Brownie Ebal

Written by: Brownie Ebal

Edited by: Kasi Editorial Services

On the 5^th of August 2022, enthusiastic staff of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) gathered together at IREC Victoria Garden in great anticipation and celebration of the launch of “The Leaders are Learners Book Club”. The club seeks to enhance motivation and growth amongst the staff. Its core values of the Club are professionalism, teamwork, innovation, results orientation, integrity, reliability and excellence. To achieve NWSC’s goal, the management of NWSC believes in empowering everyone to be leaders of themselves and others. NWSC strongly believes that in order to grow as an organization, we must keep learning. The book club is an initiative to model new leadership for NWSC staff and encourage continuous learning and productivity. This background gave birth to Leaders are Learners Club which was created to enhance staff motivation and growth.

Over 50 people attended the launch with The Managing Director of NWSC, Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha as the Chief Guest of this progressive reading movement. He was accompanied by the Director of Engineering Services Eng. Alex Gisagara and the General Manager Kampala Water, Eng. Mahmood Lutaaya.

A swearing-in of the Committee and Patron of the club kick-started the event. Distinguished members of the National Water shared wisdom and a wealth of experience with the rest of the team.

Activities for the day.

As President of The Leaders are Learners Club, I started off the event with a welcome address and an outline in which I introduced the Book Club. I shared that the club was an opportunity for people to challenge themselves to learn different things, for example, public speaking, a journey I have embarked on. My address was then followed by the inauguration of the LL Club Executive Committee.

Synopsis of the vision of the LL club.

The Patron, General Manager-Kampala Water Eng. Mahmood Lutaaya shared how the book club can boost productivity and engagement and encouraged staff to embrace this avenue of growth. Upon his invitation, the Senior Manager Legal Department shared a touching story about how the club’s inaugural book The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma helped her to engage her daughter in productive life and work models, such as waking up early, doing tasks on time, and planning.

She intimated that shortly after her daughter read the book, she picked up some of these habits and has reformed her personal and work life. Eng. Gisagara agreed, sharing stories of how waking up early has been part of what has kept him and many of NWSC’s Top management team alert and efficient in emergency works and other management duties required of them.

In depth analysis of 5AM Club and Panel discussion by NWSC employees.

During this event, five participants presented their perspectives of the popular The 5AM Club, sharing their lessons and also validations of habits they had already been practicing. Jackson Wasajja, an Electrical Technician and Winfred Maiga a legal officer shared an anecdote from the book, “Treat people with respect regardless of how they look. They might provide the solution to your problem.”  Kakaija Doreen shared how waking up early has enabled her to accomplish more in her work day.

Perspective from Managing Director – Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha.

He tasked the audience with questions like: Who is a leader? As a Leader what does one want to be in 10 years?   He stated that a leader is not born one. He is simply one who knows where he wants to go. He further laid out the qualities of good leaders as: good communicators, planners, emotionally intelligent individuals, mobilizers who influence team members positively, encouragers of teamwork, and persons who choose the right people to work with.  Tomorrow’s leaders, he believed, should be resilient,  optimistic, with a strong value system, punctual, good concept analyzers with a clear conscience, speedy workers who are confident and risk-management oriented.  He pledged his full support to the club.

The guest of honor shared insights about the requirements of today’s leaders to thrive in the workforce. “Leaders conceptualize,” he said, “ are technology-driven, embrace work-life balance, and are risk managers.”

In his words, today’s leaders need to be able to continue to learn in order to keep up with the technological advancements happening worldwide. It is also the way to recognize problems and risks within their work and contribute to solving them. He also shared the importance of having corporate objectives for the book club and individuals who are part of it. In this way, progress can be measured for both the individual and the book club.

The Leaders are Learners Book Club was crowned with two musical performances from staff, Isaac Ezama, a Software Engineer and Maurice Ayoo, a Civil Engineer.

The event closed with  a sumptuous meal of meats, juice, tea, cake and a karaoke evening where staff bellowed their lungs out.