“Be unapologetic leaders!”

Michele Meka Tiokou

‘Be unapologetic leaders!’

That is the advice of Michele Meka Tiokou, a project superintendent at Hillside Aluminium who is encouraging women to be bold and not shy away from opportunities that have the potential to propel them to success. She shares her journey as an engineer, a leader and the moments that have helped her to navigate challenges in her field. This as the country celebrates Women’s Month which is this year observed under the theme ‘The year of Charlotte Maxeke: Realising women’s rights’.

Q: How can you best describe yourself?

A: I like to think of myself as a daughter, sister, mother and engineer; a human in all its beauty and flaws, and more importantly a woman entrusted with all the successes of our mothers and the challenge to rise for our daughters.

Q: What do you think makes a successful leader – in particular, women leaders?

A: Great leaders are visionaries. Visionaries have the picture of the end goal in mind, the final product. A great leader creates a conducive environment to bring the people around them to the vision standards with care, responsibility and authenticity. Unfortunately, it does come with a great deal of vulnerability at times. But a successful woman leader should not shy away from using her natural empathy, it’s one of our super powers when used appropriately.

Q: What do you love most about being a woman?

A: Without doubt, being a mother.

Q: Do you draw professional inspiration from other women? And what pearls of wisdom have you received?

A: Many years ago, when I started in the aluminium industry, I met one of the company’s executives at the time. She was advocating for the employment of female engineers in the smelter and we engaged on the subject. She validated the possibility of being successful in our industry without giving up our identity or trying to overly emulate our male counterparts, but rather learn from them and adapt to our reality and uniqueness.

Q: On your best days, who do you want standing next to you?

A: My mother; I so wish she was still part of this world, for me to share with her all these experiences that the social construct of the society in which she lived would not allow her.

Q: Tell us about the past year and what you did to overcome Covid-19 related challenges, both professionally and personally

A: Social distancing is certainly the most challenging aspect of the pandemic. Not being able to be in the same room as the people we are talking to or working with, it narrowed the spectrum of communication tools we can use. My voice in most cases became the sole conveyor of my message. I had to practice controlling my tone and being more proactive on the way to engage, and how to address different stakeholders to reduce the risk of misinterpretation while remaining effective at attaining my goals.

Q: What is the best and worst decision you have ever made?

A: Best decision: moving to Europe to further my studies. That had a deep impact on the woman I am today and made me value more the multi-facets of an African woman. It taught me acceptance of differences and respect of other people’s choices, faith and beliefs. Worst decision: Not enjoying the journey and the transformation of my formative years, spending too much time worrying about the future. I should have danced more, laughed more and been more positive about life as a whole.

Q: What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

A: You do not need permission to share your opinion or to disagree. You do not need to apologise for the way you think or choose to lead. You do not need to be invited to contribute or participate. You don’t have to conform to a stereotype of leader in your line of business, you can rock that CEO position with blue hair if that’s what you fancy. Invite yourself to the table as often as the opportunity arises.