Ingo Goliath, Lead IT Representative for Barloworld Equipment Namibia, recently completed the USB Executive Development Africa Senior Management Development Programme.

Initially, he felt a little uncertain about enrolling. He shares exclusively with USB-ED that, “At first, I was a bit hesitant and procrastinating, thinking that the programme would be a bit too overwhelming. I was under the impression that enrolling for the SMDP would be at my own expense. This fuelled my hesitation and all these factors made me contemplate. But, with the support of my lovely wife and her continuous motivation, when the time came to act, I needed to ensure that by doing this course, I was not wasting time and that I would grow in my thinking as a result.”

Going into the course, he shares that his main expectation of the SMDP was to broaden his business knowledge in all aspects, establish management theories and a strong leadership foundation. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was adjusted to align with the stipulated protocol, and included virtual learning. For Ingo, this format was enjoyable. “The immersive, interactive suite of virtual learning mirrors a classroom experience and the direct, real-time engagement with and personalized feedback from seasoned peers, and course facilitators.  The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and related lockdown and physical distancing measures caused not only unprecedented disruption in the provision of education and training but also catalysed innovation in distance learning. Organisations may or may not have the ability to invest in leadership development right now, yet they need effective leaders to stay competitive in this season of volatility. The SMDP remote learning has been an eye-opener into the world of strategic theory, planning, thinking and application to say the least.” 

His overall comment on the program was that “The SMDP programme provided a great opportunity to enhance my management and leadership skills, and boosted my confidence.  I was able to learn managerial and leadership principles that I could confidently use and tackle work-related obstacles within my workplace. Furthermore, I strongly feel that the leadership and management skills covered during the SMDP have been invaluable in reaching my career goals. They have, so far, provided many opportunities to enhance my employability as well to further my studies.”

“The course made it understandable that leaders need to practice leadership, develop their growth mindset and not just assume the role and title. As such, the SMDP course inspired me. It helped me to break down certain mental barriers in my thinking and gave me a new perspective, while instilling confidence in my approach.”

Ingo encourages those who are interested in doing the course, especially within the current economic and global climate. “Organizations are being exposed to a completely new way of working and learning,” he shares, “And the SMDP will empower you with the appropriate tools to execute various ways of improving operational effectiveness, a deeper understanding of change in terms of complexity and its potential impact to systems and environments and to build more effective teams.”

For further information about upcoming SMDP programmes, click here.