"Our core values have dramatically changed to kindness and compassion. In the past these values were not even remotely possible but because of women being part of the leadership team, these values are now a cornerstone."
Flavia Senkubuge is a South African physician, professor of public health medicine, an advocate of global public health and the immediate past President of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. At age 39, she was the college's youngest ever president and the first Black woman to hold the position.
"The first thing I did was to ensure structural change because it is no longer good enough as leaders to bring women into spaces where they must suffer in order to survive. It is no longer just about a seat at the table where one is constantly being minimized and invisibilised. It is about having, owning that seat at the table and thriving."
"If I look at my own country South Africa, we inherited a health system that was really inequitable and in a sense, although we are doing excellent work in some sectors, we are grappling with the injustices of the past."
"Leaders of the future will be dealing with challenges that are ‘wicked’ and very complex. I would say the top 3 skills are as follows: 1. Innovative agility … 2. Compassionate acumen – leading with heart and love. My belief is that in order to be a great leader you have to create peaceful and loving environments where people can fully live out their dreams. 3. Reflective quotient … a leader has to recognise their full humanity while being cognisant of the past and that which is required of them in future."
"As part of the de-colonisation project, we need to deliver health care to where people are, such that they don’t have to travel long distances to access health care."