Many culture experts agree that there are two major cultural divides in the world:

• Individual, and
• Communal cultures.

There are subcultures and individual exceptions within these two major cultural divides.

Grouping cultures into just two reduces the complexity of understanding the thousands of cultures that exist in the world. However, this shouldn’t stop us from recognizing, learning, and appreciating the uniqueness of each subculture and individual.

I. Individual Cultures. Countries, most of which are recognized as Western cultures such as the US, Canada, most of the European countries, and Australia, are within the individual cultures group. These countries are also named developed nations. They attained economic development using modern management, science, and technology.

II. Communal Cultures. Countries in the South and East such as in Africa, Asia, and South America are categorized as communal cultures. Most countries in these continents are labeled as developing countries. Nations like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore experienced transformation and became developed nations while countries like China, South Africa, Brazil, and so on are grouped together as emerging economies.

We, at PRO Leadership, would like to recognize all developing countries as EMERGING ECONOMIES. Though there are apparent economic development disparities among these nations, they have many things they share in common.

Our mission is to help emerging economies raise world-class leaders that transform their lives, careers, organizations, and communities. We use leadership development to empower individuals, organizations, and communities in these nations to tap into the opportunities the new era presents and overcome the challenges the 21st C poses…

We’re also bridge builders. We would like to create a bridge that connects leaders from both developed and emerging economies to exchange leadership wisdom by creating products, programs, and platforms.

We strongly believe that there are many mutually beneficiary leadership wisdom both camps could be able to learn from one another.

On top of facilitating platforms, we would like to distill leadership wisdom from both the individual and communal cultures and share them so that leaders in these cultures could be able to benefit from the leadership wisdom of cultures outside of their native culture.

If you are interested to learn more or would like to play a role in this noble mission, reach out at [email protected]

Dr. AZ was interviewed by The African Passport Show from South Africa.

Some of the discussion points were: 1. What are your vision and objectives at Success Pathways? 2. What advice would you give to most African leaders? 3. How can we permanently resolve ongoing conflicts in most African countries such as Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, etc 4. How can Africa benefit from her citizens living in the diaspora? 5. How can we build the Africa We Want by 2063? 6. What kind of Africa would you like to leave for the next generation?

Below is the interview:

Once you listen, let me know the most important lesson you got, what went well and what didn’t go well, and if there are points that you share or don’t share with me. 

If you prefer to give your feedback offline, that too works with me. Let me know what you think went well and what can be improved when I’ll have another interview with Godfrey or another host in the future? Thanks in advance!

#TheAfricanPassport #Africa #Agenda2063

One grand reality that makes humanity uncomfortable from the start of its history is time. It is so dictatorial and stubborn that it never stopped, waited, nor slowed for anyone, even to dictators, kings, queens… Time keeps on dictating the pace of life on earth and will keep on doing so indefinitely until its own TIME comes to cease existing. Till then, well, we better be comfortable, especially if you’re a leader!

One of the reasons why Time makes us uncomfortable is that it accompanies another constant, change. And, we humans by nature are control-freaks and hate change! Well, if you’re a leader, you cannot be unfriendly with change. You must get used to it and help your people do the same.

What is more? You have to be more than comfortable with change! You’ve to be an all-weather leader. You must excel in leading in times of change. 

This is especially critical NOW, more than ever, and in this generation. We have seen in the past 2 years many leaders stumbling while others damaging their reputations and even taking down with them their teams or organizations because they failed to lead in times of change. Remember, these leaders were okay when they were walking on the red carpet, during peacetime. 

On the other hand, we have also witnessed some leaders successfully leading in times of crisis enabling their people and organizations not only to survive and outlast but also to thrive. 

The question is, what empowered these effective leaders to succeed in leading during this tough time while many struggled? They must have been doing certain things before the crisis, which others hadn’t. 

Let’s stop, if we haven’t yet, and ask: Where are we as leaders when it comes to leading through change? Would we lead differently if another crisis hits again? Are we up to the task or need some work? If so, what can we learn from those who shined in the past two years as we passed through one of the most devastating global crises humanity ever experienced so that we could also become all-weather leaders now and going forward? 

Join me and other world-class leaders on February 25th and gain some insights, tools, approaches, strategies, and tactics that enable you to elevate your leadership to another level, the level where you excel regardless of change and crisis.

Here is a less than 2 minutes blurb video clip where I shared the main discussion points of my keynote:

To learn more and register, go to Eventbrite and get your ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live2lead-leadership-through-change-tickets-215966179657

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

#Live2Lead #JohnCMaxwell #EdMylett #JeffHenderson #JamieKernLima #ValorieBurton #WilliamAttaway

The new century is for Africa! Regardless of those skeptics who dubbed her ‘The Hopeless Continent’, Africa is now a rising star in the universe full of potential and hope.  Africa is the youngest continent endowed with untapped natural resources. 

However, the focus to transform Africa should be on the human capital than on any other single resource. Though she needs to tap into her natural resources, taping into her human resources should get prime attention. She should use her human potential as her competitive advantage to overcome the challenges she is facing, catch up with the rest of the world, and ultimately lead the way in the areas where she has comparative and competitive advantages.

Putting her human capital at the center requires making some changes in her approaches. As she has been lagging behind almost in every sector, far behind, if she continues the path she has been on using the same approaches and with the usual pace that led her to this point, there is no better future for its people and the coming generations. She must take this season of her seriously and as her last chance to redeem herself. This is time to chart a new path, turn a new page. Otherwise, she will remain behind forever.

Resting her only hope solely on any form of revolution- industrial or technology- must stop now. The continent took too much time and failed to capitalize on these on time. These revolutions that helped other continents alone cannot accelerate her speed of growth to catch up with the rest of the world, let alone to use them for her own competitive advantages. It is too late. What is more? Financial and in-kind assistance, technology transfers, and experience sharing from those who attained sustainable economic development alone cannot also allow her to experience true transformation in one generation.

The continent must make a paradigm shift from focusing on techniques, systems, and technologies alone to investing in her people, especially on her youth and the most crucial section of her society- women. Africa should also tap into the Diaspora community well beyond its contribution in the form of remittance.

In short, Africa needs to undergo lots of changes and use various approaches at multiple fronts before she attains sustainable development. On top of implementing multitudes of development efforts both at continental, regional, and local levels, Africa should put developing her human capital at the center. These other development efforts using her natural resources cannot be successful, both in the short and long term, without raising competent leaders in quantity and quality. We need competent leaders who lead these development efforts successfully, and in turn, enable Africa to experience a lasting and sustainable transformation in one generation.

Raising leaders at all levels should be the focal point of Africa’s transformation. That is why PRO Leadership came up with this Initiative to raise competent and world-class leaders, together with other stakeholders and strategic partners. It is impossible to achieve once in a generation world-class transformation without raising world-class leaders at all levels, who first lead themselves and the people around them successfully, and ultimately contribute their fair share in transforming their respective community and ultimately the continent.

To learn more about the Initiative, and see how you may become a strategic partner, click here…

If you may have any questions, reach out at [email protected]

Will Africa see her better days in my generation? Will I be lucky enough to see Africa shine during my lifetime? It depends.

It can happen if:

1. You contribute your fair share in becoming and also raising new breed leaders who can transform Africa in one generation.
2. Enough people cease the quest to seek external rescuers from outside.
3. We stop over-depending on those politicians who are promising tones but under-delivering.
4. We fight the temptation to listen to activists who promise that if we just do more activism we can earn the respect of the world and secure Africa’s rightful place on world stages.

Let the politicians and activists do their politicking and activism. There are some merits to these endeavors, especially to address burning issues and draw attention to the suffering of the people of the continent.

However, at the end of the day, Africa’s future can only be shaped and her honor is restored if and only if she bet on her people, especially the youth and women.

To transform Africa in one generation, we need to:

• Invest in the human capital of Africa.
• Raise visionary leaders who have high self-regard.
• Empower the youth to have an unwavering commitment plus world-class leadership competencies.

Even if these new breed leaders may be few initially, they can act like yeast to transform their peers, communities, nations, and ultimately Africa.

If you believe that leadership development, like other development efforts that are going on right now, can play a significant role in raising competent leaders that can shoulder the responsibilities to transform Africa once for all and in this generation, join the movement and let’s bridge the leadership gaps in Africa. #Africa #NewBreedLeadersOfAfrica #BridgingTheLeadershipGapsInAfrica #PROLeadership

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One of the toughest, if not the TOUGHEST, military unit in the US army is the Navy SEAL. You have to be physically and mentally tough to get into the door. You have to be extra tough to remain in the program and finish it without ringing the infamous bell 3 times and putting your helmet down in front of other candidates and then walk away from your Navy SEAL dream.

At PRO Leadership, we aim at raising Navy SEAL equivalent New Breed Leaders of Africa. We realized that Africa needs to pass through a lasting transformation before she enjoys true prosperity, unity, harmony, and peace. We also acknowledged that this journey is a long and protracted one, and it should begin with transforming the mindset of the youth. Accordingly, we gave special emphasis to our programs on mindset. We believed that we have to raise new breed leaders of Africa with a new and tough mindset. New Africa, New Mindset. For Africa to overcome her challenges and compete globally, she must first raise world-class citizens with world-class mindset.

We strongly believed that without a reformed mindset, there will not be a reformed Africa. Our conviction is that mindset reform at an individual level leads to cultural reform first at community and ultimately continentally, and this in turn leads to the lasting transformation of Africa. Like Mother Theresa used to say, when everyone cleans his doorstep, the world becomes clean.

As a result, we decided to toughen up our leadership, graduates, and volunteers. The logic is simple. We cannot send our leadership and graduates to raise new breed leaders of Africa with a new mindset without them first developing such a mindset.

To accomplish this challenging task, we created a culture equivalent to the Navy SEAL. The latter are special forces with special assignments. Only the determined soldiers are willing enough to step into that culture. What is more, only the tough ones graduate and serve their country with extraordinary excellence, dedication, and precision. Our graduates are reform soldiers who vowed to contribute their fair share in bringing true transformation in Africa in their own generation.

We believed that our culture must be unique and tougher. Once we succeed in creating this culture in the house, we could duplicate it to the new breed leaders we raise. And, the latter in turn duplicate it among their communities, and ultimately throughout Africa.

However, we aren’t delusional. Not all candidates of our programs and leaders who volunteered will remain committed to this culture. For whatever reasons, if they are unable to fulfill the bare minimum requirements, they ‘ring the bell 3 times, put the helmet down’ and walk away. Of course, our doors are always open. They can come back again when they are ready.

Transforming Africa in one generation through leadership development is a challenging task and demands determined new breed leaders who are willing to reform their mindset- toughen themselves up, before they go out to raise other new breed leaders.

If you are already part of this movement, we’re excited that you took this challenge. For sure, you would be proud in the end to share with your kids and grandkids that you had a part in the lasting transformation of Africa. You will leave a legacy that outlasts you. The question at this juncture is: Are you determined to toughen yourself up in the rest of this twisted and protracted journey or are you going to ring the bell 3 times, put the helmet down, and walk away?

If you’re not part of this movement yet, do you have what it takes in you- which we believe you have, to finish this journey, contribute your fair share in transforming 1st your life, profession, your community, and ultimately the continent by continually growing without ringing the bell 3 times and putting the helmet down or not? If you’re not sure, take your time. Toughen up first your mindset, and knock the door when you are ready.

Whether you’re a returnee or new, we’ll always wait for you with open arms.

To learn more about our Initiative, go to our website @ www.proleadership.org If you may have any questions, email us at [email protected]

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The most important elements of any visionary organization are its mission, vision, and core values. They are foundations. If these foundations are non-existence or shaky, the organization cannot go anywhere meaningful. It cannot have a meaningful impact.

An organization’s other elements such as its organizational structure, strategies, and tactics should be built on these solid trio foundations.

These trios determine:

1. The direction the organization takes and the destiny it arrives
2. The products and services it provides
3. How and who will be recruited and promoted
4. Strategic partnership choices
5. And more.

The most important assignments of a leader in any organization are:

• Fully understand, articulate, communicate and share these trio foundations to internal and external customers
• Align oneself, the department, and the team one leads alongside these trios
• Impart them to his/her successors
• And more.

This coming Saturday on August 8, 2020, PRO Leadership arranged a webinar on the theme Trio Foundations of Visionary Leaders: How to articulate, communicate & share your mission, vision, and values.

Using this webinar, the founder will clarify, provide deeper understanding, and give examples to help PRO Leadership’s new and future leaders fully understand these trio foundations in order them to successfully advance PRO Leadership’s mission, contribute their fair share toward the fulfillment of its vision, and demonstrate a commitment toward its values. The opportunity would also empower them to align their departments and team members.

Even if you’re not part of our leadership, the lessons you will learn will empower you to succeed as a leader of your team, organization, or business. The insights, examples, and approaches you will gain from this webinar will allow you on how to articulate your own personal life, business, and/or organization’s trios. For details and attend the webinar, check the flyer above:

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You cannot put new wine into an old wineskin as the saying goes. Likewise, you cannot take your leadership anywhere worthy without having the right mindset. Mindset drives your leadership. It sits on the driver’s seat of leadership. Africa needs youth and women leaders who have the mindset that matches the challenges the continent faces.

Africa has so many challenges, and its children are trying their level best to transform the continent.

There are lots of local, national, and regional efforts toward transforming Africa such as building infrastructure, transportation networks, technology, and so on. Most importantly, there are regional integrations that are going on. These are critical and these efforts must be intensified and continue.

PRO Leadership vowed to play its part toward the true transformation of Africa through leadership development by adding one additional layer on top of the ongoing transformation efforts. The organization aims at empowering the youth and women who are designing and implementing these transformational efforts. As much as Africa needs quality infrastructure, for instance, it also needs leaders who have the right mindset to build and run these infrastructures.

As the saying goes, everything rises and falls on leadership. Without having the right leaders with the right mindset from top to bottom, Africa’s chance to experience lasting transformation in this generatioon is slim, if not impossible.

That is why PRO Leadership came up with an Initiative that focuses on three major leadership development areas: Mind set, Skill set, and Character set. It has launched the Initiative last year and began providing programs both in the Diaspora and back in Africa.

This coming Saturday on August 1, 2020, PRO Leadership arranged a webinar on the theme New Africa, New Mindset: The mindset mandatory to experience true transformation. For details and attend, check the flyer below:

If you may have reach out to us via [email protected]

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Two of our leaders appeared on one of the most-watched and empowering shows in Ethiopia- Helen Show. The interview was conducted in Amharic (sorry for those who may not understand Amharic).

Drs. Assegid and Yetnayet shared some insights, perspectives, and stories to empower the audience of the show on how, especially now while the world is facing a devastating crisis, to take personal and collective leadership not only to survive but also to outlast and thrive in the aftermath of the crisis.

Below is the video of the interview:

Once you watched it, let’s know your thoughts. What are one thing you learned and one action you will take because you watched the conversation?

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Our third and final webinar is going to be on May 23rd, 2020 at 11 am EST (6 pm Ethiopia time). To learn more about the theme and learning objectives of the webinar, check this link out: https://proleadership.org/?p=1898

We are finalizing the flyer. There may be some changes in the final flyer. Regardless, we have decided to share the draft flyer to give you enough time to plan. If you would like to get the login info and/or if you may have any questions from now till May 23rd, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via [email protected]

Please note that you’re a leader and working with a leadership organization. You have a lot to offer to your fellow leaders at PRO Leadership. We highly encourage you to come prepared to learn from the presenter and also other fellow participants plus share your insights and approaches that have been helping you turn conflicts into opportunities. Share with us your stories or the stories of those who have excellent skills in managing conflicts. 

Don’t forget that when we are talking about conflict, it doesn’t have to be violent that involves fistfight or guns 🙂 Any disagreement that comes between you & your relationships and hinders your goals is conflict and it needs your prime attention. Unfortunately, many of us don’t consider these conflicts. Some of us don’t want to think about them let alone deal with them. Still, some of us avoid dealing with them all together hoping they would go away by there own time. A few of us might have been too confrontational sometimes where we have damaged our relationships and slowed our progress. These must change if your desire is to become a better leader and person. This is a must soft skill you should develop.

In this webinar, our goal is to help you see conflicts as opportunities to tap into, platforms to deepen your relationships and partnerships, and occasions to learn and grow to become a better leader, follower, peer, spouse, friend, partner, and so on. We cannot wait to see you next week.

In the meantime, if you may have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out…

Finally, make sure to log into the webinar 10 – 15 minutes earlier to address if in case you may face technical or connection issues. Please note that we will start the meeting at 11: 05 am EST. We only give 5 minute wait time. We must respect the time of those who log on time. That being said, please also note that we are going to record the webinar to upload it to those who are unable to attend.

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