Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
26 August 2020 | Story Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied

A VUCA environment reflects a state of the external world, or external to the leader, community, or nation, as much as it seems to reflect an internal frame of mind. The constant pressure to lead, while being uncertain about the outcomes of your decisions and even fearful of not being in control all the time, are some of the hallmarks of a VUCA world. A good way of thinking about this concept is to view it as the ‘new narrative’ – the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity inherent in today’s world.

Leaders in the 21st century need to steer a country securely through unparalleled, challenging, and stormy circumstances such as food insecurity, political unrest, migration and refugee issues, unemployment, divided societies and prejudice, global warming, and others. Against this introduction, it unfortunately appears as if there is an increase in VUCA problems in the 21st century, and leaders often fail in their attempts to provide solutions to these demanding circumstances. Indeed, it appears as if leaders in the 21st century are actually contributing to VUCA environments. So-called ‘state capture’ and the ‘gangster state’ in South Africa, ‘make America great again’ and ‘America first’ , the Brexit no-deal option, ‘trade wars’, and ‘the deadly coronavirus’ are examples of when leaders did not appear to solve challenges, but rather to intensify them. 

This is the backdrop against which the book, Chaos is a Gift? Leading Oneself in Uncertain and Complex Environments, has been conceptualised – indeed to debate the opportunities that exist amid this chaos. 

Three UFS women academics contributed to this book.

Dr Martha Harunavamwe (Department of Industrial Psychology) has written a chapter on resilience and agility in Zimbabwean higher education.Dr Mareve Biljohn (Department of Public Administration and Management) has written a chapter on leading the self in South Africa’s VUCA local government environments. Prof Liezel Lues (Department of Public Administration and Management) has written a chapter on South Africa’s surviving VUCA environment. She is also one of the editors of the book.

The endorsement written by Prof Petersen, reads: There are various books on leadership, but this book, in navigating today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, presents chaos as both an opportunity and possibility in developing ‘selfcare practices’ in leading oneself. Leaders must have the cognitive flexibility to adapt to the unknown in the midst of chaos (and a crisis). Through making sense of leadership approaches in different environments, including the business, private, academic and public sectors, as well as in conflict/post-conflict situations, the book provides a deep insight into leading oneself effectively with innovation and empathy in a VUCA environment – an excellent contribution to self-leadership. (Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor: Top Management, University of the Free State)

The book, published by KR Publishers, will be launched on 27 August 2020. Prof Ebben van Zyl, together with Prof Lues, are the editors of this book: Van Zyl, E, Campbell, A and Lues, L. ed. Chaos is a Gift? Leading Oneself in Uncertain and Complex Environments. Randburg: KR Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-86922-860-6

News Archive

Odeion: Brahms song cycle
2006-10-10

 

Brad Liebl (baritone) with Hanna van Niekerk (narrator) and Albie van Schalkwyk (piano)

Sunday, 22 October
Odeion
20:00

Dr. Brad Liebl was awarded a Doctorate in Musical Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and has for more than 10 years been Associate Professor of Classical Voice and the co-coordinator of that division at UCT.   He has become well-known throughout South Africa as an interpreter of operatic leading roles, art songs and oratorios.  In Germany he has sung operettas and Lieder and in the USA he continues to feature as a principal performer in oratorios and operas.  During the previous two years Liebl sang the male leads in the world premières of two new operas: The Lost Dauphin and Amarantha.   His new CD’s include the recording of the latter and songs by Rajna, Hely-Hutchinson and Chisholm.  In 2003 Liebl received one of only four Distinguished Teacher Awards from the University of Cape Town. 

Liebl will be accompanied by the pianist Albie van Schalkwyk, while the story of the beautiful Magelone will be narrated by Hanna van Niekerk.

Programme
Die schöne Magelone (Brahms)

Admission
R60 (adults)
R40 (pensioners)
R40 (students and learners)

Bookings
Ninette Pretorius at the Department of Music, tel. 051 401 2504.  
Tickets are also available at Izami Florist in Baysvillage and Fascination Books in Mimosa Mall.

 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept