It is evident that with the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), we are daily confronted with the emergence of new technologies and the inability of society to cope with this. It is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and relate to one another. According to Klaus Schwab from the World Economic Forum, “Leadership in these complex times requires nothing less than a wholesale shift of our mental models, a step change in collaborative engagement, and the ability to collectively envisage the futures that we want to create, and manage ourselves away from the dystopias which technological progress can conjure”. Leadership will play a pivotal role in driving transformation by adopting key leadership behaviours necessary to elevate and enable their workforce.
UJ Leadership Charter
A UJ Leadership Charter was developed in 2005. During 2012 and 2015, a strategic review was conducted of the leadership interventions since 2005, as referenced against leading leadership practices, to establish a baseline from which to proceed with the refinement of the UJ Future Fit Leadership Profile and UJ Leadership Competency Model. This process was completed and various leadership programmes addressing UJ’s needs were implemented.
Leadership Programmes
UJ Woman's Leadership Development Programme (UJWLDP)
The question will be asked, why a programme exclusively for women? Globally, there is recognition that women require a different development approach to men. It must be acknowledged that during a women’s programme, interaction with men also becomes necessary; however, women should be developed as leaders to prepare them to understand individual and organisational power dynamics, start identifying with being a leader, and have a clear sense of leadership purpose.
Worldwide, there are many Women in Leadership programmes and most global companies are investing in women’s development. It is also a known fact that women’s career progression is still lagging behind that of men, including compensation. According to research, more companies are now taking gender diversity issues extremely seriously, by devoting the necessary resources to redressing the gender imbalance. The research also concluded that more women were needed in leadership as an imperative for competitiveness.
A leadership development programme for UJ women in leadership positions was designed to aid UJ women to identify with leadership and to become outstanding leaders, and contribute towards UJ achieving its global excellence and stature.
Our guiding philosophy for the UJWLDP since 2016 was to enhance the delegates’ knowledge base about management, personal leadership and their understanding of strategic thought and practical implementation. This programme for women focuses on how to turn intent into impact as Women Leaders, to thrive at work and in life.
UJ Young Leaders Development Programme (UJYLDP)
“Developing our young leaders today… for tomorrow.” Certificate in Organisational Leadership
The UJYLDP involves the empowerment and preparation of Young Leaders to be social change agents by developing their understanding of others and self-awareness of their roles and responsibilities as leaders in different contexts.
In the South African context, student representative councils (SRCs) at universities are an important mechanism to ensure that all South African students receive quality higher education in a safe, disciplined and healthy environment, underpinned by access, success and equity, which are critical areas of focus in the transformation process. SRCs, as a well-organised body with the necessary skills, can channel their capability and commitment towards improving university life for students.
The aim of this 6-month programme is to help participants to develop a basic understanding of what it takes to be a masterful leader. The programme’s conceptual framework is based on the three dimensional leadership universe: Me, We, World. Five competencies of masterful leadership: character, competence, caring, commitment and connected; and five intelligences of masterful leadership: intra- and interpersonal, conceptual, spiritual, action and contextual. The programme is offered fully online in partnership with Higher Education Partners South Africa (HEPSA).
To supplement the onlinelearning, participants will be invited to attend additional workshops arranged by the UJ Transformation Division to further explore and complete each learning unit.
UJ Young Leaders Development Proramme
Leadership in the Fouth Industrial Revolution (4IR)
In order to participate in the UJYLDP, the UJ student must:
- Hold a leadership role within the University of Johannesburg (i.e. Student Representative Council and/or House Committee).
- Be a social change agent.
- Be willing to develop an understanding of others and have self-awareness of their role and responsibilities.
UJ Emerging Leadership Development Programme
The UJ Emerging Leaders – Leadership Development Programme was implemented after recommendations made by the Leadership Development Task Team, which was tasked to look at leadership development at different levels within the University. The task team spent a lot of time on defining what an emerging leader is, determining the criteria for identification and contextualizing the concept within the strategic imperatives of succession planning, “growing your own timber” and employment equity targets for senior occupational levels.
In order to satisfy the pressing need for better and different leadership, IPPM assisted the Transformation Division by putting together a “new world” Emerging Leader – Leadership Development Programme in line with the leadership requirements of the future. The UJ Emerging Leaders Programme is presented by the Transformation Division in collaboration with the Training and Development Division (T&D) in Human Resources, while the Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management (IPPM) from the College of Business and Economics (CBE) conducts the study schools.