Monash South Africa in Ruimsig welcomed a very special guest and key note speaker to open a new series and initiative by Monash.
The I want to be a Leader series kicked off on 8 March with USA Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Marcus Jadotte.
Jadotte became the vice president for public affairs and multicultural development for Nascar in 2005. In 2012 he was nominated by President Barack Obama to start yet another leadership role at the Commerce Department in the USA.
Jadotte joked that his first leadership role was in high school when he was captain of the wrestling team.
The series will see many speakers inspiring students on being leaders on a global stage. Esther Benjamin, CEO of Monash South Africa welcomed Jadotte and introduced him to students. The event was also attended by academic president of Monash, Alwyn Louw and members of commerce from USA.
The aim of the series is to create an engaging experience for both students as well as the speaker. Jadotte encouraged students to broaden their horizons and study abroad especially in the USA as there are only about 2 000 South Africans studying in American universities. Jadotte said that in order to be a leader one should always think about your next step and remember that we live in a globalised world.
He said that in order to market yourself as a leader, it is important to remember the simple things like performing well in class and always being on time. It is about the image your present to the world.
He explained that students must have a mindset that they should not try to separate their professional and personal lives, but should rather interlink them. A question from the audience was what makes a great leader. “Work hard as you would expect others to do,” was his response. Jadotte added that one should always look for leadership opportunities, but also focus on your current role at hand.
Details: Monash South Africa, 011 950 4000.
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