Blog

The reason why I chose my qualification was simple – I wanted to be the change I wanted to see in society. My formative years were spent in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal and after I moved to Bloemfontein to study a Bachelor of Law with specialisation in Financial Planning, I knew that I wanted to do something aligned to the idea of helping people with their financial decisions and needs.

I am of the view that if a person cannot lead themselves, then they cannot lead others to make apt financial decisions. We have no business leading others into greatness if our own personal lives are a train wreck, that is why I often say: “It takes a village to bring about financial change or any other change within our society”. To solidify that view, I walked into PPS at a time when part of the vision was to encourage employees to become leaders without a title, and this notion was inspired by a Robin Sharma book that Group CEO Izak Smit recommended to the staff.

During my role as a graduate intern, I felt comfortable walking into and being placed in a unit that takes pride in helping PPS members to live the life they deserve to live. Because I identify with this mission, it is easy for me to take on the role of leading people to start having conversations about financial wellness and security. One might wonder why I am passionate about financial freedom for our members? And its simple, I want to help advance society - and that is what leadership is about for me. Leadership without a title is the road less travelled because it’s not linked to positions or power.

As Robin Sharma states; “All leaders without a title constantly flex their minds and elevate their abilities by consistently asking themselves ‘What can I improve today?’ They have a deeply held commitment to making everything they touch better than they found it.” I subscribe to this because I have been encouraged to lead regardless of being an intern, and I intend on doing it, one member at a time.

- Mfundo Ngwenya