Leadership development means more when it changes how we work with people every day. As both an Insurance Institute of Gauteng (IIG) Council Member and a delegate on the Insurance Leadership Development Programme (ILDP), I have had the privilege of seeing that change take shape in a room full of insurance professionals. The programme has challenged us to examine how we lead, learn from one another and apply those lessons beyond the classroom.
In my work with clients and insurers, it is easy to focus on the immediate decision: the renewal that needs attention, the cover that must be explained or the problem that needs solving. The ILDP has encouraged me to pause and ask better questions before reaching for an answer. What does the other person need to understand? Whose perspective have we missed? How can we create the space for a colleague to contribute? Those questions can improve a conversation as much as any technical knowledge can.
One of the strongest parts of this journey has been learning alongside delegates from different corners of the insurance industry. Our roles and organisations may differ, but many of the leadership challenges we face are shared. The discussions have given me a broader view of the industry and a deeper respect for the experience each person brings. They have also reminded me that developing leaders is something we do together, through honest exchange and a willingness to rethink familiar ways of working.
The programme asks us to put that learning into practice. Through the group projects, delegates are working across different perspectives to examine real challenges and shape ideas that can stand up to careful questioning. It is exciting to see how the conversations in our learning blocks carry into that work. For me, this is where the value of the ILDP becomes particularly clear: we are being asked to use what we learn, not simply remember it.
I am grateful to SASRIA for sponsoring this opportunity, to the IIG for its partnership and commitment to developing people in our industry, and to Henley Business School for delivering a programme that challenges us to think and act with greater intention. As a Council Member, I am proud to see this investment in emerging leaders; as a delegate, I know how much it means to experience it firsthand.
With only a few learning blocks remaining, there is still more for us to discover and more work for our groups to do. I look forward to the remaining modules and to seeing how each project develops. IIG members, stay tuned for the final presentations. We are looking forward to sharing what our teams have been working on and the thinking behind it.
Commercial & Specialist Insurance Broker – Garrun Group
Council: Education – Insurance Institute of Gauteng
