Attaining self-mastery

Self-awareness requires us to understand ourselves on a deeper level, enabling the identification of areas that need development and transformation. Equally essential is the establishment of well-defined objectives—ones that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). These objectives, both in your personal and business realms, act as guiding beacons and offer direction and purpose, Mokoena explained. Self-mastery is a lifelong journey: "It is about what drives you, your passion points and capabilities," he said. His conviction is that the quest for greatness should be anchored in genuine passion and a sense of purpose, steered by a well-defined vision and strategy. "You must align your life's purpose, passion points, and capabilities. Then you will achieve your equilibrium."

The concept of achieving a work/life balance is misleading, he argued. "Strive for aligning your purpose, passion, and capabilities, and you will be happy and fulfilled. "Failures and difficulties can, however, help you become who you are meant to be: "Failure is a constant. It is just the magnitude that differs," Mokoena said. "Ownership is when we blame ourselves for failure, whereas accountability is having tasks and targets to strive for. "We all have a judge, pessimist, and critic in our head that drowns out the optimist. You must take responsibility for your negative thoughts and decide how to move forward."

Leadership, ego, and self-esteem

Mokoena told the forum he subscribed to the doctrine of abundance: "There is enough for all of us. When navigating life as a competition, we tend to hoard and don't share, playing only to win. But the world is abundant with possibility. You must decide what your purpose is. What do people say about you when you are not in the room? "One of the traps of leadership is believing that people expect you to have all the answers. "People get power from your vulnerability and authenticity. Be honest about not having all the answers. Strive to create a culture in your team where anybody can solve a problem, not just the leader."

He advised leaders to avoid:

Populism and trying to please everyone as this were a sure way to fail.
Ego – many bad business decisions are made because of ego.
Blind spots - Understand your blind spots, ask people for feedback, and listen when they give it to you.

Developing a Personal Brand


Personal development means thinking of yourself as a brand with both current and future value and having a roadmap for getting there. What problem are you solving in society? How do you introduce yourself? "Your brand must meet a need, but the need does evolve in order for you to stay relevant," Mokoena advised. When communicating your personal brand, a CV represents only a fraction of your life story. Mokoena's advice is to ensure it represents both the breadth and the depth of your career, detailing information such as specific problems you may have solved and difficult situations you navigated. Tools such as a vision board and writing ideas down are essential when developing your brand. "Make lists, acknowledge the positives and negatives, and test your self-limiting beliefs. Chasing perfection is the surest way to fail," Mokoena said. "Speak freely of your aspirations and be intentional about showing up. Study those who have achieved what you want to and plan your journey."

Opportunities to Mentor

"We make a choice every day about how we want to show up." Mokoena explained that his passion is "to solve big problems and help people find their purpose. True knowledge accrues value when you share it."
He advised those in leadership positions not to refuse requests for coaching and mentoring, as people ask for access to you, your thoughts, and your experience. "When you are at a crossroads, you need a sounding board. It could mean making yourself available for only one conversation a year.""Empathy is a superpower when coaching, and you will learn through coaching. Being kind and generous makes you lucky; in turn, people want to help you."