5 minutes with…Prof Nick Binedell
Are you able to give us a sneak preview into what those attending our Business Breakfast can expect?
We're living in a very, very interesting time in the economy. It's extremely challenging out there. Not all industries are affected in the same way but most companies are reporting being under significant pressure. And what we have to do in these times is innovate and also make sure we're resilient to the kind of changes in the market. And make sure that we are getting lean - lean enough to survive the lower demand.
What currently keeps you up at night at the moment?
Well very clearly infrastructure is key. We’re all obsessed about load shedding or blackouts, but we really have to think about the other infrastructures too. Firstly, for me, this is broadband and ICT and building that capacity as a modern economy. Secondly it’s the long term march in education, and thirdly it’s physical infrastructure - which is really around logistics.
The theme of this year’s breakfast is 'Find your Frequency'. What frequency is the country on at the moment in your view?
I think it’s hard to generalise about the country, because regionally it’s very different and in different industries and different companies it’s very different. But what Finding Your Frequency is about for me is to really look at your work from an outside-in point of view. In other words, to look at what your role is; what do people really need you to do; what does the market really want you to do, that is different from your competitors. What’s your distinctive point of difference? To find your own authentic frequency is what good leaders have to do. And what I'm seeing is that the rate of change around us is really remarkable - in every possible way - so it's just making sure that you're in tune, that you're in touch - and that you're looking at what you're doing from the outside in.
Is it also being at the right frequency with where we are at this moment in history in our country?
Every decision we make is connected to everything else; much of which comes out of history. The future is history waiting for action – unless we do something differently. But if you don’t understand how we go to the room it’s very unlikely you’ll know what to do in the room and definitely impossible to know how to get out of the room. Nothing gets invented out of the blue; everything is built on a flow of ideas – on a set of precedents, on things others have done. You’ve got to have that rich understanding of how your business has got to where it is, and why your markets support you, or don’t support you. To do that, you have to have an ability to reflect a bit, and ask yourself some fairly fundamental questions.
*On Tuesday 3 March, Prof Nick Binedell as well as Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Serame Taukobong, corporate trend analyst Dion Chang of Flux Trends and award-winning author, poet, playwright, director, performer and storyteller Gcina Mhlophe will share key learnings and strategic insights at the GIBS/East Coast Radio Business Breakfast brought to you by Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal. Book your seat here.
(Photo: Twitter.com/NickBinedell)