Tsitsi Mutendi Discusses Passing the Leadership Baton with Charlotte Kemp

Hi, this is Charlotte Kemp, your host of Futures Facets, the Associations Edition. And I'm really excited today to talk to our guest Tsitsi Matende from Zimbabwe. Tsitsi is the co-founder of African Family Firms, a nonprofit African family business association, an author, a businesswoman, a consultant, a podcaster, and she even has a channel on Clubhouse. which some of us are still trying to get used to. But Siphiwe, thank you very much for talking to us today about associations. We'd love to understand a bit more about your African Family Firms and what that means and what it's about, and then a few questions about association management. So why don't you just start, Siphiwe, with a little bit about your career, how you got there, and why African Family Firms?

Well, thank you for having me, Charlotte. It's such an honour to be here today. A little bit about myself: I am a mom, a wife, a business owner, and I am a champion for African family businesses. And I champion them through my consultancy where I work with family businesses, as well as my nonprofit association, which is African Family Firms, which really digs deep into creating that community and networking for family businesses on the continent. How I got involved in, in this space is I realized after I lost my dad 3 years ago that I come from a long line of family businesses. Both my grandparents from both sides of my family were family business owners. My parents are family business owners. And lo and behold, I became a family business owner. And until that moment where it dawned on me that, wow, I come from a legacy of family businesses, and that I'm surrounded by family businesses, and we all know a family business somewhere out there on the continent. it really then impacted me to realise that this future that we're speaking about, Africa becoming this giant, this economic giant, is going to have to come from the structures that we all hold dear, which is the family.

Fantastic. And I loved how you started your own introduction with, you know, yourself as part of a family, because I think we miss that sometimes in business, where we're so busy trying to do the work of our business without thinking about the impact on the family. You gave me the opportunity to address your association a couple of months ago, and I spoke about, I spoke about being a conscious futurist, I remember, but I did tell the story about my own family business. So I bought a franchise a number of years ago, my parents worked for me. And we had a whole lot of drama, and my mom was very ill, she had a series of heart attacks, and then I lost the business. And it was the most traumatic thing trying to tie up a business and to technically retrench my own parents out of it. It was very difficult. And just as you're speaking, it just, I just realized that I've hired my own daughter to come and work for me with this podcast. So anyone who's listening, the podcast manager, Jocelyn Kareem, is my daughter. And we do kind of, we do turn to our families first. And I think maybe that's why we don't always take it seriously that the whole value of a family business in the community and for that family and for the economy. Because it just seems natural to tap into the other people in our home and get them to do things rather than think about that as a real structure. Is that something you experience? I mean, how formally do we think about family businesses, or do we just take them for granted?

So, when we think of family businesses, most people just think of their mom-and-pop stores. And that's where it starts really, because when you think even of economy, it starts with, I need a good or a service. And I go to Charlotte and I say, well, do you have this good or service? And she says, oh yes, sure. And then we talk about what are we going to exchange for it. Equally so, when you look at family businesses, they all start from a product or a service that a family believes that they can offer. And you have a community that comes around that product or that service and they start using it. And naturally, you're going to hire the people that that are around you. And you're going to add on thinking, okay, what other skills can I outsource? But most of the time in family businesses, it's natural for us to trust our family members because we— they start out as our accountants, they start out as our marketing managers, they start out— they literally start out as our whole staff. And as we grow, and we are able to hire more better-placed people with more skills, we either upgrade our family skills, or we outsource from another source. And it's— but all businesses essentially start from a family member.

Yeah, very, very important to realise that. I think the problem that we expect, well, that I certainly experienced with my family business was the governance issue. So, you know, when you have to sit down and have a staff meeting or a, you know, a leaders meeting or something like that, it's much more difficult when You know, I was my dad's boss. And that conversation did not work very well. And we had to actually sit down and kind of draw up new lines of communication about how do we make this work. I think, I think our relationship grew during that time. But, but it certainly was very difficult. So any insight on how do we actually manage that leadership issue?

So you know what, I work with families around governance every day. And When people think about governance, they think about corporate governance, they think about government as well, because governance seems like a whole lot of rules, and people sometimes struggle with rules because they want them to be bent a little bit for them. And with families, what's really important in, in getting that structure and that governance is firstly identifying your shared history. What is the history that brought you to this moment that you're in as a family? What is your shared history? Then the second thing is to identify what is your shared vision. What would you like to see happen from this point forward as a family? What is that shared vision you have for the future across the board, whether it's personal individual shared vision, whether it's as a group, as a family, the shared vision, the vision that you have for your business? Communicate this vision and come to a resonance of this is a goal we're going to work towards together, and this is where we're coming from, this is what led us to this goal, and this is what is going to take us forward, and this is how every member is going to participate towards the achievement of this goal. So there's that clear alliance of we're working together and Anytime you then have conflict or a discussion that brings you to the table where you have to discuss why this is our shared vision, what is our shared history, and then what is trust building, what happens when that trust is broken, because there are going to be times where perspectives are different. What Charlotte thinks and what Charlotte's dad thinks, they might be looking at the same object, but it might look different depending on where they're sitting and how they're feeling. And so sometimes being able to clearly draw in terms of communication, how do we communicate with each other and why is it important for us to communicate regularly? Because when you leave too much space and time between communication, you give that ability to misinterpret and to come up with assumptions, and then it becomes a lot harder when you're trying to detangle trust issues, conflicts, and so forth. So governance is just saying, where are we coming from, where are we going to, and how are we going to do it together?

Oh, that's lovely. One of the things I often talk about with associations is especially with the volunteer bodies, so not the, the ones that are legislated that people have to belong to, but the volunteer associations are peers coming together agreeing to co-create a body that they're all going to be members of and adhere to for the strength of themselves, their own businesses, and, and the broader industry. And we certainly find that with the Professional Speakers Association, we don't have to have an industry, an association, that we do and we join together and, and that makes us all— we can share resources and insights and encouragement and opportunities and we're all growing from that. And, and as you're talking and talking about how a family— and families don't volunteer to be together because, you know, they, they just are. Children are born into families, so we're there. But, but if we agree to work together, that whole conversation about our shared history and our shared vision, that's the same sort of thing as, as in an association if we're trying to look at leadership or governance in an association is we have to understand, you know, as we constitute each year's new, you know, after an AGM, the new board or the new exec, we all have to come together and agree, where have we come from? What are we seeing on this, this exec? What is our vision for this association? What do we want to achieve? Do you find the same sort of thing, you know, those parallels between family business and associations, or are there other differences or similarities?

Absolutely. I think there is more similarities because any point in time where we are brought together, whether by fate, whether by choice, or whether by birth, you have to be able to come to some sort of alignment. You're not always going to agree, and that's across the board, whether you're related to each other or you're not related to each other. More so when you're coming together as a board in an association where you're volunteering to be part of this and you are giving your time to processes and your resources to ensure that the association moves forward. It's really important for every member to align with the fact that they know what the shared history of the association is. Where did we start? What got us here? And why did we agree to be here? And then looking at the shared vision.

What—

now we are here, this is where we've been able to take ourselves so far, and it's been through the work of other people. And now we are taking it from here going forward into the future. What does that look like? there has to be a clear definition of, do we share the same vision? Because in times where you're going to have conflict and there's going to be disagreement on how to achieve that vision, there has to be some sort of alignment in the fact that we are indeed still following the same vision. And how are we going to get to that? Because what we're simply doing is carrying the baton. Like, it's when, like, when you're running a race. And in business and in associations, the truth is there is no clear ending to it.

Yeah.

You just know that you are— when you get that baton, you can see the person who gave it to you. So you know the history, you know where it's coming from, you can see how far they've run, you can see the progression of the person who got it afterwards, and so forth. And literally, when you are taking a baton stick, you can see how those runners are on the track. They're looking behind them because they want to get and hold that and be able to run, because holding that baton means that I've got it and I'm running with it. And so they're looking behind them to see the progress of the people who are coming with it, running with it, and they are also starting to pick up the pace. So when they get it, they're going to take it forward. And so When you've got it in hand and you're going forward, it's very essential to know that, you know, that your focus now is going to the next person. How am I— when I take this, I shouldn't drop it because if I drop it, we've lost the race. If I do anything that I let go of this thing that was given responsibility to me, I'm letting other people down. And my task is to run as hard, as fast, and as far as I can to get to the next person. And make sure that you give them the opportunity and the privilege of the work that you have done to be able to carry it forward.

Ah, Suthi, that's an incredibly powerful analogy. And I'm just seeing, thinking immediately of all the ways that that can go wrong, all the examples of people who've dropped the baton. One of my, I won't name any names. One of my, the things I'm thinking about here is the person who has to hand over the baton. Sometimes they don't want to. And I can imagine that happening in family business where, you know, the founder doesn't want to hand over to the second generation. And in associations where the founder doesn't want to hand over to, you know, people who are coming 5, 6, 7 years down the line who don't— maybe, maybe they haven't caught the entire initial vision that's been passed forward. How difficult is it for people sometimes? Or how do we help people? at least to hand over the baton, even if they fear that the next person might stumble in that race?

I think that's where we go back to those 2 main points that I came up with. Shared history, where are we coming from? We need to celebrate the work that has been done. We need to celebrate the fact that we are in this moment because of the work that has been done. And I think for a lot of founders, or even a lot of people who head up and have been in a position for a while, it's the fear that the next person will not be able to carry it the way that I did, or will not be able to run as fast as I did, or not. And they're looking at where they're coming from. And when you're running a race, the focus should not be where you're coming from, especially when you're holding a baton stick.

Yeah.

Because we can celebrate where you're coming from, because we can see that you've run hard and you've run far, and there were probably obstacles. You're probably jumping over the hurdles, and you probably almost fell over, you probably tripped. There's a lot that was going on, and in each stage, you got the celebration, you got the support, you got everything. And now, when you're looking at the person in front of you, you must know that there is a reason why there's a timescale on how long you can run and how far you should run.

Yes.

That timescale is not there by error, but it has to happen like that. It's very difficult for anybody. I mean, we have children. I cannot imagine at any given point in time myself sitting in a car and having my youngest daughter drive me. I can tell you in my mind right now, I will only see the little baby that was handed to me. and I will see the steering wheel and I'll be thinking, good Lord, is this really happening to me at this moment? But the truth is, if true leadership, true, true leadership, as with parenting, is have you, during the time that you got, did you do the best you can to equip Yes. And to be able to hand over to the next person, because it is not their responsibility to be a leader. It is your responsibility as a leader to equip everyone around you to be able to take on that mantle and run with it. So even if it's a vision you have, you have to be clear how far you can take that vision and what your limitations are. And you must also know the danger in that, at that moment of passing on the baton, if you refuse to let it go, the other person may release it the moment you release it, and you both lose that race because it drops to the ground.

Yeah.

And so, in that moment where you feel the other person grabbing hold of it, don't resist releasing. Because when you release it, you're not releasing the fact that you are a leader. You're releasing the fact that you are ready and you know that the person that you prepared for leadership is also ready to take it forward. And that is what you were running for, that was what your aim was. And so when my daughter sits next to me, I'm sure she has a license, she's been trained, and I gave her I hope I gave her enough common sense not to go into a wall.

Yes. Yeah. All right. So I know my daughter, the podcast manager, will be listening to this podcast. So she'll have some comments about my comments about her driving. But you're absolutely right. It's our job as parents, as leaders, to prepare that next generation. If we can't let go, it's because we haven't done the job properly, not that they haven't done the job properly. I think that's really inspiring. It really puts the responsibility back in the leader's role to equip that succession plan, whether we're talking family business or associations. Siti, that's incredibly insightful. As we come towards the end, Siti, is there anything, any other insight that you have either about your family firms or about association management that you can leave us with? Anything that you've experienced?

I think one of the things that we always need to remember, especially when we are in spaces where there's associations and their membership, when we go into a group of people and we've sold them a vision and a dream and we have shared where our history is and we have said this is where we want to go into the future, what we must put ahead of all things is serving. I think we forget that when we get into leadership roles, we forget that when we get into the doldrums of everyday operations and we get busy and sometimes we forget our members because we are busy running the association. But the reason why there are associations is because we saw a need. It's that shared history of knowing that there was a need and we've created something that is going to cater for that need and the vision going forward is to continue catering for that need and growing. And as we do that, to remember that service comes first. We go into these spaces to be able to uplift one another, to be able to uplift whether it is our industries, whether it is a grouping of people doing something that we're passionate about. At the end of the day, when we serve each other and we collaborate and we work together, we create a vision that is bigger than we ever thought is possible, and we bring together and harness a power of togetherness, of Ubuntu, of collectiveness. And that is what really an association is.

Very, very good. I agree wholeheartedly. Siphiwe, just before we started this podcast, you and I had a conversation, we were talking towards the end about you and I both having a shared vision of raising the profiles of people on the African continent with the insight, the wisdom, the experience, and the speaking opportunities that they all have. Whether we're talking family business or associations, what is your message to the rest of the world about what Africa can offer?

I think Africa is such an incredible, incredible place. And I know when I say Africa, everyone is like, but Africa is so vast. And that is the beauty of the continent. We are so vast, we have so many different cultures, we have so many different traditions, and we have so many different experiences. And I think the thought process of that Africa has nothing to offer, or they're too quiet, or what really is on the continent is simply because no one has ventured out to open those doors and say, welcome. And as African speakers, African leaders, we are so ready to represent our continent, to represent our diversity, and to share our stories. If there's anything that Africans are good at as storytelling. We have told stories for millennia and we will continue to tell stories. And it's, it's time that the world opened up its stages to allow that refreshing breeze that comes from Africa that tells stories that sometimes will leave your jaw on the ground and sometimes will leave you in tears because you are laughing. Because Africa, if anything, it is a truly magical place, and it has truly powerful individuals that have so much to share with the world.

Incredible. Thank you, Tsitsi. If people want to get hold of you, I will be sharing your contact details in the show notes. But if they wanted to get hold of you, what is the service or insight that you could offer them? And, and what would be the easiest way for them to find you?

The easiest way to find me is on social media. I am on LinkedIn most of the time, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, but mostly Twitter and LinkedIn. I'm also— my email, which will be in the show notes. And what do I have to offer families? What do I have to offer individuals? I think I have the unique African perspective that I carry within my DNA. and the unique and interesting African stories, as well as knowledge on how to communicate better, how to create resonance, how to build that shared history, and how to create that shared vision and make it all come together in a way that corresponds with who you are and the identity of who your organization is, who your family is, And creating a map into the future.

Beautiful. Fantastic. Tsitsi, I'm very excited that you and I are probably going to be spending more time working together in the next little while. But certainly what you've given us today, an insight into family business and a unique and beautiful insight into how associations can work together and pass that baton on and that leadership, I think it's really profound. Thank you very much for your time today.

Thank you so, so much.

Folks, if you want to find Siphiwe Matende, you can find her on LinkedIn, as she said, and on other social media. And if you want to find me, you can find me also on LinkedIn or on my website charlottekemp.co.za or futuresalchemist.com. And this particular podcast and a whole lot of other interesting podcasts with association executives can be found on Futures podcast. I help associations to plan that map to the future and to use the map compass and a guide to navigate the challenges they have. Um, I'm gonna have to add in the bat analogy there as well. Uh, but please do contact me if you have any questions and, uh, have a look at my website for public events.