Book Buzz from The International Leadership Association 2023 Global Conference. Author Deanne Michelle De Vries discusses her book Africa: Reframing Political Leadership.

Have you ever wondered why, amongst the 350+ political leaders that countries across Africa have had since their independence from the colonialists, there aren’t more held up as positive examples besides President Mandela and the occasional Founding Father? Surely, there must be more political leaders who left their country in a better state than when they first took office.

I decided to find out.

Through face-to-face interviews with those who were or are Heads of State of different countries across Africa, I delved into political leadership in Africa based on their stories, opinions and experiences.

What awareness do they have? What breadth of knowledge, experience and education did they bring to the role? How clear were they on their focus and objectives, and when to leave office? Why did some leave their countries in a better place while others made it decidedly worse?

Building on these firsthand accounts and the work of French sociologist Bourdieu, I offer a new framework through which to view and discuss political leadership across Africa: “Habitus: Leading from Life”. This framework captures how everything in their lives played a role in and prepared them for their role and effectiveness (or lack of) as Heads of State.

Join me and let’s pull back the curtain on political leadership across Africa by hearing first-hand the real-life political leadership experiences of those who were Heads of States across Africa.