Strong Leadership Requires Confidence, Innovation and Trust, Katikkiro Says

Buganda Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga has urged emerging leaders to combine confidence, innovation and integrity with action to build trust and drive institutional and national development.

The Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, has identified confidence, innovation and trust as key qualities of effective leadership, urging leaders to inspire those they serve and demonstrate their words through action.

Mayiga made the remarks during a meeting with members of Journey to the Boardroom, an initiative that equips professionals with skills and qualifications to serve on boards, as commissioners, chief executive officers and heads of human resources.

He said effective leadership is central to the growth and development of institutions, companies and nations, noting that leaders must give those they lead confidence that they are moving in the right direction.

“A good leader must give those they lead hope that they are on the right path towards success. Confidence and innovation are also very important,” Mayiga said.

He cited Belgium as an example of how effective leadership and innovation can transform a country, noting that despite having limited natural resources compared with some countries, Belgium has used innovation to generate wealth and achieve significant economic development.

Mayiga also stressed the importance of leaders matching their words with action, saying failure to do so erodes confidence in leadership.

“Whatever a leader says must be reflected in what they do, without excuses. When a leader fails to maintain the trust of those they lead, they lose that trust,” he said.

Janet Navuga, the Chief Executive Officer of Journey to the Boardroom, said the initiative was established to help develop a new generation of capable leaders who can effectively manage institutions.

She said the programme was partly motivated by a leadership gap emerging as experienced leaders retire or die.

“We realised that there is a need to build leaders with the capacity to manage institutions because there is a gap emerging as some of the people we have looked up to grow older while others pass away,” Navuga said.

She expressed optimism that the initiative would produce a new generation of leaders capable of contributing to the country's development.

“We hope that this effort will bear fruit and enable the country to continue moving forward,” she said.