20 March 2023 

Written by Beauty Shiviti - Lecturer | School of Commerce

Women in leadership and management face unique challenges and opportunities on the African continent. To empower women as leaders and managers in Africa, there are leadership competencies, skills, behaviour and styles that would be necessary for African women to lead the continent towards a better future. 

The leadership competencies, skills, behaviour and styles that would be necessary for African women to lead the continent towards a brighter future. 

African women must possess a variety of leadership competencies, skills, behaviors, and styles in order to guide Africa toward a better future. Some of the most important characteristics and abilities required are listed below: 

Vision: A better future for the nations and communities must be envisioned by African women leaders, who must be capable of looking beyond the present. They ought to be able to create long-term objectives and plans of action to reach them. 

Resilience: Africa has demonstrated resilience in the face of a variety of difficulties, including social problems, economic crises, and political instability. In order to bring about positive change, women leaders must be able to overcome these obstacles and persevere. 

Collaborative: Leadership that is collaborative and inclusive is essential for African women in leadership positions. They should be able to assemble diverse teams, encourage intercultural interaction and cooperation, and respect various viewpoints and opinions. 

Empathetic: Empathy and emotional intelligence are necessary for African women leaders to be able to recognize and address the needs of their team members and constituents. They must be able to communicate clearly and establish enduring bonds of friendship and respect with one another. 

Entrepreneurial mindset: To identify opportunities for growth and development and to develop original solutions to challenging issues, African women leaders must possess an entrepreneurial mindset. They ought to be capable of accepting change and taking calculated risks. 

Commitment to social justice: African women leaders should be committed to human rights and social justice, capable of advocating for the most vulnerable members of their communities, and capable of addressing issues such as poverty, inequality, and discrimination. 

Strong ethical principles: African women leaders must adhere to high moral principles and be committed to honesty, decency, and integrity. They must be able to instill confidence and trust in their team members and constituents. 

In conclusion, African women leaders must possess a variety of competencies, skills, behaviors, and styles in order to lead their countries to a brighter future. They should be visionary, resilient, collaborative, empathetic, entrepreneurial, socially conscious, and have high ethical standards. These characteristics and qualities will help them navigate the challenges of leadership while also effecting positive change in their communities and countries.