Dr. Eva Bilhuber Galli

Cooperation with university staff

It was a wonderful opportunity and honour for me to have been invited by B360 and TSiBA for conducting the 5-days course module on «Leading with impact». It’s one of several modules of the Post-Graduate-Diploma in Small Enterprise Consulting of TSiBA. I was very warmly welcomed by the responsibles of Tsiba: Reidwaan, Pearl, Noma, Peter and Adri – they gave me the feeling to making part of the TSiBA-family right from the beginning. In the particular subject of leadership there does not exist a right or wrong –it is rather strongly related and sensitive to its cultural context. Accordingly, I was very grateful that Reidwaan guided me from the beginning to navigate this sensitive territory and helped me to understand in a very short amount of time some differences. For example, the word “transformation management” is in South Africa a highly political term whereas in European context it stands for a specific spin of change management. Additionally, it was amazing to learn from Pearl as well as Noma about the extraordinary holistic curriculum that TSiBA offers – not only to Post-Graduates but as well the Undergraduates. Particularly regarding Leadership. It is wonderful that already Undergraduates have the possibility to learn about self-leadership, their vision and their personal learning effectiveness. I would love to see more of this as well in our country!

Cooperation with students

The small volume of a class of seven participants put us in the luxury situation to intensively discuss around different leadership understandings and possibilities to consult entrepreneurs. I was able to enter a wonderful trusting atmosphere in class that Panos and Susann had already built up during their previous modules. I encountered very enriching, moving and intimate dialogues right from the beginning. As one of students was staying at the same B&B I had the possibility to learn more about the background of the participants that most of them stem from townships originally and made their way out of it. Our discussions around leading self, suspending judgements and the shift from heroic to rather collective forms of leadership became in this light immediately a vibrant real-life context.

I highly appreciated that Susann, the B360 Expert who conducted the Coaching & Mentoring Module in this Diploma right before me, supported me intensively in advance to prepare myself, to avoid traps and to familiarize with the level of the class. Due to the specific situation that Reidwaan was still understandably absorbed by his family after the tragic death of his mother and her brother, I was particularly grateful for her support. By that, we could as well trace connections between the modules, e.g. had a skype call with Susann during my module and identified the connections of the topics.

Impact and win-win

To conduct a course module about leadership in a country with the heritage of four Peace Nobel Prize winners is a special honour. Above, I never did a Leadership course of 5-days-in-a-row before – and it turned out a great experience! I realized that the topic of leadership is actually a good instrument to inspire a collective learning and understanding of different lenses, perspectives and assumptions and help to bridge them. I was very grateful for the openness of the group to embrace those different perspectives and the complexity of the field in all instances. Participants appreciated particularly the interactive way of going about the topic, as well as that we discussed the newer forms of collective leadership and leading ecosystems.

Overall, I enjoyed this week very much because it was packed full of personal learnings and horizon broadening. About this country with its complex historic heritage and this breath taking city I visited for the very first time. But as well about leadership, about myself and my particularly shaped European perspective. When listening to the stories of my participants that all somehow started in a township and made it out of it, I realized that we sometimes take things far too much for granted. It was a welcome lesson in humility. That found its final highlight in my guided township tour that I undertook at the very end of my stay. I realized, if someone wants to learn something about self-leadership, endurance, strength, flexibility and entrepreneurship, selling or how to build up a business – one need to come to consult those people!

Personal message

I am very grateful to B360, particularly Sabina, for their trust and invitation to spend this wonderful week where I could contribute a small slice to such an important and phantastic institution like TSiBA. I am as well deeply grateful to all members of the TSiBA-family who entrusted me from the beginning. Thanks for taking me out, showing me Cape Town and familiarize me with the very important and successful work you do! I am truly impressed of what you do for the sustainable development of this country and would love to see more examples like this in other countries – including ours!

As some participant pointed out nicely in the feedback round: We might only in a later point be fully able to value what this week added up to our lives – that holds true for me too. I am deeply grateful for all I have received during this week and for all that will unfold to a later point in time.