10 September this year marked the graduation of the Tutu Class of 2023 – the first cohort to have experienced the shortened, refreshed version of the Oxford-London workshop.
Three overarching themes were at the heart of the programme: Deepening our Roots to build the capacity for self-leadership, connecting to and learning from the Tribes we belong to (especially this one!) so we can grow in how we lead others, and exploring what it means to be a Good Ancestor when it comes to nudging positive and enduring systemic change.
The signature experiential modules of the Oxford-London workshop once again delivered both learning and delight. Peter Hanke and his team enabled a visceral experience of what it takes to lead a team of experts under conditions of uncertainty – what a privilege to be present to our colleagues’ discovery of how they ‘lead without words’! In a moment of synchronicity, the African Cookery School happened on the same day as the announcement of the African Union joining the G20, adding a perfect backdrop to our exploration of what it means to bring the richness of Africa’s diverse heritage into the global domain.
As always we had an extraordinary set of academic speakers join us at Oxford, including our (by now familiar) colleagues Stephan Dercon, Ngaire Woods and Tom Fletcher, who was joined by Tom Simpson, who spoke about institutional trust. We also had some new voices in the mix: Maryana Iskander, CEO of Wikimedia, shared her personal leadership lessons, Stephanie Brobbey talked about her mission to encourage investment strategies that course-correct trends of inequality, and Simukai Chikudu and Shadreck Chirikure joined us for a vibrant dialogue on having agency in the context of intergenerational patterns of change, through the lens of their personal stories.
In another ‘first’, we offered a parallel track in terms of which associates could choose between a session on Trauma-informed Leadership hosted by Amy Fox, the Founder and CEO of Mobius Executive Leadership; and a session on Climate Co-operation and Net Zero Leadership hosted by Kaya Axelsson, the Head of Policy and Partnerships at Oxford Net Zero. Both sessions received exceptional reviews, inevitably leading to intensified FOMO (fear of missing out) regardless of what one had chosen!
From Oxford, we went straight to the Conduit Club in London for an extraordinary conversation with Paul van Zyl and Andrew Feinstein about the courage that it takes to be a change maker – this was a true highlight and culminated in the associates being invited to join the Club’s raucous birthday party that evening (photos are classified).
The London leg had a new flavour this year, as we stayed in Southwark for the first time and used the Africa Centre with its beautiful, vibey design as our base, allowing us to walk to most of our sessions. On Saturday night we had the privilege of listening to Moky Makura from African No Filter on what it takes to create a powerful and grounded African narrative. Sunday morning’s peer feedback session was rich and extended, followed by the always impactful experience of embodying our purposeful commitments, hosted by the MAP Consortium in a truly masterful way.
Our final night together, for the first time, was a more formal event – once again hosted at the Africa Centre. Dressed in a touch of African flair, we had the gift of Zach Bush as our keynote speaker, sharing a message of equal challenge and inspiration as to the role that Africa can choose to play in regenerating soil and restoring sustainable life conditions on the planet. Our award ceremony was a touching close to a magnificent journey together – the attached photo reveals a tiny glimpse into the magic of this collective of humans.
Thank you Class of 2023, for joining our Tutu Family!
See also the moving account of her Fellowship journey in 2023 by Marie-Alix de Putter.
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