that boardroom table.
“No matter where you are in life, inspire and empower the women around you. Success is never reached alone. And wisdom and wealth are sweeter when shared.” – Unknown
