Gloria Kadzo, Student of Business Administration at Mount Kenya University
Developing a new generation of sovereign leaders where it’s needed most – a breakthrough experience for Kenyan talents and executives from abroad. That is our joint goal with ⇒ NPO Aiducation – we are so grateful for this strong partnership.
DierkeHouben Leadership Advisors runs the Academy as a philantropic project. All executives’ fees are exclusively for the benefit of NPO Aiducation Kenya.
Voices of participants
40 highly talented future Kenyan leaders, all of them scholarship alumni of NPO Aiducation, our team of 8 executives and ourselves acting as coaches – our 5-day “Purpose-driven Leadership Academy” was designed to help people start living up to their full potential. Key focus is “Lead your self”: Starting with the definition of the Inner Compass – the individual purpose – and looking at one’s behavioural styles to learning emotional intelligence for effective self-management we enable talents as well as executives to step up as sovereign leaders.
Jimmy Tune, reflecting on Leonard Cohen’s poem: “There is a crack in everything, this is where the light gets in. Now, with this programme I am filled with light”… “I have found some gold in me that I didn’t know I have…”
Jimmy Tune, CEO Crosstown Courier Ltd in Nairobi
Simon M. Rick, starting with a quote by Mark Twain “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why”… and “in this Academy I found out why I was born…”
Simon M. Rick, CEO Backyard Kuku Ranch in Kenya
George Sanga: “I feel fulfilled, I feel ready to step out, having my purpose statement that is going to be a guide for me, like a compass… I will use it to propel me into greater endeauvours in the future.”
George Sanga, Student of Architecture at Nairobi University
Wairimu Mwangi, sharing that it has been “life changing for me and everyone”… “now I know myself! Before it was like you walk around in the desert and now you found an oasis…”
Wairimu Mwangi, Student of Psychology at Nairobi University
Grow stronger as a sovereign leader while serving a higher cause: Grow yourself by helping others to grow.
Voices of “Leaders as Coaches”
In June 2023, we ran the third cohort of our Leadership Academy in Nairobi. In 2022, we had a strong team of 5 executives from Switzerland/ Germany and 3 executives from Kenya with us, acting as Visiting Coaches in the academy. Check their video statements below. Our thanks go to Rosebella Abok, Anna-Naomi Bandi-Lang, Anzazi Kiti, Ronny Landolt, Philip Odete, Jeannette von Ratibor, Simone Schimmion and Matthias Schümann. They acted as coaches during the academy and did a great job in listening, encouraging, experimenting and guiding! “Growing yourself by helping others grow” – they really embarked on this personal growth journey for a higher cause.
These 8 leaders joined us for 5 days to support 40 Kenyan leadership talents – students and young entrepreneurs – to consistently master their own development journey. It was great to have them as coaches in our Leadership Academy!
Ronny Landolt, UBS Investment Bank: “I learned how I could personally grow and be more sensible… self awareness in the respective situation… how I could cope better with tension or stress. So it was not just about the coachees but also us as coaches, we have learned a lot.”
Ronny Landolt, UBS Investment Bank
Simone Schimmion: “I’ve done other Leadership Programmes as well but this week was definitely about looking inside yourself… I learned a lot about myself… And on top of that, now having a purpose gives you a lot of meaning in your day to day life.”
Simone Schimmion, BearingPoint
Anzazi Kiti: “I learned about myself, the kind of person I am… that my crucible shall not define who I am. I am not hostage of these past low moments but I shall look for the insights and strengths that I build from these moments and make me who I am.”
Anzazi Kiti, CEO Taste Afrique
Anna-Naomi Bandi-Lang: “My key take-away is my purpose statement. I think it will kind of serve as an anchor for the rest of my life. And that is very beautiful to have… The whole week was just a wonderful experience… It makes me feel fulfilled, grateful and also empowered.”
Anna-Naomi Bandi-Lang, UBS Investment Bank
Matthias Schümann: “I think we all learned a lot about ourselves, about the behaviour of others, about self-awareness, so that we can all become better leaders. When you have 20 years of experience in leadership, you already know something about yourself… But now I have a clear picture in my mind, what my purpose is and I can step forward.”
Matthias Schümann, McKinsey
Jeannette von Ratibor: “I was reminded of the features of my leadership style and essentially not only what the features of my own leadership style are, but how these are perceived by third parties and by other people… it obviously helps me in my active leadership.”
Jeannette von Ratibor, Alvaraz & Marsal
Philip Odete: “The Academy has been a revelation – because when you come as a coach you think you know everything… but you end up learning from the people you’re coaching… the most important lesson is that you have to, first of all, take charge of yourself! Lead yourself before you can actually lead others.”
Philip Odete, JNN Advocates
If you are interested in joining us as a Visiting Coach in our next Academy in Kenya, you will be very welcome.
Check for more information about our programme for executives ⇒ “Purpose-driven Leadership – Leader as a Coach”, with this Leadership Academy in Nairobi as its integral part.
It is a win-win-win for everyone: for you as you develop as a sovereign leader, for Kenyan future leaders by stepping into purpose and self-awareness – and for our philanthropic initiative, supporting NPO Aiducation and the AiduAlumni in Kenya.
We are looking forward to our next DierkeHouben Leadership Academies: December 3-8, 2023, and June 2-7, 2024.
