Engaging Power for Empowerment & Influence - HERS-SA Mini-Academy
by Vicki Heard
Well known to many on the Cape Town radio scene, motivational speaker, life mentor and former UCT academic, Dr Helgo Schomer, kicked off the fifth Mini-ACADEMY with his usual brio encouraging the women to embrace their power within to feel empowered in their careers and lives. Part of this was achieving self-awareness, finding a balance between giving and receiving, and replenishing one's energy levels through positive, nurturing thoughts and a healthy life-style. "Food" for re-energising includes among others, engaging with humour and nature, having a belief system, eating healthily, sleeping and exercising, forming healthy relationships, and rumination.
Funeka Plaatjie-Njobeni, also a former UCT employee and now with Mila Consulting, gave delegates the opportunity to engage on some fundamental leadership questions and to consider how self-awareness - and gender journeys - influence behaviour and how important it is for women to re-frame their experiences and re-claim what has been lost. During a session on the influence of awareness on behaviour and the interaction between culture, values and behaviour, delegates completed an online values assessment which helped them to understand their levels of personal consciousness and how their values underpin their behaviour. Other themes covered were the role of anxiety in leadership and how it serves as a conduit for generating knowledge and growth, and that connecting with others and collaborating across boundaries are key behaviours for inspirational leaders.
The HERS-SA is a non-profit organisation "dedicated to the advancement and leadership development of women in the Higher Education sector."1 As an advocate for women in higher education careers it contributes to the transformation imperatives in the sector through the Academies and various other services. Naledi Pandor, Minister of Home Affairs, and other prominent women leaders in South Africa, are alumni of HERS-SA.
For more information click here: HERS-SA.
1 http://www.hers-sa.org.za/
Photo: Courtesy HERS-SA