Hide in Plain Sight
“I never looked back. I just stayed at it.” — Charles Onyango-ObboWhat does a lifetime spent observing people, politics, media and society teach you about leadership?
In this episode of the Footprints Podcast Series, we sit down with Ugandan journalist, writer and curator Charles Onyango-Obbo for a conversation that begins long before the newsroom.
Charles takes us back to his childhood, an intellectually rich family environment and his experience growing up with a severe stammer. When spoken communication became difficult, books and writing became increasingly important, setting him on a path that would eventually become a lifelong relationship with journalism.
He reflects on his early writing, his entry into journalism, periods of political turbulence in Uganda, further study in Cairo, his time at Harvard and the experiences that eventually contributed to the birth and growth of The Monitor.
The conversation also explores a question at the heart of Footprints: What does a long life of experience teach us about leadership?
Charles offers a striking answer. He is less interested in being the person exercising authority and more interested in being the captain of a capable team. Drawing from sport, he argues that the captain is not necessarily the most talented player or highest scorer. The captain is the person who can see the wider field.
It is a conversation about finding a voice, surviving difficult times, building institutions, choosing brilliant people, remaining curious and understanding leadership beyond position.
“The captain is the guy who has the ability to gain a bigger view of the field.” — Charles Onyango-Obbo
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