Something I find amusing is that most African women use not only hair extensions but also wigs. I went to a Nakumatt supermarket in Nairobi, and I was amazed at the space dedicated to wigs! Women change their hairstyle so often that at times I’ve a hard time recognizing faces. This is but an indication […]
Thinking long-term in Africa
Welcome back after the break! When I came back from Africa, one of my colleagues at IESE told me: “Africa, you’re re-energized!” Indeed, I am. One of the energy shots came from meeting the CEO of a leading bank in Kenya and East Africa. His approach illustrates that thinking long-term pays off in Africa. To the […]
Let’s take a break!
Now that I’m back to Barcelona, I plan to keep the blog going. However, I will take a break in August. This will also give you an opportunity to catch up with missed posts. “Talk” to you again in September!
It takes local management to succeed in Africa
At a meeting with the management team of a company in Nairobi, I was asked: “Our company started operations in Nigeria two years ago. So far, we have not succeeded. Based on your discussions with Pan-African companies, why do you think this is the case?” I had some seconds to reflect. It could not be […]
Africa 2.0: Developing African leaders
In an earlier post I talked about the role of business schools in educating African managers. Some of these schools aim not only to educate managers but also to develop leaders. Lagos Business School and Strathmore Business School, for instance, set out to develop African leaders. At IESE, we share this ambition – the slogan […]
