Episode 1: Effective self-leadership with Zipho Sikhakhane – Global speaker, strategist and entrepreneur
Born in a small township in KZN, Zipho Sikhane is a women of fierce determination. A person that seizes every opportunity and turning challenges into successes and moving forward despite the odds. At the tender age of 5, Zipho Sikhane fondly relays the start of her first business venture. While studying at UCT, she also ran her own business and the proceeds from her shop funded her first trip overseas trip and her first car. Brazil, USA, Spain and Bulgaria are just some of the countries that Zipho Sikhane has worked in braving cultural, social and language barriers and making friends along the way.
Today Zipho Sikhane works with executives across huge organisations in South Africa, both in the private and public sectors. She is super passionate about developing leaders and businesses. Zipho teaches and provides tools to executives on how to be more effective as leaders, developing company strategy, change management programmes, equipping companies on how to redesign the culture of the organisation. She also runs programmes to develop young entrepreneurs for start-up companies. When asked, this is what Zipho had to say.
Daring to put yourself out there: Don’t self-select yourself out of the process, try! Become what you want to be, you can come out of the other side being a winner. Zipho did was not 100% sure that she would be accepted into Stanford University however she did put herself out there and as a result she was not only accepted into the programme but had also received a full scholarship. Zipho’s mantra was ‘World, – I am available, I have arrived, I want a MBA and world please find a way to pay for it’.
Looking to do something different – put yourself out there and see what happens – you might get a no, but what happens if you get a yes. Take a chance and see what happens. One can start anytime, anyplace! Start today! Find what you are passionate about and go for it.
Feeling constraint by you circumstances – Everyone can be successful. Your circumstances should not determine where you can be or what you can be or where you can end up. Don’t be victims of your circumstances or background. The world is your oyster, take responsibility for what you want to achieve.
Travelling and experiencing different cultures – ‘the world is our oyster, set your aspirations globally – have a global outlook in terms of how you live, what you want to be, your career. Step out of your comfort zone.
Quote Zipho lives by: ‘Fear eats the soul, don’t fear just do it”
You can contact Zipho via social media on (@ZiphoSikhakhane) through Instagram, facebook, linkedin, or twitter.
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