Webinar  Tuesday, 23 September 2025-outcome

Co-Organised by Global Wo.Men Hub and Riseschool

Overview

This webinar, organized by the Global Women Hub and Rise School, featured a conversation between  Dr. Patricia Murugami (speaker) and Magali Anderson (moderator) about women’s leadership development in Africa and beyond. The session drew 58+ participants from across Africa and other regions, creating a vibrant discussion about leadership, entrepreneurship, and personal growth.

Dr. Patricia Murugami (“Doctor Pat”)

• Founder and CEO of Rise School and Breakthrough Leadership Transformations
• Former auditor at PwC and KPMG, later worked at Lafarge Cement
• Author of multiple books including “Rise”
• Leadership educator focused on transformational leadership across Africa 

Magali Anderson

• Board member of Global Women Hub and Anglo American
• Former Chief Sustainability Officer at Holcim
• Engineer with 27+ years in oil & gas and 10 years in cement industry
• Advocate for women in male-dominated industries 

The webinar demonstrated that leadership development in Africa and globally requires a holistic approach addressing both skills and character, individual growth and systemic change. The enthusiasm and engagement from participants across multiple countries suggests a strong appetite for this type of transformational leadership development. The combination of practical frameworks (like the 4 H’s), personal vulnerability from leaders, and community building creates a powerful model for sustainable leadership development that could indeed “light up Africa and the world, one person at a time.” 

Main Topics Discussed

1.    Entrepreneurial Journey and Career Transitions

• Murugami’s leap from employment to entrepreneurship: Left a senior corporate role one step away from becoming Dean to start her own leadership consultancy
• Key lesson: “Don’t miss a good crisis” – the pandemic became an opportunity to launch Rise School virtually
• Risk-taking philosophy: Entrepreneurs need either “a lot of faith or can be foolish” – having one committed client provided the foundation for the jump

2.    The Rise School Philosophy

• Core framework: The “4 H’s” – Raise your Heart, Head, Hand, and Higher purpose
• Growth formula: G = R × 4Hs (Growth equals Rise times the four H’s)
• Mission: Help people rise up internally, privately, personally, professionally, and publicly
• Impact: Over 200 leaders graduated from Rise Master Class across 27 countries

3.    Key Leadership Insights 

Comfort Zone and Growth

• Fundamental principle: “Growth and comfort cannot coexist”
• Practical advice: Always ask “What am I missing in this idea?” and “Who can be the naysayer?”
• Innovation mindset: Look for new problems to solve in your industry

Humility in Leadership

AI era leadership: Humble leaders who admit they don’t know everything will thrive

• Vulnerability as strength: Young people want leaders who show vulnerability and ask for help
• Diverse thinking: Create space for contradictory voices and diverse perspectives

4.    Women-Specific Challenges

The “Female Guilt” Issue

• Multiple forms of guilt: Working mothers, single women, women with many children all face societal judgment
• Boundary setting: Don’t feel obligated to answer every question or justify every decision
• Systems building: Create support networks – “it takes a village”
• Presence over perfection: Be fully present at work when working, fully present at home when home

Career Integration

• Seasonal approach: Recognize when to step back and when to accelerate
• Support systems: Build networks of other mothers, friends, and “aunties” who can help
• Gift utilization: Don’t let talents atrophy by not using them in the appropriate season

5.    Building Networks and Community

• Africa Rises Network: Monthly book reading and discussion sessions for alumni
• Rica Network: In-person network for seasoned leaders meeting quarterly
• 360-degree mentorship: “What if we mentored each other?” rather than one-directional mentoring
• Global expansion: World Risers Network “loading soon”

Participant Engagement and Feedback

The webinar generated significant engagement with participants from various African countries including Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi

Key participant insights shared:

• “Growth and comfort cannot coexist”
• Importance of moving out of comfort zones
• Value of vulnerability in leadership
• Defeating procrastination and perfectionism
• Building diverse thinking in teams 

Conclusions

1.     Leadership Crisis is Actually a Character Crisis

The current global leadership challenges stem from character deficits rather than skill gaps. Developing leaders with strong character who “breathe life into organizations” rather than break people is essential.

2.     Africa as the New Frontier

With Africa’s youth demographic advantage (contrasted with Japan’s aging population buying more adult diapers than any other product), the continent represents enormous leadership development potential.

3.     Invisible Prisons Hold People Back

Many leaders are trapped in “invisible prisons” of fear, shame, comparison, perfectionism, and procrastination – breakthrough requires addressing these internal barriers.

4.     The Power of Small, Consistent Actions

Like the Maasai beads that create beautiful jewellery, small consistent steps in learning and growth compound into significant transformation.

Recommendations for the Future

For Individuals

• Embrace the Learning Mindset: Continuously invest in learning and development
• Build Support Networks: Connect with others who challenge and inspire growth
• Practice Vulnerability: Show humility, admit what you don’t know
• Take Calculated Risks: Don’t let fear of failure prevent growth
• Address Internal Barriers: Work on overcoming invisible prisons of limiting beliefs 

For Rise School

• Scale Globally: Expand the World Risers Network beyond Africa
• Focus on Early Career Development: Continue developing programs like “Early Risers”
• Strengthen Alumni Networks: Maintain engagement through book clubs and regular sessions
• Address Specific Demographics: Create targeted programs for different career stages and challenges
• Leverage Technology: Continue using virtual platforms to transcend geographical boundaries

For Organizations

• Promote Humble Leadership: Value leaders who ask “What am I missing?”
• Create Psychological Safety: Allow for dissenting voices and diverse perspectives
• Support Women’s Leadership: Address systemic barriers and guilt-inducing environments
• Invest in Character Development: Focus on leadership character, not just skills
• Embrace Generational Wisdom: Include younger voices in decision-making processes

For Society and Policy

• Reframe Success Narratives: Move beyond “superwoman” expectations
• Support System Building: Encourage community-based support for working parents
• Educational Reform: Integrate character and leadership development earlier in education
• Workplace Flexibility: Create environments that support different life seasons
• Cultural Shift: Move from competition to collaboration mindsets

The opinions expressed by the authors of videos, academic or non-academic articles, blogs, academic books or essays (“the material”) are those of the author(s); they do not bind the members of the Global Wo.Men Hub, who, among themselves, do not necessarily think in the same way. By sponsoring the publication of this material, the Global Wo.Men Hub believes it contributes to useful social debates. As such, this material may be published in response to others.