Globally renowned Ghanaian business titan Sir Sam Jonah has shared a deeply personal and inspiring message as he delivered a speech at the Academic City University on Saturday, June 7, 2025.
Drawing from his humble beginnings as a labourer in the challenging environment of the Obuasi gold mines, Sir Sam, the Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, an equity fund based in Johannesburg, South Africa, urged future leaders to define and commit to their individual purpose, asserting that true leadership stems not from position or title but from a clear sense of mission.
“When I began my own journey, it wasn’t glamorous at all. I was a labourer in the Obuasi mines,” the Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) recounted, painting a vivid picture of his origins in one of Africa’s oldest and largest gold mines, which has been a significant contributor to Ghana’s economy since its establishment in 1897, yet its operational conditions for labourers were historically arduous.
“But even then, I knew one thing: I wanted to matter. I wanted to make a difference,” the former Chief Executive Officer of AngloGold Ashanti said in his commencement address to the graduating class of the private university.
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That formative experience, he explained, instilled an invaluable lesson: “Leadership is not a position. It is a disposition. A way of thinking, acting, and serving with clarity and conviction.”
This early exposure to the demanding realities of the mining industry, which at its peak employed thousands of Ghanaians and contributed substantially to the nation’s GDP, shaped his understanding that every choice made should align with one’s ultimate purpose.
Sir Sam emphasised that discovering and focusing on his purpose became the bedrock of his motivation, positivity, and engagement.
“I wasn’t just working to make a living; I was serving to uplift and enrich lives,” he stated, a philosophy that guided his remarkable ascent within the predominantly European-owned and -managed mining sector.
As the only African to rise to Senior Management in that environment, Sir Sam bore a unique responsibility.
He felt an intense pressure “to prove in a hostile environment that the African is capable of leading any group of people in any enterprise and succeeding.”
His unwavering focus on purpose became his compass, helping him “eliminate the needless” and ensure “all my tasks and efforts had clarity” and “fit in with the purpose”.
He challenged the graduates to engage in a similar profound self-reflection, recommending Suzy Welch’s book, ‘Becoming You,’ and posing its central question: “What’s your area of destiny?”
This, he clarified, is the critical intersection of one’s gifts, values, and the needs of their community, country, and continent.
“Don’t chase titles. Titles can be given and taken. But purpose — that is yours alone,” Sir Sam advised, urging the young leaders to anchor every decision, job, and risk in that purpose.
He implored them to take time for reflection, test their passions, and understand their true capabilities by committing fully to their endeavours.
“And when you discover your purpose, give it your all. It will fuel your perseverance, sharpen your priorities, and give your service and leadership meaning,” he concluded, leaving the graduates with a powerful blueprint for impactful and purposeful lives.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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