Leading with purpose: A journey of connection and renewal

The academic year is drawing to a close. Lectures are over, assessments are completed, and the inevitable year-end fatigue has set in. Alongside it comes the final stretch of tasks to conclude the year. Graduation is next week. While the joy of teaching, mentoring, and learning is undeniable, I have yet to meet an academic who finds delight in marking assessments.

As the year ends, I am faced with a reflective question: Beyond achieving academic outcomes, have I truly lived up to my calling this year? Have I served my students to the best of my ability? Have my interactions catalysed them to explore their own "why?" These questions anchor my journey as an academic and human, pushing me to evaluate the depth of my engagement and its impact on my students.

I believe we are drawn to certain places and people on an intuitive, perhaps sacred, level. It often feels as though we have made an unspoken pact to learn and grow from each other. In the shared space of the university, I see myself as a facilitator of learning—a guide rather than just a lecturer. Students, in turn, come to remind, share, teach, and be guided along their unique paths. This reciprocal relationship shapes the essence of our roles and responsibilities in academia.

While fulfilling these roles, I frequently pause to reflect on my purpose. As a newer academic, I often tell my students that my presence in their lives is a testament to me fulfilling my purpose—my "why"—and living out what feels like a sacred assignment. On most days, I am aligned with this calling and in a state of flow. Yet, there are moments when the weight of responsibility and the threat of burnout challenge my resolve.

This leads me to ask: Is there something more? The expectations of the university extend beyond the classroom, emphasising three pillars: teaching and learning, research, and social impact. While my strengths lie in the first and third pillars, research remains an ongoing journey. If I could propose a fourth pillar, it would be “spiritual strength.” To me, this forms the foundation of sacredness and purpose in my work.

Spiritual strength, for me, means being guided by something greater—a force that called me to this role and connects me with colleagues and students alike. It inspires us to give our best, even amidst challenges and keeps us grounded in service. Ubuntu encapsulated in the saying “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” roughly translated to mean ("I am because of you"), embodies this connection. This philosophy reminds us that success is never achieved in isolation or for the self. True success lies in compassion, leading with heart, and cultivating a shared value system that uplifts both self and students. Success is for the benefit of the whole, the community.

As we close this academic year, it is a moment to reflect on purpose—not just as academics but as individuals shaping lives and futures. This journey requires resilience, compassion, and a deep connection to something greater than us. Ubuntu reminds us that we thrive not in isolation but in community, where shared success stems from leading with heart and purpose. Shared success acknowledges that I am because of you.

As we move into the holiday season for South Africans, “ke Dezember”, let it be a time to rest, renew, and reconnect with our loved ones and remember our "why." May this season bring long-deserved rest, and gratitude as we embrace new possibilities in our academic and personal journeys. If we have made it this far, may remember what a blessing it is to be alive. To my students and colleagues, here's to a 2025 filled with inspiration, collaboration, and purpose-driven leadership. Wishing you all Godspeed during this time.