ROYAL HUSTLERS

Leonie Prinsloo on leading with humility

The Royal Hustlers segment on 99FM is not only a celebration of industry leaders thriving in the spaces they find themselves in, it’s also a platform for them to tell us their stories and journeys to the top. This episode features one such Royal Hustler: the industrious and dedicated Managing Director of Namibia Dairies, Leonie Prinsloo.

Born and raised in Windhoek, Prinsloo and her parents also lived for some years in the town of Rundu, a period which she remembers fondly.

“I recall moving to Rundu, the first day of school and what an amazing journey it was. I learnt so much about that environment because it is an absolutely beautiful place to grow up, so I was very privileged to live there,” she says.

Growing up, Leonie wasn’t always sure of what she wanted to become but one thing she was sure of is that she wanted to care for people. “People intrigued me. How they think and how they prosper. I was not sure what I wanted to be at that stage but I can always remember that caring for people was important to me,” she says.

While she wasn’t a straight-A student, she was always two things: hardworking and dedicated.

To date, these are qualities she exemplifies, and she explains: “These days it is assumed that if you are a straight-A student you are the good one, but that is not the truth. There are so many children out there who are really struggling and doing their best and I think we need to see the best in every effort.”

There’s no success if you don’t step up, and stepping up doesn’t mean you need to work harder, but you need to work smarter, you need to make use of the environment and the people around you.

Leading with humility

While she was lucky enough not to need a side hustle as a youngster, Leonie never allowed her privilege to blind her to what less fortunate people were going through. She took her passion for caring for people to the next level by getting involved in some community work.

She has come a long way since then, establishing a career in the world of telecommunications before she joined Ohlthaver & List (O&L) in 2011 as Brand Manager for Namibia Dairies and ultimately becoming the Managing Director of Namibia Dairies in July 2020.

“I am very excited at this wonderful opportunity to lead Namibia Dairies despite the fact that we find ourselves in a very challenging and uncertain time. As a woman I am immensely grateful to be part of the O&L leadership to inspire other women and show that anything is possible,” she says.

Something else that she is passionate about is empowering others enough to see their growth potential and allow them to create their own realities.

As a leader, Leonie loves working with people who believe in themselves. Humility and the willingness to always want to learn are virtues that she holds in high regard. She adds: “I always say that you can teach somebody a skill but they need to have that self-belief or at least be open to it. If you are not humble – if you think you know it all and can do it all, then I’ll struggle to work with you.”

Defining the meaning of success

Leonie’s definition of success is to one day be able to sit back and see what impact she has made in people’s lives and in her work. A year from now she wants to be able to say that together with her team, she was able to take Namibia Dairies to the next level.

“There’s no success if you don’t step up, and stepping up doesn’t mean you need to work harder, but you need to work smarter, you need to make use of the environment and the people around you. That can absolutely uplift you. It is to sit back and say you have made a difference in people’s lives,” she says.

Taking Namibia to the next level

“I absolutely love our country and its diversity. At the same time, I am saddened by the fact that our beautiful country is exposed to socio-economic evils like corruption. It is each and every Namibian’s responsibility to own the future of our country. We need to come together, heal our country and change it for the better,” Leonie says about the future of Namibia.

One of the ways she encourages Namibians to continue building the country is to buy and support local. She has these parting words for every patriotic Namibian: “Amid the crisis and repercussions of this pandemic we are presented with wonderful opportunities like building, sustaining and empowering our economy by encouraging and supporting local value addition. We don’t need to import every single thing. Our moment is now! Let’s grab it and restore our country and her people to her rightful place of honour and dignity. Together we can do it!”

This article is based on an interview with Leonie on 99FM. Tune in to The Royal Hustlers on 99 FM every Monday to Friday at 07h35. (Stream us here) https://99fm.com.na/ external-radio-live-stream/