Lessons drawn from Shaka Zulu's exploits

"King Shaka Zulu" at his throne and beside him, his servants [Courtesy]

Shaka Zulu was one of Africa’s greatest generals. From a small South African tribe, he built a massive empire that crisscrossed the whole of South Africa and extended as far North as Zimbabwe, Zambia and large parts of East Africa.

He had a great strategy that is still being used today by many generals, politicians and businesspeople.

As he conquered other tribes, he made the princes of the tribes he conquered part of his household. They became the top guns in his tribe. Over time, some grew too comfortable and fat – and were slaughtered.

I worked for a bank that started as a one branch bank and grew by mergers and acquisitions. To encourage other banks to merge with it, the bank made sure that the management teams of the acquired banks did not lose their positions as senior management.

Eventually it became the largest bank in the country with a management team of 29. During management meetings, the parking lot was full of large flashy BMWs and Mercedes driven by the overpaid and underworked senior managers; all fat princes ripe for slaughter.

When I joined the bank, I could not believe how large and disjointed the management team was. Only five or six people made any serious contribution during management meetings. 

One day the board called for restructuring and reorganisation. Consultants decided that a management team of six was more than enough. All 29 people were asked to reapply for any of the six new positions.

Decreased business

Last week Britam reorganised and reduced its senior managers from 22 to 14; a clear sign that the organisation had grown fat. Many other companies will follow suit. The devastating effects of Covid and decreased business will force them to downsize. What does this mean for you?

Many people rise through the ranks to become heads of departments and find themselves in the “management team”. They fail to recognise that their roles have just been expanded and no one sent them a memo.

They go into management meetings and can only contribute to their areas of influence – if he’s head of marketing then he only talks of marketing and often listens with boredom when other issues that are critical to the organisation are being discussed and debated. If you are one of them, start preparing your boxes for departure.

As you enter the management team you have to grow and stay sharp. Just as the warrior continues his military practice even in times of peace, you too have to practice the arts of business. The successful person has to start understanding and reading about the different aspects of his company.

Fat ones

You must fully understand your company, its finances, its strengths and weaknesses, its operations and logistics, the human resources, the competition and the business environment in general. Some of these areas may be alien to you but you must make the effort to understand them – in fact, study them.

Otherwise, you are incapable of contributing to what you don’t understand. You are not in the management team to contribute on your area of expertise only. You must learn to support and work with the team.

If you don’t learn quickly then you are growing fat on your salary – and guess what’s coming to you soon?

Beware the young Turks with the lean and hungry looks. They are salivating outside the management room waiting to eat one of the fat ones. As you walk out of that meeting, they are watching you and sizing you all up. That’s the way of the jungle.

As I became a senior manager and business owner, I started developing a liking for those young and hungry Turks. Like Shaka Zulu, I prefer to have the young surround me.

They come up with fresh ideas, they read more, they are in tune with the young masses out there who are the majority. Most important of all, they are hungry for success.

If you are that young Turk looking for an entry into that management team then you need to shape up quickly. I won’t let you in because you are younger and perhaps better looking.

Can you challenge my ideas with better research, show stronger commitment to work smarter, be willing to sweat more and show some respectful confidence along the way? If you can, then you belong.

I could throw out one of the fat one’s for you to eat – and perhaps I may even hand over my seat to you. Are you ready?

Mr Shahbal is chairman of Gulf Group of [email protected]