#YouthMonth: Thamsanqa Tembani, the young leader driving change at Isuzu South Africa

Thamsanqa Tembani | image supplied

He is responsible for strategy, transformation, and operations management of the dealer network to build a viable, sustainable, and profitable business model.

His daily duties aim to ensure that the network is poised for a future which optimises the company’s dealer network performance through technology-driven metrics, that are informed and inspired to build a strong brand image, through customer-centric revenue performance.

We caught up with Tembani find out more about himself and what drives him...

What led you to your current position as manager of dealer development at Isuzu South Africa?

In 2022 I was fortunate to be approached by an executive headhunting company, acting on behalf of Isuzu, seeking a highly experienced individual for the manager: dealer development position.

At the time I was working for the world's leading agricultural equipment company, but after studying the job opportunity and most importantly, the Isuzu brand and what it stands for, I was sold on the company.

I was fortunate to have successful interviews and ended up being selected for the role.

What challenges did you face as one of the youngest executives in the automotive industry, and how did you overcome them?

As a young executive one of the greatest challenges, I faced was constantly fearing operating at the true level of my potential, and constantly adjusting (lowering) my thinking, approach and actions, and demeanour of communication to a level that sometimes those around me wanted me to ‘play’ at.

It took me a few years to overcome this challenge and I did so by starting with small affirmations to myself about my true potential and ultimately built my confidence and mindset to truly humbly and unapologetically operating at the level of my known highest potential.

As a young leader, how do you inspire and manage your team to achieve their best performance?

What has helped my approach in this regard is to first see each team member as a human being like me before seeing them as co-workers. I sincerely believe that first taking care of the spiritual and psychological aspects of each team member, and the team holistically, is important (truly foundational) to building a truly unified, high-performance and grounded team.

Nothing is perfect, teams also evolve and go through cycles, as business does, but once the mindset and culture are sufficiently instilled, it becomes self-perpetuating.

What advice would you give to young South Africans aspiring to enter the automotive industry or pursue leadership roles in any sector?

The automotive industry is currently undergoing exciting changes and there is no better time than now to join the industry.

Though the auto industry is very competitive, it offers vast opportunities to those seeking to apply innovative tech, bold and untraditional marketing tactics, and engineering skills for even greater adaptability of vehicles to the local African market developing consumer preferences.

Advice for young leaders joining any sector would be to always remember that great companies are built by great people and that great people are developed by great leaders. People who are great leaders nurture the human spirit, cultivate and create an environment for employees to thrive, and be visionary and bold in their leadership.

What personal habits or practices help you stay motivated and manage the demands of your role?

I am an avid reader and books on various subjects not only help to keep the mind sharp but also help maintain a good level of sobriety and piety.

I meditate daily on grace, peace, beauty, contentment, and gratitude, and this helps keep my emotional and spiritual state in fair balance.

What leadership principles or practices have you found most effective in your career so far?

Though we are living in increasingly high automation, AI, and quantum technology times, people are still the most important assets any organisation has.

Authentically nurture them and their environment, and they will selflessly take the business and brand to unimaginable heights, naturally building efficiencies and using creativity and innovation to sustainably grow and contribute to the organisation’s bottom line.

Another business practice I have also come to appreciate is creating clear and efficient business architecture (which periodically adapts to changing times) to ensure that it serves the company’s vision, business model, and internal and external market conditions.

Developing strategic frameworks to be used as guiding stars for business unit operations and creating stability and uncompromised cohesiveness amongst leaders of an organisation, through frank yet constructive communication, are also practices that serve an organisation well.

What message would you like to share with young South Africans during Youth Month, especially those who are striving to make a positive impact in their careers?

Your mindset and values are the most important assets you have. Both those are in your full control.

Circumstances continuously change all around, things come and go, but your resoluteness in your belief in yourself, your talents, and your purpose will forever open doors and present unimaginable opportunities for you. Stay true, stay committed, and remember that there is no substitute for hard work.