Lessons in service and self-awareness

While the number of women lawyers in Africa continues to rise, obstacles to leadership remain. Corporate, commercial and projects legal expert Asmahaney Saad talked to Craig Sisterson about her journey and her advice for new generations.

There are always opportunities to be of service, and young lawyers – women and men – who want to grow into good leaders shouldn’t wait to be handed a position or feel they need to attain a particular title before they begin to lead, says Asmahaney Saad, partner at KTA Advocates.

“There is so much need in our communities,” noted Asmahaney, who holds senior roles on many professional committees, corporate boards and for non profit organisations in Uganda. “If you’re working towards leadership, perhaps you have a certificate in management, but you’re just waiting for your opportunity. You’re wasting valuable time and talent”

Asmahaney says young lawyers need to get out there and serve. Communities require help setting up projects, and many of the needs may be humble, such as finding efficient ways to collect rubbish. Sometimes all it takes is someone stepping up to lead.

“Perhaps you’re not going to be paid, and that’s okay; you’re still serving, you’re still applying skills,” she pointed out. “Those small things are where you start, because you’re a leader. They open doors. My journey and the successes have come through service. I give back to my community through the Rotary Club, Uganda Law Society, East Africa Law Society and Church. Voluntary service is the best teacher, and it helped me shape and build my leadership capacity ‒ and understand people.”

Developing that self-awareness is a vital part of being a good lawyer and leader, she says.

“The number one advice I always give women and young girls who are aspiring to be here is to just know yourself and your personality,” said Asmahaney , whose firm is part of Alliott Global Alliance, an elite coalition of top legal and accounting experts in 220 member firms in some 100 countries.

“Self-awareness allows you to bring out your best – your strengths – and it also allows you to accept your weaknesses as a human being. Then you can be very intentional about how you’re going to turn your weaknesses to balance your strengths, building yourself up as a person and leader. Discover who you are, embrace who you are, build your capacity – all of that helps you work out where you want to go so you can live purposefully, in service.”

Reflecting on her own journey, Asmahaney says while women can face more hurdles than men – particularly when it comes to cultural dynamics and balancing multiple roles and responsibilities – all leaders are challenged to build influence with people.

“You can have great ideas – all the strategies and passion – and you can visualise and plan to change all these things, but without the right people in place, and narrowing it down to how you’re going to execute and get it done with these people, you’ll never have great success,” she said.

Beyond managing people and balancing your roles in life, Asmahaney says a third key challenge is succession, and being a great leader includes the ability to identify and help coach the next generation. Even though it can be uncomfortable to think about others stepping into “our” place, it is vital, she says, to create continuity and sustainability in everything you do as a leader.

Asmahaney says she’s very intentional about identifying the right people at her firm, throughout the networks she has, including at Alliott Global Alliance and mentorship programmes she runs, to spot the right people she can feed into because not everyone is meant to learn from you as a leader. As a good leader, she’s also learned to say no to some exciting opportunities, applying self-awareness and recommending others who she knows and has identified as good leaders.

“That’s one of the strategies where I feel I can contribute – by sharing what I’ve learned and raising up other girls and women – and build a platform of people who I know can easily grow and I can recommend as they start their journey,” she shared.

Copyright : Re-publication of this article is authorised only in the following circumstances; the writer, Craig Sisterson and Africa Legal are both recognised as the author and the website address www.africa-legal.com and original article are back linked. A bio for the writer can be provided on request.

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About KTA Advocates:

KTA Advocates (“KTA”) is AGA’s legal representative in Uganda. An award-winning IFLR recommended and a WTR1000 top-tier law firm, KTA’s team provides corporate governance, project finance, international trade, dispute resolution & arbitration, tax finance, civil & commercial litigation, employment, and real estate & property services.

The firm's clients range from leading public and private businesses in banking, e-commerce, sports, entertainment, technology, beverage & hospitality, telecommunications, broadcast entertainment, music and publishing and early-stage entrepreneurs. KTA has a team of 25 highly specialized advocates who render a range of legal services to clients globally.