DBS managers benefit from leadership training   |27 September 2022

Mr Sinon conducting the training (Photo: Laura Pillay)

Nineteen senior and middle-level managers across different departments of the Development Bank Seychelles (DBS) yesterday completed a three-day executive leadership development training, in collaboration with the Productivity Unit of the Ministry of Employment and The Guy Morel Institute (TGMI).

The transformational leadership training facilitated by Timothy Sinon of TGMI, aims to build capacity of employees within the public sector, by empowering organisational leaders with invaluable knowledge and skills that allow them to rediscover ‘self’ , manage their personal leadership and enhance their ability to lead within their organisational roles.

Among the various objectives and outcomes are discovering and developing personal leadership, understanding the fundamental principles, developing leadership attitudes and understanding the main leadership theories and styles, among others.

The training officially started on Thursday.

Chief executive of DBS, Jean Preira, yesterday morning commended the leaders for their hard work at technical level, although she noted that they face certain challenges in managing staff. As such, the collaboration between DBS, the Ministry of Employment and TGMI is a much welcomed initiative, through which other DBS staff are to also benefit.

“Leadership is all about guiding and leading people in a group or organisation to achieve success. It is not a skill that everyone is blessed to have, but it can be developed through time,” she said.

“I do hope this training without a doubt will allow you to conduct a self-reflection, and to readjust where necessary to bring positivity, success, and achievement within the organisation,” she said, addressing the employees. 

According to the director of the Productivity Unit Maryvonne Francis, the trainings towards improving leadership across the country commenced as early as 2008, with the aim of reforming both the public and private sectors to improve performance, productivity and service delivery. 

Effective communication, adequate knowledge of the organisation’s strategic plan and teamwork are among the key ingredients for effective and efficient productivity within organisations.

“We need to ensure that we have modern leaders and that when we have leaders in the workplace, they are able to play their role in influencing workers to engage in best practices, and strategically lead the organisation towards achieving results,” Ms Francis said.

“Leaders need to be able to execute their roles properly. Discipline in the workplace is key. As a leader, one needs to know that discipline starts with them, and that they need to be exemplary for employees to also understand this,” Ms Francis noted.

The various sessions within different organisations have been effective thus far, Ms Francis added, with many leaders having undergone a radical transformation.

In addition to the training sessions, Ms Francis and her unit have also accounted for monitoring and evaluation, through a framework which she developed herself.

The sessions are to continue with different organisations in going forward.

Laura Pillay