Reflecting on Leadership and Representation at Harvard Business School

It was 20 May 2020, two months into worldwide lockdown and untold chaos, when I was nominated to serve on the 美国哈佛商学院 (HBS) Global Alumni Board. This, appointment, alongside other esteemed leaders, and HBS Alumni, was for a three-year term that was later extended by a year due to the impact of Covid. On 1 July 2020, I received a formal invitation from the then Dean Nitin Nohria . Our first virtual Board Meeting was held on 30 September 2020, when the world went through the worst pandemic in a century.

During the chaos, it became clear that we needed ethical leadership guided by integrity, empathy, and responsibility. It was a call for all of us to stand up and make a difference. I saw the invitation to serve on the HBS Global Alumni Board as a call for ethical leadership. It reminded me of Eleanor Roosevelt’s words: "Good leaders inspire confidence in their leaders, while great leaders inspire confidence in others". The world needs greatness to bring out the best in everyone and achieve common goals, and common good.??

For decades, HBS's mission has been clear: to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. I benefited from this commitment while studying the PLDA (Program for Leadership Development) Executive Program #pldeverywhere in 2016-2017. During those two years, I was a regular on the long flights between Johannesburg, South Africa, and Boston, USA. On campus, I would walk through the impressive buildings, admiring the blend of traditional and modern architecture that fuelled the buzz and energised the vibrant student community. I would pore over the case studies and anticipate robust debates with my cohorts and the living groups with whom I forged lifelong friendships and built lasting business networks. After a long day, I looked forward to letting my hair down and taking in the rich culture at the restaurants and bars across campus. These are some of my most treasured memories. I was grateful for the privilege of being part of the Harvard community.

Aware of my responsibility to give back, I didn't hesitate when the opportunity to serve on the HBS Alumni Board arose. The Alumni Board reflects the diverse HBS community, including a broad geographical base and a balance of MBA, Doctoral, and Executive Education graduates. Members come from active alumni worldwide, such as club officers, class correspondents, fund and class agents, and reunion volunteers. Accepting the nomination came with a huge responsibility – one that I did not take lightly. HBS is a beacon of hope. The role required commitment, the right mindset, and the best effort to pay it forward. As the only representative from Africa in my cohort, I had to represent my PLD community #pldeverywhere, region, continent, and the organisations I've represented at the time, including SAP where I am currently. Despite the weight of this responsibility, traveling across different time zones and participating in workgroups between the Alumni Board meetings, the experience has been invaluable, and I wouldn't change a thing.?

This journey has brought me back to my roots – starry-eyed young Kholiwe (whose name means one who BELIEVES) who grew up in a small village surrounded by beautiful mountains in the picturesque Mt Ayliff, in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. While the odds seemed to be stacked against this little girl, I remained curious. Even when I did not have a full picture of what the world looked like, I wanted to be on top of it, just like my quest, in later years, to summit the highest mountain in Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro. I was hungry for knowledge, for opportunities and knew the road would be long and even lonely, not dissimilar to the frequent travels from Johannesburg to Boston to attend Board meetings. Yet, that did not stop my dreams and desires. I also knew that with great ambition came great responsibility, requiring resilience, tenacity, and courage. I never lost sight of the vision, despite the many hurdles encountered along the way. It is this spirit that has also guided me throughout the four-year journey.

Stepping back from my last HBS Global Alumni Board meeting, I am reminded of a crucial lesson: the significance of representation. The HBS Dean Srikant M. Datar’s words about talent in the world being more evenly distributed than opportunities, resonate deeply. Understanding that poverty isn't innate but rather more often a product of community circumstances, our mission becomes clear: to challenge this perception and create meaningful change worldwide. As my tenure of serving on the Board comes to an end, it has been a great honour to serve on the HBS Alumni Board. My commitment to the School's initiatives persists, and work does not stop. Transitioning to the Emeriti Class, I'm honoured to maintain an active role, particularly on the HBS Board Diversity Network (BDN) Steering Committee. This Steering Committee is now formally established under the Race, Gender & Equity Initiative led by the vibrant Daniella Diniz , Associate Director at HBS, also a fellow HBS Alumni board member. The journey continues, and I look forward to the path ahead with optimism & excitement.

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the nominations committee for recognising my potential and allowing me to serve on this esteemed Alumni Board. A?huge congratulations to the incoming President, Paula Madoff , her Executive, and the cohort. It has been a great honour to be part of the Nominations Committee for the incoming Alumni Board members. A special thank you must also go to the outgoing President, Andreas Stavropoulos , outgoing immediate Past President Daniel O'Keefe , and the entire Executive Committee for their exceptional leadership, especially during challenging times.??

I am also deeply grateful to the incredible leaders on the HBS Alumni Board with whom I had the privilege to serve. Thank you for your invaluable insights and for the lifelong connections we built.? And a huge shout out to the HBS Team for the leadership and superb work they are doing! Without you, the Alumni Board wouldn’t be as vibrant as it is today. In parting, these sage words by Harvard scholar and writer, Henry David Thoreau, come to mind: “I learned this, at least, by my experiment; if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”?

I look forward to meeting everyone at the next Emeriti events and other HBS executive programmes.