Insights with Dzigbordi Kwaku-Dosoo: The first 30 days: Leading diverse teams across Africa’s changing workplace
If there’s one defining trait of today’s African workplace, it is this: diversity is no longer a corporate slogan, it is a lived reality.
Across Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa, the modern office, boardroom, or project site hosts five generations at once. These individuals bring with them a fusion of cultural backgrounds, social expectations, communication styles, and worldviews – many shaped by history, and others by innovation.
But while our continent’s workplaces are growing more diverse by the day, our readiness to lead across that diversity has not always kept pace.
As someone who has spent over two decades coaching leaders and transforming teams across the continent, I’ve observed a critical moment that defines leadership success or failure: the first 30 days.
New managers, no matter how talented or driven, often underestimate the complexity of leading in a cross-cultural, multi-generational African context. And it shows. According to the PwC Africa Workforce Study (2024), only 26% of African businesses say they manage diverse teams effectively. Yet McKinsey’s Africa Business Insight reveals that organizations that do are 37% more likely to outperform their industry peers. Clearly, the opportunity is enormous. But the skill gap is real.
Why the First 30 Days Matter
Research from the University of Cape Town Business School shows that leaders who build meaningful connections and set inclusive systems within their first 30 days experience 43% higher engagement and 31% lower turnover over the following year.
What does that mean for African managers?
It means you cannot afford to lead with assumption. You must lead with intention.
Whether you are supervising a digital-native Gen Z team member, collaborating with a Gen X senior partner, or aligning across three different cultural backgrounds on one Zoom call, your success hinges on how well you communicate, connect, and cultivate clarity.
The Hidden Skill: Communication That Connects
When leaders struggle in diverse environments, it’s rarely due to a lack of technical knowledge. It’s almost always a breakdown in communication misunderstood instructions, or poorly framed feedback. Culturally insensitive timing, words that don’t resonate, and silence that speaks louder than intention are all contributing factors to this breakdown.
What many don’t realise is, the way you speak is the way you lead.
This is exactly why I created the Speak To Sell™ – The R.I.S.E. Framework course.
It’s a transformational communication experience built not just for keynote speakers, but for every African professional whose job requires them to influence, inspire, and drive action; whether you’re giving a team update, pitching a board, running a meeting, or introducing your business.
Based on years of public speaking and coaching senior leaders across multiple African industries, the Speak To Sell™ – The R.I.S.E. Framework course teaches you how to:
- Speak with clarity, presence, and structure.
- Build trust across cultures and generations.
- Influence decision-making in moments that matter.
- Eliminate fear and self-doubt before high-stakes conversations.
Because the truth is: confidence in communication isn’t a personality trait, it’s a learnable skill.
In a continent as culturally rich and diverse as Africa, knowing how to speak in a way that bridges gaps, invites collaboration, and commands attention is non-negotiable for the modern leader.
Leading Diverse Teams Starts with You
Whether you’re stepping into leadership for the first time, or evolving your existing style to meet a new challenge, here are four research-backed strategies that can set your first 30 days apart:
- Map, Don’t Assume
Create a team “diversity map” based not just on demographics but on communication preferences, motivational triggers, and cultural context. Use tools like listening tours and collaborative feedback models to understand your people as individuals. - Communicate with Purpose and Precision
Intentional, inclusive communication reduces friction. Establish clear norms around meetings, decision-making, and conflict resolution. Adjust your tone, timing, and tools to fit the cultural and generational makeup of your team. - Build Relationship-Based Trust
In African cultures, relationships precede results. Take time to know your people, create shared rituals, and show consistency. Remember, trust is your most powerful currency. - Make Every Voice Count
Facilitate “rotating leadership” moments where different voices lead specific topics. This isn’t just inclusive, it’s innovative. Teams perform better when multiple perspectives shape the solution.
Your Voice Is Your Visibility
If you’re reading this as a team leader, manager, or executive navigating this complex landscape, know this:
You don’t have to have all the answers, but you do need to ask the right questions.
You don’t have to be loud, but you do need to be clear.
You don’t need to perform, but you do need to own your voice.
Africa doesn’t need more noise. It needs more intentional, inclusive, and influential leaders.
Let me help you become one of them. Order the Speak To Sell™ – The R.I.S.E. Framework course now and gain the tools to lead your team, your boardroom, and your mission with clarity, connection, and confidence.
Find link here – www.dzigbordi.com/speak-to-sell
Because in Africa’s new leadership economy, your voice is not just heard, it is your strategy.
Are you ready for TRANSFORMATION?
Dzigbordi Kwaku-Dosoo is a Ghanaian multi-disciplinary Business Leader, Entrepreneur, Consultant, Certified High-Performance Coach (CHPCTM) and global Speaker. She is the Founder and CEO of The DCG Consulting Group. She is the trusted coach to top executives, managers, teams, and entrepreneurs helping them reach their highest level of performance through the integration of technical skills with human (soft)skills for personal development and professional growth, a recipe for success she has perfected over the years. Her coaching, seminars and training has helped many organizations and individuals to transform their image and impact, elevate their engagement and establish networks leading to improved and inspired teams, growth and productivity.