Pretoria - Being a kind, empathetic, and understanding leader must be part of the equation not only in navigating the higher education sector but for every leadership role one is afforded an opportunity to take on.
These were the words of advice from the 13th Principal and Vice-Chancellor for the University of Pretoria, Professor Tawana Kupe, in rounding off another year of steering the institution ahead amid the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Kupe said there was no value in being rough, tough, hard and mean, and poor behaviour was nothing more than just being a bad human being.
He said it was, however, important not to simply dismiss negative feedback or criticism received, as people must be held accountable for what they do or do not do, and at times be asked to pull up their socks if need be.
Providing feedback should be timed correctly, he said, and done in a way that was not to the exclusion of being kind or empathetic to the people one is tasked to lead.
“Leadership is a privilege, hence I say that to those who have privilege, more is expected of them because this role could have been given to someone else and done better, yet they behave like this privilege is just theirs and do not put in more.
“In doing so you are not only disappointing those who chose you among others, but also squandering an opportunity to be better than yourself.”
Kupe said it was important for leaders to be “human and humane”, to get the best out of people.
He said he believed there truly was a limit to being mean, as often it led people to do the minimum or simply be insolent, leaving the leader with little they could do to change undesirable behaviour.
In navigating the university through the pandemic, Kupe said communication was the key, hence he felt it important to make people understand that he understood the mental and other pressures on them and how they were being affected.
“People want to feel valued and appreciated, but they also want to know that you understand their situation, hence the decision to ramp up our mental wellness programmes, even those which were online.
“We also did our best to build up peer group support measures and partnerships with groups such as the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, as you have to not only say you understand, but articulate that you know what people are going through, and what they can also do on their side so they can be empowered as well."
Pretoria News