Sustainable Leadership
- 26 July 2025
A compelling fireside chat featuring Luísa Diogo, former Prime Minister of Mozambique and seasoned board leader. Luísa shares personal reflections and strategic insights drawn from her extensive leadership experience across government and corporate sectors, offering a rare glimpse into the mindset and values of a woman who has shaped policy and boardroom decision-making at the highest levels.
The event continues with an insightful sustainability masterclass led by Punki Modise, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer (CSSO) and a member of the Group Executive Committee at ABSA Group. This session explores the evolving role of sustainability in board leadership, focusing on how directors can integrate ESG principles into long-term strategy, risk oversight, and stakeholder engagement. Designed for current and aspiring board members, this masterclass offers practical tools to strengthen sustainability governance and enhance boardroom effectiveness in a rapidly changing world.
Fireside chat with Madame Luísa Diogo
Madame Luisa Diogo is a globally respected leader, former Prime Minister of Mozambique (2004-2010), and former Minister of Planning and Finance. She is renowned for her significant contributions to Mozambique’s post-conflict development, including driving fiscal discipline, structural economic reform, and public sector modernisation. During her tenure, she positioned Mozambique as a case study in leveraging sound economic policy for poverty reduction and institutional development.
Beyond her national roles, Madame Diogo has served on numerous high-level United Nations panels, co-chairing the UN Panel on System-wide Coherence and contributing to the High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability, focusing on integrated approaches to development, climate resilience, and institutional reform. She also brings formidable governance experience to the corporate sector as Chair of ABSA Bank in Mozambique, where she led strategic transformation and oversaw sustained profitability and market growth. A staunch advocate for gender equality, she founded the Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians and led initiatives to mainstream gender in fiscal and governance frameworks. Her legacy also includes championing national HIV/AIDS responses and free reproductive healthcare for women. She has been recognised by Time and Forbes magazines as one of the world’s most influential women.
Madame Luisa Diogo’s foundational values were deeply inspired by her parents, particularly her mother. She highlights honesty, integrity, and hard work as paramount. Her mother, who was born on a farm and had limited formal education due to gender discrimination, instilled in her the importance of studying hard and working diligently to “be somebody” – a reference and a helper to others. This upbringing fostered a strong belief in gender equality, leading Diogo to ensure women received opportunities in her leadership roles.
Motivation is another crucial value she espouses; she believes one must be motivated in their work, and if not, they should seek change. This intrinsic motivation allowed her to tackle difficult challenges, such as debt forgiveness negotiations and financing for Mozambique, with enjoyment and energy. She also learned the importance of transforming ideas into vision and actively building towards them, exemplified by her mother’s resourcefulness in her own birth and in educating her children.
Madame Luisa Diogo identifies the primary challenge as conquering oneself, battling internal doubts of incapability. She stresses the importance of authenticity, never forgetting one’s origins, and not being afraid to show one’s true self.
The second major challenge was convincing others of her capabilities. While men were often easier to convince based on competence and demonstrable results, women presented a more complex challenge due to a “complex of minority” – a subconscious perception that limits women’s advancement beyond certain positions (e.g., a female CEO might be seen as precluding a female Chair). To overcome this, she advises women leaders to be “excellent” and highly competent, reinforcing this by using figures and data in discussions, as this counters the perception that women are not “for math.” She also learned to leverage influence by recognising the work of others (e.g., executives in boardrooms) before offering critiques or suggestions, fostering openness to her proposals rather than being perceived as “noisy.”
The “complex of minority” refers to a subtle, often subconscious perception among some women that there are inherent limitations to how many women can hold top leadership positions within an organisation. For example, if a woman already holds the Chair position, there might be a subconscious reluctance to support another woman for the CEO role, effectively capping female representation.
To overcome this, Madame Diogo advocates for women in leadership to actively identify and put forward highly competent female candidates for positions. She emphasises the importance of networking to identify “the best tales of women” with proven expertise. Additionally, she stresses that women must strive for “excellence” in their work and be prepared to present their arguments with concrete figures and data. This approach challenges existing biases and demonstrates competence, making it harder to dismiss their capabilities or limit their advancement based on unspoken biases.
Madame Luisa Diogo advises that effective communication and influence in professional settings, especially boardrooms, is a balance, not about being “noisy” or constantly speaking. She prioritises listening as a key communication skill, noting that “the best communicator is the one that knows how to listen.” When it is necessary to speak, she advocates for concise, data-driven contributions, directly addressing points rather than “going around the bush.”
Furthermore, she highlights the importance of recognising and valuing the work of others, particularly executives who prepare materials. By acknowledging their efforts, leaders create an environment where their own proposals are more likely to be heard and adopted. She suggests framing suggestions as complementary rather than outright criticisms. Her personal experience taught her the importance of avoiding jargon, making communication accessible to all members, as she realised that technical language could be perceived as arrogance. Her aim is to walk with collaborators, starting from their reality and building upon it with informed contributions.
Madame Luisa Diogo acknowledges the significant challenge of balancing household and family life with a professional career. She candidly shares her own struggle with this early in her career. Her key advice is to “ask for support” when needed, rather than attempting to manage everything alone. For her, this meant seeking external help for childcare, even going to the extent of bringing a woman from her village and arranging adult education for her so she could manage household responsibilities more effectively.
She believes that making a “distance” in one’s career – progressing rapidly – requires a well-managed home front so that one can fully concentrate on work without domestic distractions. She also extends the idea of asking for support to career development, advising to call on established “references” or mentors in one’s field for advice, gathering multiple perspectives (e.g., asking for five tips, not just three) and then selecting what fits best.
Madame Luisa Diogo recognises that the line between confidence and arrogance can be blurry, and it is crucial for leaders to self-reflect daily on how they are perceived. She advises asking oneself, “Am I being arrogant, or are they being unjust in their perception of me?” but leaning towards the assumption that one might be exhibiting arrogance.
She learned a valuable lesson from a senior colleague who, in a private conversation, pointed out that her use of jargon in parliament came across as arrogant. This feedback led her to consciously simplify her language in all public appearances to ensure accessibility and clarity for everyone, not just experts. Her experience taught her that jargon, a commanding voice, or a prescriptive tone can inadvertently project arrogance. The antidote lies in cultivating a culture in one’s team where individuals feel safe to speak the truth, even about difficult perceptions, and for the leader to genuinely value and act upon that feedback.
To young women starting their careers, Madame Luisa Diogo offers several pieces of powerful advice. Firstly, she cautions against “shortcuts” or seeking positions through questionable means, emphasising the importance of transparency and adhering to institutional rules. She advises them to “warm up the seat” – to thoroughly learn and master their current role before seeking advancement, ensuring a solid foundation and preventing a fall back to lower positions.
Secondly, she stresses the paramount importance of honesty and integrity. Being different by upholding these values, even if it feels like “a fish out of water,” will distinguish them and build trust. She shares that her unwavering integrity meant she was never approached for corruption, illustrating that one’s reputation precedes them. Finally, she encourages innovation and not being afraid to propose different things, as transformative leadership is highly valued. She concludes by urging the new generation to continue their innovative spirit but to do so with “a very honest and integrated pathway” to ensure sustainability and lasting legacy.
Masterclass by Punki Modise
Punki Modise is the Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer and a group executive committee member at ABSA Bank, with over 15 years in senior leadership roles at the institution, and two decades of experience in business strategy. She has previously served as interim group finance director and held various CFO roles in transactional banking. She was recognised as the Business Leader of the Year for 2025, an accolade considered by many to be long overdue and a significant achievement for women in leadership.
Punki Modise reframes sustainability beyond its typical association with climate or corporate reports. For her, sustainable leadership is about “how we carry ourselves, our people, and even our values, particularly in pressure-filled rooms.” It is about leadership that “can hold the pressure, hold peoples, hold people without breaking, bending out, or even betraying its values.” It entails building resilient boards, businesses, and systems that endure changes in leadership or external scrutiny, and constantly questioning if one’s current leadership approach will be effective and ethical in the long term. Crucially, it means leading in a way that “doesn’t drain the soul” of oneself or those being led.
Punki Modise identifies three simple yet crucial anchors for sustainable leadership:
- Purpose: A board or organisation must understand its fundamental reason for existence beyond merely making money. This purpose provides direction and stability when strategy becomes complex.
- People: Sustainable leadership focuses on who gets to lead, who is developed, and who receives credit. It involves genuinely listening to all voices, especially those that are not the loudest, and actively bringing those at the margins into the centre to harness diverse perspectives.
- Principles: These are the non-negotiables – the fundamental values that guide decisions, regardless of how attractive shortcuts might seem. In challenging situations, it is these core principles, rather than policies, that ultimately provide guidance and save the leader.
Punki Modise suggests asking the following strategic questions in boardrooms to promote sustainable leadership:
- “What is the long-term cost of this decision?” (Cost includes emotional impact, not just financial).
- “Are we managing reputation, or are we doing the right thing?” (Highlighting the difference between optics and integrity).
- “Whose voices are missing in this conversation?” (Emphasising inclusivity and diverse perspectives).
- “Do our leadership choices reflect the future, or protect the past?” (Encouraging forward-thinking and transformation).
Women in leadership frequently carry a significant emotional load. They are expected to prepare twice as much, mentor teams while managing crises, absorb tension, and act as peacekeepers. Simultaneously, they may face contradictory expectations, such as being “Stella Boss” at work and a “submissive mom” at home, and are often told to “smile more” or “tone it down.” This relentless demand can lead to unsustainable leadership that sacrifices well-being and voice.
To handle multiple crises (polycrisis) and overcome imposter syndrome, Punki Modise advises:
- Authenticity and Strategy: Be true to yourself and have a clear vision with a supporting strategy. This provides stability and prevents being easily flustered by external events.
- Seek Help: Recognise that you don’t have all the solutions and don’t hesitate to ask for help from your “village” or support networks.
- Intentionality and Growth: Start small with intent to grow, join mentorship circles, and shadow admired individuals. Confidence comes from exposure and preparation, not perfection. Embrace discomfort as a catalyst for growth.
- Self-Awareness and Limits: Understand your own limits and when “enough is enough.”
- Four Capitals: Tap into:
- Conviction and Faith: Connect with your spirituality for guidance and daily rejuvenation.
- Intellectual Capacity: Embrace your ability to think and simplify complex ideas for others.
- Heart/Feelings: Nurture your emotional well-being and recognise when your heart is burdened, knowing when to step back and care for yourself.
- Gut/Intuition: Trust your instincts as a valuable guide.
- Journaling: Use journaling as a powerful tool for self-reflection and honest self-assessment.
Artificial harmony, characterised by superficial agreement and a lack of genuine challenge, is considered a “killer of organizations” and unsustainable. It is often performative and stifles true transformation. Punki Modise advocates for disrupting this by asking challenging questions like, “Have we said everything that needed to have been said?” or “Are we sure this is the best solution?” She encourages leaders to use their “no veto” when something feels uncomfortable, especially in their area of expertise, to ensure diverse and innovative solutions are explored. This requires direct, clear communication delivered professionally and respectfully.
Punki Modise urges African leaders to “stop importing definitions of success from the West” and instead “start creating definition of success from our very own continent.” She believes that the African context, with its complex environments, stretched resources, tight regulation, and fragile trust in institutions, demands a “practical, inclusive, human” kind of leadership. She encourages leaders to reflect on their current role, identify what they are tolerating that isn’t aligned with their values, what conversations they are avoiding, and one thing they can shift to lead more sustainably. Ultimately, the goal is to build boards and legacies that last and make a tangible difference, rather than merely pursuing perfection or titles.
