Lesson 2: Mark Lamberti
Founder, Massmart Holdings, current CEO of Imperial Holdings Limited
“Write down how you hope to lead. A written leadership philosophy that is revisited on a regular basis and is used as a foundation for making decisions is a powerful tool for fostering desired leadership behaviour.”
Early on in his position as the leader of his organisation, Mark Lamberti wrote a one-page management philosophy. It was a powerful, succinct document outlining how he intended to manage people, allocate resources and effectively lead his organisation. Each year, he reviewed the document and recommitted to what he had written down, using it as a compass for growth. Under Lamberti’s leadership, Massmart grew into Africa’s most profitable retailer, with well over R1 billion in annual profit.