On this week’s Business Unusual podcast, Topco CEO, Ralf Fletcher, sits down with Lincoln, the Chairman of Diner’s Club South Africa who has been at Standard Bank for 19 years.

What makes Lincoln Mali so refreshing and interesting to talk to is that he places such importance on interpersonal relationships within the workplace. He attributes much success in the workplace to simply listening, not judging and being present.

On this week’s Business Unusual podcast, Topco CEO, Ralf Fletcher, sits down with Lincoln, the Chairman of Diner’s Club South Africa who has been at Standard Bank for 19 years.

Among other topics, Ralf and Lincoln discuss how we can give more opportunities to younger people, the importance of really listening and how to need to relook at how we define success.

Key takeaways to listen out for in this podcast:

• When engaging with people, it’s important to immerse yourself in their world and attempt to understand where they’re coming from.
• People will pick up if you’re just going through the motions to tick a box. Commit to being completely present and you will develop deeper level relationships with people.
• The way you initially interact with people is what counts – see them, don’t look through them.
• Roles are important but they’re not the be all and end all. It’s what you do with your role that counts.
• Treating everybody with respect and dignity, regardless of who they are, sets the foundation for positive work.
• Never go in with a ridged agenda and preconceived ideas about people.
• We need to find ways to listen to the stories and ideas of the unemployed that are often overlooked.
• The linear view of finishing school, going to university and getting employed is outdated – we need to start encouraging young people to explore different avenues towards success.

Lincoln Mali is an experienced banker with over 20 years in the industry whose core expertise are in the areas of leadership, people management, customer service, sales management and business performance. He has led and managed large and diverse teams across different geographies and business units while also growing and developing many individuals into leadership positions. Lincoln is also a prolific writer and maintains a blog; www.leadershipconversations.co.za in which he writes about topics he is passionate about – some of these include: Leadership, Ethics, Integrity, Transformation and Societal Change.