Integrate Character Development as part of Leadership development

Smooth work relationships are indispensable to efficiency on the job.

In the world we are living today, employers often react to a lack of diligence,

orderliness, or dependability in their employees.

On the other hand employees react to a lack of sensitivity and justice in their employers.

Racial Name Calling and Finger Pointing?

Why do the issues of name calling and finger pointing still flare up from time to time? These actions and attitudes just damage relationships. Nobody wants to be insulted or called derogatory names. There is power in our tongues. We are God’s people and we can decide to either encourage our fellow South Africans or to destroy them with our words. Racism affects everyone, regardless of your skin colour or ethnic background. When we play the “colour card”, it simply distorts the rainbow nation.

The four Chambers- latest strong message development program

Heartbeats is a Strong Message programme designed to empower you with the necessary focus, training and accountability you need to achieve the consistent results of living a truly successful and significant life. The thoughts highlighted in this program are for your own good. They are compiled to protect you from disaster, and you would be foolish to ignore them. As you consider these thoughts, don’t be afraid to take an honest look at yourself.

The new wave of strike action or a new type of disloyalty?

Is losing 12, 9 million workings days in 2007 and 991 000 days in 2008 a new wave of strike action or a new type of disloyalty?

True Leadership

The financial crisis in the world has forced us to look at the way leaders lead. True leaders must not be afraid to admit mistakes and must be willing to diagnose the toxic areas within their own organisation. Leaders need to step up and lead and move away from domination towards true stewardship,

Swine viruses in the workplace?

What about the swine viruses in the workplace?

Character Based Training in the workplace

I am also doing two day advanced training on Character First Principles in the workplace. What a missing training programme in the workplace today. Just note the following statements:


“SA has the worst economic crime rate in the world – with asset misappropriation, money laundering, bribery and fraud topping the list of white collar crimes, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers global survey released this week.

SA is estimated to have lost more than R600m to economic crimes in the past two years, with analysts saying that this does not bode well for the country’s efforts to woo foreign investment.

XTRATA Mine

Xtrata Mine have approached me in doing a assessment on their Behaviour Based Safety programme. During the audit I have used small focus groups as well as using a systems thinking, Theory of Constraints, Appreciate Inquiry methodology and investigating different worldviews on safety. What a project!

Establishing a safe and accident free working environment is one of the most demanding challenges facing management today.

Maintaining the desired standard, once it has been achieved, calls for an even greater degree of focus and commitment. Within this context, one of the most perplexing issues facing safety management is why after weeks and months of accident free operations, a string of accidents, sometimes with increasing frequency, will suddenly occur.

A thorough scrutiny and analysis of the situation often showed that approximately 90% of the accidents could be attributed to human behaviour, attitude or incorrect decisions... This makes sense and refers to the statement of Stephen Covey who said the following:


“I’m convinced that 90% of failures in life are character failures, not ability failures.”

Department of Education: Provincial Government Western Cape

Mr Eddie Kirsten Director Internal Human Capital Development on the left and Mr Brian Schreuder Deputy Director –General Curriculum Management on the right

During the past four months I have been involved training and coaching 40 of the top senior management with in the Department of Education: Provincial Government Western Cape on a two day training: EQ and facilitating perpetual Change as well as a two action learning individual coaching sessions based on series of questions on Leadership, interpersonal and analytical Competencies

The Learning outcomes:

Understand the role that EQ plays in effective leadership development
and organisational effectiveness
Understand the change process and how to lead change
Demonstrate the role of the leader as change agent to sell and maintain
organisational renewal

Two projects have been identified as part of measuring the impact namely Hammer of Justice and Building the Brand. See details on our website

latest comments on web and developments

Great to see your new website!! I am really impressed with the innovation, as always!!, Sharp and interesting – your interventions look like a lot of fun.

You are really a remarkable person - and an inspiration to all potential entrepreneurs and business leaders.
It is always very inspiring to see how people move with the latest technology!! –
Samuel J Noemdoe : Property and Business Consultant


Mario, this website dazzles just like you indicated. It is phenomenal.
Simon Mahlabe


Very innovative, Doc. This is taking the development of people across the cutting edge. Well done.

Tony Lawrence

Candidate at Barloworld

Every manager does have a blind spot and blind spots
are often the reason why managers don't finish well.
A manager without a teachable mindset will find it
very hard to listen for feedback and it will also be very difficult
for him to admit having blind spots.

A manager should ask the following two questions
to his direct staff at least twice a year to help him
to identify some blind spots:

. What is stopping you (direct subordinates) from reaching peak
performance?
. If you were in my position, what would you like to see being done
differently?
An emotional intelligence 360-degree assessment can definitely
help to identify blind spots in your interpersonal,
intrapersonal, stress,adaptability and general mood competencies.

This is exactly what we have done in helping 10 managers
from Barloworld polishing their managerial skills and
presenting themselves a year later based on the new
things that have learned

Stories/vision are a driving force that shape
an organisations' destiny. People look to leaders for direction.
The participating managers adopted the above and communicated
a vision of their future through the form of a heartfelt pledge.

This impels them to move beyond the boundaries and limits
of the past to greatness.
Storytelling in a business must come from the top to
strengthen the culture and spirit of the workplace.
This process was filmed on camera.

The power of integrating the art of storytelling and purposeful conversations

We received this post and found it to be a real motivation to what we are busy doing- without delay here follows the received email.


"I'm really inspired by STRONGMESSAGE. I find your ethos captivating and simultaneously enriching just by reading it! Intellectual curiosity and collaboration is key! WOW! This is what we need!! The combination of visual art (film) and psychology, a most powerful combination! Not to mention its extensive uses for marketing oneself. I'm eager to hear more about you guys and the development of your 'movement' / 'establishment'.
I'll be watching out for innovative trains of thought on your site! I'll be spreading word!

It's so good to see family working together!

All in Christ!!

Karen Mulder
Nitty Gritty Arts"



Phil Cooke, filmmaker and media activist, stated: " during difficult financial times, the strength of your brand is your greatest asset. It creates a powerful sense of trust. When times get tough – the smartest investment you can make is in the integrity, authenticity, and effectiveness of your brand. "

It’s about immediacy, connection, and influence when we realize that we should stop sitting around worrying about the future and start creating it.

Western Cape Education Department

One of my favourite projects is to help management to develop to their full human potential by applying and developing their emotional intelligence. Combining this with training in facilitating perpetual change and having purposeful conversations on burning workplace issues are what organisations desperately need. The WESTERN CAPE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT has asked me to train about 50 of their most senior staff in these concepts. The first session was held in Kromme Rhee.


This year their purposeful conversation will be about The Hammer of Justice. Visit the Strong Message website www.strongmessage.co.za for more details on this intervention.

Lecturing at REIMS Management School in France

Lecturing at Reims is one of the highlights for me every year. This was the 11th time I've done this and my topic was again Making Human Capital the Differentiating Factor in the Workplace. Students who attended the last session were from Italy, Spain, France, Canada, Mexico, China and Germany.

Highlights of 2008

It was truly an eventful year. Below are some of the highlights that have made a significant impact on my life.

Whale Trail Hike 2008

December 2008
12 people started on a journey -
one that could be measured at 55km on the eye,
but of which the impact would last much longer.

Change Agent Training at George Hospital

What a pleasure it was to do training with this team. We have trained all the senior management in dealing with five major challenges they are facing in the hospital.



We have also trained another 50 change agents in assisting
management to deal with these challenges.
George Hospital decided to use the The Don intervention.