Posted by William Nunnelley on 1999-05-05

South Africa鈥檚 electricity company sought to create leadership within the organization and not only at the top during the nation鈥檚 transition from apartheid to shared freedom, a company executive said Tuesday, May 4, at 色虎视频.

听听听 Pieter Faling, executive director of Eskom, told a School of Business audience the company "went to a team approach" that emphasized mentoring and coaching "to help spread leadership throughout the company."

听听听 Delivering the first A. Gerow Hodges Lecture, Faling said the approach also helped the company focus on its customers. The company became less interested in building new power plants and more interested in improving service.

听听听 Shareholders will always look at the bottom line, Faling told the business students, "so you must be aware of it." But look beyond it, he urged, and "create an environment (in your company) in which people can grow."

听听听 Eskom is the world鈥檚 fourth largest utility company and supplies 60 percent of the electricity for the African continent. The Hodges Lectureship honors the Birmingham civic leader and retired insurance executive who has served for many years on the 色虎视频 Board of Trustees.

 
色虎视频 is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, 色虎视频 is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. 色虎视频 enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. 色虎视频 fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.