Professor Marcus Ramogale, Acting Vice-Chancellor & Principal at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) has called on the newly inaugurated Student Representative Council (SRC) to adopt what he termed the “Triple-A philosophy” to help them succeed in their leadership roles.
Professor Ramogale was speaking at the inauguration of the SRC, held on Friday, 7 October 2022, at the University’s Council Chambers. He said the Triple-A philosophy would assist the SRC to navigate the complexities, which come with being a leader.
Professor Ramogale explained: “The first ‘A’ stands for aspiration. If you are a leader, you need to be aspirational. You must want to take society or the group that you lead from here to there. Without aspiration, society stagnates. The second ‘A’ stands for armoury. If you want to succeed as a leader, you must have a carapace. Part of your armoury as a leader must be persistence. You are going to deal with very difficult situations, which will make you appreciate being a leader. You must be persistent. The last ‘A’ stands for action. A leader must be distinguished by actions”.
He further added that it was important for South Africa to have the next generation of ethical leaders.
“You can never be a good leader if you are not honest,” said Professor Ramogale.
He advised the new SRC to have a different mindset from their followers and to have enough resolve to stand for what is right amidst peer pressure.
“Don’t give in to pressure from your peers. The students that destroyed the University property [this year] responded to pressure from their peers. Take what they are saying and bring it to management,” said Professor Ramogale.