The Diagnostic – A Depthwork® study engaging 120 executives across Zimbabwe’s corporate, financial, multilateral, and social enterprise sectors revealed a paradox: Zimbabwe’s executives are strong as individuals but underperform as collectives.

Key Findings;

• 70% of executives said decisions are reinterpreted in corridors after meetings.
• 65% said harmony is prioritised over honesty.
• 60% observed decisions orbit around one dominant personality.
• 55% admitted their teams are emotionally fatigued.
• Only 25% described trust as deep and genuine.

These numbers mirror global leadership research (McKinsey, Edelman, Brené Brown) but are sharpened by Zimbabwe’s volatile environment, where resilience often masks fatigue and politeness disguises dissent.

Depthwork – From Survival To Authentic Leadership: READ MORE

8 Zimbabwean Leadership Truths – A mirror, a mandate, and a compass for the future of executive leadership in Zimbabwe:

1. Harmony without honesty is paralysis.
2. Corridor whispers waste collective genius.
3. Survival silences; Authentic Leadership speaks.
4. Resilience without renewal becomes exhaustion.
5. What once protected us now holds us back.
6. Our struggles are universal, but our response can set the pace for the continent.
7. Hidden friction costs us speed, trust, and talent.
8. Leadership is never solitary; it is collective, or it is nothing at all.

The Invitation: From Survival to Authentic Leadership – Zimbabwe’s leaders have proven resilience in storms that would have broken others. Yet survival leadership has its ceiling:

• Survival silences. Authentic leadership speaks.
• Survival exhausts. Authentic leadership renews.
• Survival fragments. Authentic leadership unites.

Why Now? Executives themselves admit: “We are overdue for a leadership reset.” The stakes are high: corridor politics erode competitiveness, fragile trust drains talent, and burnout undermines execution. At the same time, Zimbabwe’s cultural instinct for Ubuntu offers a powerful compass for renewal. If Zimbabwe can model courageous, collaborative leadership in times of uncertainty, it will not only reset its institutions but also set the pace for the continent.

“Survival leadership has taken us far, but it is no longer enough. The invitation now is to step into Authentic Leadership, courageous, honest, and collaborative,  rooted in the dignity and solidarity of Ubuntu.”— Dr. Vongai Nyahunzvi, Founder, Equinexus Partners

“This is not about importing fads. It is about remembering what Zimbabwe already knows: leadership is never solitary; it is collective, or it is nothing at all.” — Dr. Vongai Nyahunzvi

“We smile through tensions without addressing them.” — Corporate Executive, Finance Sector

“Most decisions orbit around one dominant personality. Others defer, even when they disagree.” — Senior Leader, Multilateral Institution

“Our trust is political,  not deep.” — Social Enterprise Director

“People are tired, overwhelmed, and stretched, but we keep pushing as if nothing’s wrong.” — Corporate Executive, Banking Sector

“This paper holds up a mirror to Zimbabwe’s leadership culture. It is both a challenge and an opportunity we cannot ignore.” — Executive

“What struck me is how timely this work is. It doesn’t shy away from the elephants in the room but gives us tools to confront them.” — HR Director, Top Zimbabwean Corporate

“Zimbabwe does not lack intelligence. What we lack is the courage to face each other honestly and still remain together.” — Executive Participant, Diagnostic Study