Shamim Matovu supports business leaders to curate culture

Growing up an only girl, her brothers would always rely on her to get them out of trouble, with their parents after a mischievous act. “I was my siblings’ lawyer,” she recollects. 

It goes without saying that she was a star debater all through school and was an information prefect at some point. 

Her charisma, her confidence and her speaking skills would only get better as she racked up more experience as a business leader and soared to lofty academic heights. 

Finding a bigger playing field
Upon completing her Bachelor’s in Anthropology at Makerere University, Shamim served as a volunteer teaching assistant, helping undergraduate students with their research. 

She soon moved to the banking sector, where she served in the customer experience department for three years, before moving to the UK to pursue a Masters in Anthropology and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science. 

She would take up jobs while at university to help her pay the bills, just like most international students. After graduation, Shamim stayed in London and worked in different social services organisations. It was at these jobs that her leadership talent manifested. 

“In London, I always worked in environments where I was a minority, a black person in a white country, working with people from diverse cultures. But even here, I ended up leading,” she says.

On the day that I met her for this interview, I found her in the middle of a photoshoot for her upcoming book launch. It was a chilly rainy day and I was cold, having travelled through the rain to meet her. She was warm and open-hearted. But I digress.

“In every organisation I worked, I somehow ended up in top management. My teams always found me very strict on results, but very understanding too. I will listen, but I do not want excuses. Work has to be done. Deadlines must be met. And performance has to be above average,” she says

Dealing with prejudice
When you are a black woman in your 20s and 30s, leading white people double your age, there is bound to be ropes to pull. This was the case. But Shamim knew she was not an affirmative-action hire. She had a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics. She found a way of dealing with prejudice.

“Interacting and understanding people deeply is very important in leadership. I am trained to study people through culture. I understand people interaction and behaviour,” she says. 

She learnt to balance work relationships and deal with people from all walks of life. Her policy was “we agree to disagree. Nothing personal.” 

Overtime, they accepted her leadership style because they saw that she more than fit the bill. She was warm, but very strict about results. Micromanaging was distasteful to her. As long as results were coming, the rest did not matter. 

Emotional intelligence
 So, what makes a good leader? I ask Shamim.  “The importance of emotional intelligence cannot be overemphasised. We come from different backgrounds and it takes a great leader to recognise our strengths.

Some people believe that employees should not bring their emotions in their work environment, but that is wishful thinking. Emotions are part of who we are. We are not robots. We are people. A leader should allow people to express themselves because then we get to know what matters to them,” she explains.
“Some people are most productive in the middle of the night, others early morning, others late in the evening. Hounding people to be at their desks at all times does not necessarily translate into productivity. And this is what emotional intelligence is all about,” she adds. 

She adds that the other aspect that makes a great leader is not being bossy and reminding people just how powerful they are. 

“A chief executive officer who fights with a receptionist is not emotionally intelligent. Speak less. Be ready for discomfort. Remember you need the team. If it walked out on you today, you would crumble,” she says.
Coming back to Uganda

In 2021, Shamim came home after the long Covid lockdown. She wanted to let some steam off. She needed to wind down after years of constant work. But that was highly improbable because she was also here to do embark on doctorate research. 

“I think the Covid lockdowns made most people, like myself, to reflect about the meaning in our work. I was sick then and the sickness made those thoughts stronger. And for me, as a professional that is driven by growth, I realised that in the organisation where I worked, there was not much space for me to grow anymore,” she says. 

“So, I resigned while here, boarded the plane, handed over and came back to Uganda. I am running my company now,” she says.

On writing her first book
“When I went to handover, my colleagues had prepared parting gifts for me. And boy! They did touch my heart! They had designed a certificate that declared me as the ‘world’s best team leader’. This melted my heart. 

“They gave me a notebook and a pen. And the pen had these words inscribed on it: “Write away!” They told me, “Shamim, we want to read your book.” She says.

They must have figured that she knew something about management that most people did not. And if she put what she knew on paper, maybe the world would have better business managers. Managers like herself. As she left London for Uganda, the challenge to author a book was on her mind. 

“I walked away telling myself that I must write a book. And a year later, the book is done and dusted,” she announces. 

Lean Strategies for Managers - Leading Teams to Purpose and Potential (The bridge to productivity) is the title of her new book. Much of the research that went into the book, she did while doing her ongoing doctorate. 
The rest of the book is based on her personal experience as a business leader in London. 

Doctoral journey
Shamim is finalising a doctorate in Business Administration, specialising in Leadership, Management and Human Dynamics, particularly researching organisational culture, conflict management and employee performance.  

Leading people, managing things
One of the aspects of leadership she advocates for strongly, is leading people and managing things.
“Adults hire adults. There is no organisation that hires children. The question that you must ask yourself is, why are we managing adults? These people are fathers, mothers, grandmothers and grandfathers. These are responsible people that do not need managing at all. All they need is a leader. That is why a 35-year-old can lead a 60-year-old without a problem. We are supposed to only manage things,” she emphasises. 

Give people freedom
In the book, she challenges leaders to let people be. 
“Let people have freedom. What it means to lead people is to guide them. When you hire me, I assume that you have hired me on merit. I am fit to be in the position that I fill. I have the qualifications to do the job. All I need are the right tools to do the work and the right environment,” Shamim adds. 

To be a leader of people means you know that you are entrusted with people in your team, but also with the resources and tools to help you get the job done. This is where ‘managing things’ comes in.

“When I talk about managing things, I mean, find the right suppliers, find ways of putting resources in the right hands or spaces,” she says. 

The book will be launched on October 26, in Kampala.