Once Upon A Leader In Africa

About Once Upon A Leader In Africa

A Podcast of narratives of inspiring leaders within the continent of Africa talking about their travels through the hills of success and the valleys of struggles on the land of leadership. Their stories will inspire emerging and experienced leaders to learn, live and lead better. The Podcast episodes are published around the twice or thrice every month. Special thanks to B&G Consultants Ltd, the Podcast's Sponsor, Njeri Ragoi, the Audio Editor, and Patrick Kabugi for the Sound Track.

Publisher

George Nuthu

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Aug 2021

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

123 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Persuasive Leadership Story of Joyce Ashindu

   What does it take to lead with courage, remain anchored in purpose, and create a legacy that transforms generations? In this inspiring episode of Once Upon a Leader in Africa, George Nuthu welcomes Joyce Ayoo Ashindu, a leadership practitioner whose journey crosses faith-based ministry, international development, organizational transformation, public service, and women's empowerment. Her story reminds us that leadership is not defined by a title, but by the conviction to act, the discipline to grow, and the willingness to help others flourish. Joyce traces her earliest leadership lessons to Alliance Girls, where captaining the school hockey team introduced her to responsibility, teamwork, and influencing others. Those formative experiences shaped how she approached increasingly complex assignments, including championing change at Kenya Airways and working with people and institutions seeking meaningful transformation. Today, Joyce serves as Country Director of Women in Tune Kenya and as a senior manager at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Across these roles, she brings together a commitment to developing people, strengthening institutions, and widening opportunities for women to lead and thrive. Yet her reflections reach beyond professional accomplishments to a deeper question: Who are you when your position, achievements, and public recognition are stripped away? In a candid conversation, Joyce explores the relationship between personal identity and leadership effectiveness. She explains why clarity of purpose matters when decisions are difficult, why courage is essential when established practices need to change, and why conviction must be accompanied by consistent action. Her journey invites leaders to examine the beliefs that shape their choices and the values they are prepared to uphold, even when doing so comes at a cost. Joyce also reflects on the ongoing work of becoming a better leader. Learning, mentorship, openness to feedback, and intentional personal development equip leaders to respond to new responsibilities and changing environments. She highlights the power of collaboration and the importance of surrounding oneself with people who bring complementary strengths. For leaders balancing demanding careers, family, service, and other commitments, her reflections on prioritization and shared responsibility are especially relevant. Leadership is not about doing everything personally. It requires discernment about what matters most, the humility to seek support, and the wisdom to empower others. Perhaps most powerfully, Joyce challenges African leaders to move beyond diagnosing problems or waiting for someone else to take initiative. The needs of our communities and institutions call for people who will recognize challenges, accept responsibility, and pursue practical solutions. Her vision of leadership is both deeply personal and generational: what we build in others may ultimately matter more than the positions we hold. This conversation will resonate with emerging leaders finding their voice, established executives navigating change, women stepping into greater influence, and anyone seeking to align faith, purpose, and action. Listen to Joyce's story and discover how courageous choices, disciplined growth, and purposeful influence can shape not only your leadership journey but the lives of those who follow. As you listen, consider: What challenge is inviting you to step forward, and what legacy will your response leave behind?

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP STORY OF WALTER ODHIAMBO

   In this compelling episode of Once Upon a Leader in Africa, Walter S. Odhiambo invites us into a leadership journey shaped by lived experience, continuous learning, social impact, and a deep commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. Walter’s story challenges leaders to rethink leadership as something far greater than position, authority, or having all the answers. His journey demonstrates how leadership evolves—from directing people to empowering them, from competing to collaborating, and from solving problems for communities to co-creating solutions with them. This conversation offers practical and deeply human insights into what it takes to lead effectively in a rapidly changing world. Walter reflects candidly on how his leadership style evolved from an autocratic model into an inclusive approach built around consultation, empowerment, collaboration, and trust. You will discover why effective leaders do not need to know everything; why empowering capable people creates stronger teams; why awareness, prevention, partnerships, and community participation matter in social-impact leadership; and why leaders must continually adapt rather than assume yesterday’s solutions will solve tomorrow’s challenges. He offers valuable counsel to new CEOs: believe in yourself, involve your people, understand your environment, remain objective, resist favouritism, and never become stagnant in a fast-changing world. Walter describes himself proudly as “Kenya Halisi”—a Kenyan whose personal, educational, professional, and leadership journey has largely been shaped within Kenya. A seasoned social-impact executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across international development and humanitarian work, he currently serves as Country Director of SOS Children’s Villages Kenya (a role he has held since 2017). His work focuses on supporting vulnerable children and young people who have lost, or are at risk of losing, parental care, helping them journey toward independence and self-reliance. His contributions earned him the Warriors for Good Gold Award in both 2025 and 2026. Walter traces his leadership back to childhood, when teachers, peers, and family repeatedly entrusted him with responsibility. By high school and university, leadership became intentional as he sought mentors, studied leaders, and pursued opportunities. Some of the most powerful parts of his story stem from vulnerability. Walter remembers growing up with uncertainty around meals and school fees. Today, making decisions that provide shelter, education, healthcare, food, and hope to vulnerable children gives leadership an intensely personal meaning. One unforgettable moment came when he attended the graduation of 12 SOS-supported young people who all secured full international scholarships—capturing what leadership for impact can accomplish. The conversation also explores harder realities: declining development funding, youth unemployment, mental-health challenges, changing family support structures, and the need for organizational collaboration. Walter argues that African problems need African solutions and that lived experience must guide those designs. Communities should co-create sustainable change rather than merely receive assistance. Perhaps the most memorable image comes from Walter’s twin metaphors: a key and a bulb. The key represents a leader who opens doors to new opportunities. The bulb represents a leader who brings light to people walking through difficult seasons. This leaves every leader with two searching questions: Are you opening doors or closing them? Are you illuminating someone’s path—or adding to their darkness? Walter’s desired legacy is beautifully simple: “I made a difference.” 🎧 Listen to this inspiring episode of Once Upon a Leader in Africa and discover how leadership grounded in lived experience, inclusion, collaboration, adaptability, and service can transform both people and organizations.

3. 

   18 Sept 2026

   Sunrise Leadership Story of Catherine Igathe

   What if your greatest leadership assignment is not simply to lead others—but to help them move from where they are to where they have the potential to be? In this inspiring episode of Once Upon A Leader in Africa, Catherine Igathe, Founder of Fit to Lead Global, shares a leadership journey spanning more than two decades in corporate leadership, entrepreneurship and leadership development. Catherine’s career began in a medical insurance start-up, where responsibility came quickly and she discovered her appetite for challenge, learning and delivering results. She later joined AIG, where she spent 17 years and rose through the ranks to become Managing Director, before moving to Jubilee Insurance as CEO during its merger and acquisition journey with Allianz. Yet behind the career progression was a deeper journey of discovering who she was as a leader and what she was ultimately called to do. Catherine candidly recounts a difficult season in which her confidence and self-esteem were eroded. Although she knew something needed to change, fear of failure and concern about how others might perceive her kept her holding on. Coaching became instrumental in helping her rebuild her confidence, navigate transition and uncover the purpose that had been present throughout her life. That purpose can be captured in one word: Catalyst. Catherine uses the image of a sunrise to describe her leadership calling. The darkest hour can feel stuck, frustrating and hopeless—but sunrise brings another chance, renewed energy and new possibilities. Her purpose is to help people hold on through that “11th hour” and journey toward their own sunrise. This realization eventually led Catherine back to her passion for leadership development and the founding of Fit to Lead Global—helping individuals and organizations become better equipped to lead themselves and others. For Catherine, leadership begins with self-leadership. Before attempting to influence an organization, community or nation, a leader must first examine their own character, choices and values. Leadership is not a title; it is influence—the ability to inspire people, rally them around a common vision and help them grow in the process. Her message becomes particularly urgent when she reflects on leadership in Africa. Catherine argues for a return to values: valuing people, taking personal responsibility, strengthening families and intentionally developing the next generation. Rather than placing responsibility for Africa’s leadership challenges solely on institutions or political leaders, she brings the challenge back to the individual: “It will start with me.” She believes families are among the first places where leaders are formed. The values children learn at home ultimately accompany them into schools, communities, workplaces and positions of influence. This conviction fuels one of her emerging dreams—to help develop leadership and values among young people so that Africa can begin transforming its leadership culture from the foundation upward. Ultimately, Catherine describes her North Star as helping people develop the life and leadership tools they need to navigate both good times and difficult seasons. Because crisis reveals character, leaders need to be prepared before adversity arrives. Her story is a powerful reminder that leadership starts within, is tested through adversity and finds its greatest expression in helping others become better equipped to navigate life and lead. 🎙️ Listen to this episode of Once Upon A Leader in Africa and discover what it means to become fit to lead—and a catalyst for someone else’s sunrise.

Who has been a guest on Once Upon A Leader In Africa

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Dumisani Magadlela
• Jennifer Kinyoe
• Jeremiah Nyagah

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 60 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

92

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

68

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.