It takes a burning desire combined with faith to keep going? Ever since I co-founded SIVIO there has not been a day that I have not thought about the organization. It’s my 3rd born but at times it behaves like it’s the only one. However that level of focus can kill you. One has to find ways of taking a step backwards. Watch the baby from a distance. I generally don’t work from the office. I have created a distance between myself and the team responsible for the day to day management of the organization. At times it helps to watch from a distance.

But seriously what keeps you going?
I have a MasterMind group (oops they didn’t know of it until now). They keep me going.These are some of my board members, close friends, my wife and associates. They do not only keep me balanced but they help soak the pressure. Some of my friends are co-funders of SIVIO. I have been blessed to have people who share my vision or just sympathise. For instance in 2019 we literally survived off my wife’s salary. We didn’t have sufficient funding at the office and I was not on salary anyways. A friend and board member funded our Centre for Entrepreneurship out of belief and conviction that we were doing something right.

I have hobbies that keep me going. I love reading and writing. So any chance I get I write. My tell tale signs of being fatigued is when I am bingeing on Netflix. I recently discovered that I have green fingers. I am passionate about gardening-although my approach is expensive. These are important activities. They help one to focus on something totally different from the everyday leadership questions. But strangely I have found everything related. Difficult plants teach me patience or different ways of treating them than other plants. The same applies to team members- they are all different. I have to treat them differently to get the right results.

But seriously what keeps you going? My strength comes from many sources- my daughters for instance. Just knowing that I am responsible for their future keeps me awake and focused. My wife, ever so calm- helps me especially in those very difficult moments when things don’t seem to be going the way I planned. She has an amazing work ethic and I always wish I was as productive.

My ultimate source of strength comes my Faith in God. I am a believer and that keeps me going. I embraced Psalm 82:1-2 as my purpose in life years ago and it remains my True North especially in the choices I have to make. If it doesn’t come include the cause of the weak, the fatherless and the widows- then it has nothing to do with me. I am all for social justice and a certain form of egalitarianism. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we got rid of greed!