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‘Intelligence gets you in but does not make you win’
Your ability to do the job is not everything. There are traits such as trust, how you work with others, and your relationships with peers. Many career growth decisions are taken in boardrooms and meetings where you are not representing yourself. PHOTO | DEOGRATIUS WAMALA
What you need to know:
- Nyimpini Mabunda: He recently wrote a book titled Take Charge and during its launch last week, the former UBL CEO shared how the pay at the top is fantastic but it is never easy up as the chances of getting fired or retiring are equally high.
On paper, we find ourselves amidst an era that seemingly favours those in positions of authority; the chief executives, the ones that hold an extraordinary amount of influence and control. They are everybody’s favourite heroes. Politicians want to clone them and school textbooks praise them. Some of them have their payments pegged on their company’s growth. Eventually, profits are high and the economy is brimming.
WorldSalaries estimates that an average chief executive officer working in Uganda will typically earn between Shs50m and Shs112m. The platform calculates the average salaries of various professions using official government salary data, salary surveys and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.
The pay is fantastic, but the chances of being fired or retiring in this prevailing dynamic market that calls for sweat in the day and restless nights are high.
In 2016, Nyimpini Mabunda, the then-managing director of Uganda Breweries Limited, told journalists at a press conference in Kampala that he would not continue to work for the company. His three-year contract had expired, eventually prompting him to return to South Africa, his native country.
The demanding market compiled with increased excise duty by 10 per cent to 30 per cent during his reign played part in his contract non-renewal.
Eight years later, he is back in Kampala, launching a book called Take Charge, which talks about his managerial journey and life lessons to the top.
“I admired managing directors and CEOs growing up,” Mabunda told the gathering, adding: “Most people do not know what they want to do when they grow up, but I knew.”
The former UBL boss calls the business space in highly competitive companies a ‘jungle’.
“You eat or get eaten because we do it for the best interest of our consumers and shareholders. You have got to fight, it is war,” he said.
Intelligence is not enough, he adds, it gets you in the game but it does not make you win.
“Your ability to do the job is not everything, there are traits such as trust, the way you work with others, and your relationships with peers. A lot of decisions about career growth are taken in boardrooms and meetings where you are not representing yourself,” he stressed.
“Who speaks for you in those moments? You need to be visible to decision-makers who know your candidacy because what they remember is all they talk about you,” he added.
Additionally, he says, sponsorship is paramount. “When someone says you can do the job in decision-making areas, then most likely you will get that opportunity,” he said.
He urged employees to be efficient and visible to decision-makers as well because the job market is very competitive even though you have connections.
So many scholars and students at different institutions lay down their skill-building and their search for knowledge, leaning on connections they are endowed with in the job market. But Nnyimpini says this is a gamble.
“Employers are not naïve to give you a job just because they know you. You have to have the potential credentials,” he said.
“We look for individuals who can grow themselves and sustain the organisation as well. It is what employers believe in most,” he added, noting that most people are better than what they know about themselves.
“You just need to have those conversations that unleash your potential.”
Mabunda was the managing director of Sesaka Network Ltd, Group portfolio manager of Brandhouse Beverages Ltd, head of marketing innovation & non-alcohol drinks Africa and regional marketing manager of Diageo Ltd.
He has led the portfolio in whisky and luxury of Brandhouse Beverages Ltd, managing director of Uganda Breweries Limited, senior advisor at Boston Consulting Group, CEO Business Unit of Vodacomand currently CEO of GE, a South African Industrial Machinery Manufacturing company for three years now.
