Sikonathi Mantshantsh was inspired by the words of Baroness Dean during a visit to the House of Lords

By SIKONATHI MANTSHANTSHA

“When you become leaders, don’t forget where you came from,” said Baroness Brenda Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde.

Simple as it is, that’s quite a humbling leadership lesson. Especially so when it comes from a person of Baroness Dean’s stature.

Coming from Africa as I do, I have witnessed the plundering of resources for the benefit of the few. Too many ‘liberators’ have become oppressors; too many public servants have turned their back on their constituents. Those constituents may be sick patients queuing for service at a hospital or the electorate waiting for the benefits of ‘independence’ and ‘freedom’.

The need for journalists to start asking the real questions and keep authority in check is brought about by people forgetting where they came from.

The need for media intervention to raise the plight of sick people deprived is too often, in my view, because officials have forgotten where they came from. The need for journalists to start asking the real questions and challenge authority is greater than ever … because people forget where they came from.

It is only fitting, therefore, that aspiring leaders like myself and my colleagues at the Thomson Foundation had to be reminded early in their leadership quest by somebody like the Baroness to remember ‘where they came from’.

That the message was delivered in such a historic House as that of Lords makes it even more important and an essential leadership lesson for me.

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» Misha Hussain
» Mona Farah
» Manqoba Mchunu

Mona Chami, left, finds great value in listening to the experiences of media chiefs and course colleagues

By MONA FARAH

The first two weeks in Cardiff! Ooohhhh … how would I describe them?

Meeting so many leaders is the best thing that can happen to a journalist. People like ITV editor David Mannion and former Manchester Evening News editor Paul Horrocks make decisions while working under tremendous pressure. To learn how they made those decisions was a real education.

David also made me realise that you can be both a dynamic leader and human. The way he spoke of the seriousness of his responsibilities while talking about his job with a smile and joke enabled me to relate to him as an equal.

On a serious note, his comments about the death of his staffers in Basra made me think deeply about the role of the leader, as I was myself in Basra at the time. As David explained, they are the times when you must focus on what you can still change and control; look to the future and do you best. “I had to remember I still had people in Basra to lead and a job to do,” added David.

The way he spoke of the seriousness of his responsibilities while talking about his job with a smile and joke enabled me to relate to him as an equal.

That kind of advice, coming from somebody with such responsibilities, is priceless.

David is, of course, not the only person who has taught me new things about leadership. Listening to my colleagues speak about their work challenges makes me realise that my own situation is not unique. In a broader context, I have come to see that many of us share the same concerns over human rights.

So now in we go into the last two weeks of the course. I can only hope these will be at least as intense as the first two weeks.

After all … you only get one opportunity to train as a Future Leader with the Thomson Foundation!

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» Misha Hussain
» Sikonathi Mantshantsha
» Manqoba Mchunu

Manqoba Mchunu, pictured centre, found the collaborative leadership style of RSC executive director Vikki Heywood especially inspiring

By MANQOBA MCHUNU

Are leaders born? Am I a leader? Do I have the courage to lead? And do I possess the the right qualities and skills?

These are questions many of us ask ourselves. We know we want to make it to the top. But are we good enough?

Over the past two weeks, I have had the privilege, together with nine other members of the Thomson Foundation Future Leaders course, to meet some of the most prominent leaders in the UK media industry. And the answers seem less elusive than before.

A common theme from these encounters is that leadership means having a goal and finding ways to reach it. True, there will be obstacles along the way. Tough decisions to be made. But as ITV’s editor in chief told us, the job may not be easy, but it has to be done. There will be regrets, he said, and leaders constantly question whether they have made the right choices. But that’s the way a leader learns and matures.

Former newspaper editor, Paul Horrocks, stressed that a leader should take bold risks, but know when to admit a plan isn’t working and pull out. Paul admits he learned lessons the hard way, taking editorial decisions that occasionally landed his newspaper in legal battles.

Former Endemol creative director Peter Bazalegette taught us that no idea is small, and that sometimes the smallest idea can turn into a multi-billion pound profit

Perhaps the most valued lesson thus far was from the Royal Shakespeare’s Executive Director Vikki Heywood, who has transformed the theatre into a profitable success. Heywood believes in a collaborative leadership, which she artistically refers to as an ensemble. She says it’s about bringing everyone on board and working together to achieve a common goal;  about changing attitudes and behaviour, and leading by example. It’s also about valuing input from all staff members and picking the right person for the right job.

During the course, I asked Director of BBC Wales Menna Richards: “How do I know when I’m ready to lead?” Her answer: “You don’t, nobody tells you when you are ready but yourself.”

So is leadership a born gift?  Well, during our visit to the Palace of Westminster we met Baroness Brenda Dean, who said she never planned to become a leader, but was nominated for it.

Barnoness Dean readily admits she never stopped learning as leader of a trade union in the UK. At the heart of her success lay a determination not to fail coupled with a passion for what she did.

Former Endemol creative director Peter Bazalegette taught us that no idea is small, and that sometimes the smallest idea can turn into a multi-billion pound profit. The moral of his story: keep developing and refining your ideas and one day you will reap the rewards.

As course leader Lyn Hartman noted: A leader brings solutions, not problems.

So it’s up to all of us to nurture our skills and reach our potential as Future Leaders.

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» Misha Hussain
» Mona Farah
» Sikonathi Mantshantsha

Misha Hussain, at the rear of this group shot with Baroness Dean, a trustee of the Thomson Foundation, at the House of Lords

By MISHA HUSSAIN

‘To be the best, you need to know the best, and the TF future leaders programme is designed to put you in the know.’ So ran the slogan for the Thomson Foundation’s Future Leaders course.

It was a tall order, and a lot of room for disappointment … so how do I feel after two weeks on the course?

Meeting people from different parts of the world was also had a great impact on me. In the words of Peter Bazalgette, one of the course facilitators, creative networks need to “have many flowers, be talent friendly and multi-cultural”.

Well, having journalists from over seven different nations and three different continents has definitely been an eye-opening experience.

The course brings together broadcast and print journalists, and I realise there is a lot we can learn from each other if the future is going to be a together on an altogether different platform – online journalism.

From a journalistic perspective it was interesting to meet Paul Horrocks, former editor of the Manchester Evening News. I found his workshop on dealing with editorial crisis very interesting. By using real life examples of difficult editorial decisions that he had to make, Paul gave us the opportunity to consider how we would have reacted under time pressure.

During the first two weeks of the course I’ve had the opportunity to speak with and learn from journalists and leaders across the British media – and it has inspired me.

I realise there is a lot we can learn from each other if the future is going to be a together on an altogether different platform – online journalism.

It seems that certain skills are common to many of the leaders, like being able to communicate and gather the best people around you.

Interestingly enough, it was David Mannion, the ITV editor in chief, who said you must never be afraid to put the best people around you, even if they are better than you.

The course also allowed me to closely analyse my own leadership qualities. Having been the frontman in companies I have worked for over the last 10 years, this course was taking the challenge of leadership to the next level. That is to say, can I be the front man of the front men?

However, it isn’t all about networking and making contacts. I’m hoping that I walk away from this course with not only a set of very influential colleagues in the media world, but also a group of trusted friends who I can rely on for guidance and advice in the future.

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» Mona Farah
» Sikonathi Mantshantsh
» Manqoba Mchunu

From left, Sikonathi Mantshantsha, Lusine Petrosyan, Amitabh Revi, Mona Chami, Ghassan Abu-Hussein, Abdul Alshamery, Deepika Bhardwaj, Manqoba Mchunu, Nolawi Engdayehu and Misha Hussein in the ITV newsroom

Meet the Thomson Foundation Future Leaders.

As the Future Leaders course enters its third week, four of the course participants reflect on their experiences so far … after coming face to face with some of the most influential people and organisations in the media world.

This talented group of nine journalists arrived at the Thomson Foundation HQ in Cardiff  from across three continents. They represent diverse media operations spanning broadcast and print operations in their home countries. But what unites them all is a passion for media and a desire to reach as high as they can.

Their experiences so far have ranged from a visit to Google UK to the House of Lords, where they met former trade union chief and Thomson Foundation trustee Baroness Dean. They also talked in depth about leadership styles with Royal Shakespeare Company executive director Vikki Heywood, the TV executive behind Big Brother, Peter Bazalgette,  ITV editor-in-chief David Mannion and former Manchester Evening News editor Paul Horrocks.

Other media leaders who will be working with the group over the final two weeks of the course include former BBC director Greg Dyke. The course is led by broadcasting consultant and trainer Lyn Hartman, and Clive Jones, visiting Professor at the University of Cardiff School of Journalism and Chairman of GMTV.

Here’s what some of the Thomson Foundation Future Leaders have to say about the course so far …

MISHA HUSSAIN: The course also allowed me to closely analyse my own leadership qualities. Having been the frontman in companies I have worked for over the last 10 years, this course was taking the challenge of leadership to the next level. That is to say, can I be the front man of the front men? READ FULL STORY »

MONA FARAH: Listening to my colleagues speak about their work challenges makes me realise that my own situation is not unique.
In a broader context, I have come to see that many of us share the same concerns over human rights. READ FULL STORY »

SIKONATHI MANTSHANTSHA: “When you become leaders, don’t forget where you came from,” said Baroness Brenda Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde. Simple as it is, that’s quite a humbling leadership lesson. Especially so when it comes from a person of Baroness Dean’s stature. READ FULL STORY »

MANQOBA MCHUNU: Perhaps the most valued lesson thus far was from the Royal Shakespeare’s Executive Director Vikki Heywood, who believes in a collaborative leadership. She says it’s about bringing everyone on board and working together to achieve a common goal. READ FULL STORY »

Mr Njawe, who founded the first independent newspaper in Cameroon 30 years ago, was on his way to attend a meeting of the Cameroon Diaspora for Change when he was struck by a lorry on a highway in Virginia, killing him instantly. He was 53.

The director of the International Press Institute David Dadge said: ‘The African media has lost a truly courageous individual whose bravery in the face of Government intimidation served as an inspiration for journalists in similar circumstances across the countinent”.

Pius Njawe set up Le Messager when he was only 22 years old. His pursuit of the truth would lead him into constant trouble with the Cameroon authorities and he was arrested 126 times.

He was forced out of the country because of death threats in 1992 but set up his newspaper in Benin. On his return he founded the Cameroon Organisation for Press Freedom.

He was imprisoned three times for slander, insulting the President Paul Biya and the National Assembly, and for reporting a medical emergency involving the President.

His beloved wife Jane suffered a miscarriage as a result of abuse by prison guards , and was later to die in a traffic accident.

He won several international freedom awards including the WAM Golden Pen of Freedom and the International Press Freedom Award. He was named an IPI World Press Freedom Hero in 2000.

Having worked  with Thomson Foundation broadcasting consultant Peter Hiscocks on training courses in Cameroon, he helped set up last year’s two week course  in preparation for the forthcoming elections with the Foundation and the British High Commission in Yaounde.

Peter Hiscocks writes:” He was a big man in every sense of the word. He was an inspiration to all of us and the future of press freedom in Cameroon is now less certain. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to fill his shoes.”

Writing in The Observer newspaper in the UK, former editor Peter Preston called him: “A legend in every battling African newsroom, showing what sheer, dogged determination could achieve. Nothing can stop that living on.”

Do you have a memory of Pius Njawe? Leave your tributes below.

By DAN MASON

If you’re a media professional on the road or use different computers for your home and work life, there are obvious advantages to having a ‘virtual office’ online, complete with multimedia tools and storage space.

Nice, too, if everything in your office was free. That’s not such a tall order. Just for starters, here are 25 of my favourite, free, online tools. There are lots more – so feel free to pitch in with your suggestions.

A good few work  just as well on a mobile (we’ll take a specific look at mobile media tools another time). So for now, take a laptop, internet connection … and let’s go.

ORGANISATION

Google Chrome might be coming on fast, but Firefox is still the browser to beat in my view, with hundreds of free plugins guaranteed to make your life easier. OK, I know this is about online tools and a browser is a desktop application, but the website ‘vaults’ sitting behind these four Firefox plugins give me access to some of my most valuable information wherever I go:

• Evernote. With a click of the browser toolbar bookmarklet, I can save and organise virtually anything – notes, lists, videos, web clippings or whole pages.  While my files stored online are accessible from any connected computer or mobile, there’s also a free Evernote desktop application that syncs with my online account and allows me to view the files offline.
• ReaditLater. As it’s name suggests, this saves web pages to be read later (online or offline).
• LastPass. If you’re anything like me, you can’t remember the logins and passwords for all the websites you’ve signed up with. Luckily, I don’t have to because LastPass does it for me. And signs me in automatically. And saves me hours by completing forms with a single click.
• XMarks makes sure I’m never without my bookmarks wherever I go (and it keeps them synced across my computers). You could also save your favourites to Delicious and give a global community the benefit of your bookmarked gems.

Capture and organise almost anything online with Evernote

PRODUCTIVITY

• GoogleDocs does everything Microsoft Office can do, with the added benefit that your documents are all safely stored online and it’s easy to share and collaborate. For email, there’s the mighty Gmail, of course. But remember it’s a chat, voice and video tool too.
• FTP. If you need to upload files to a server, it’s hard to beat the Firefox-based FireFTP.
• Project management. Anyone can create a shared Google Calendar or simple gant chart using Google Spreadsheets (there are plenty of community-generated templates to give you a start). But here is a real find: Manymoon is one outstanding task, file sharing and collaboration tool. Easy to use, great tracking and reporting features, integration with Google Docs … and the basic account is free.
• File sharing. The two things I love most about DropBox are: 1. If I’m travelling, I can keep documents and presentations in my free 2GB DropBox in case the worst happens (it’s an online filing cabinet). 2. It’s an absolute breeze to share any kind of file between friends and colleagues with a DropBox account (it’s an instant intranet). DropBox is also great for sharing large files that would leave email servers reeling. Just email a link to the file and let your contact (no sign-up required) download it from DropBox (YouSendIt does the same thing, with files up to 100MB)

Manymoon a great way to get organised ... for individuals or networks

LISTENING

If you want to keep on top of news and blogs from your sector or special interest, you’ll need listening tools to filter out the noise and deliver the important stuff to you.

• Google Alerts delivers saved searches as emails or RSS feeds into Google Reader, where you can browse your Alerts as well latest posts from sites you’ve subscribed to. If you need them, here are some tips on creating Google Alerts and using Google Reader. (We’ll dip a toe into social media listening tools another time).

BLOGGING

• Wordpress. Have internet access? Have blog. Courtesy of one the world’s most dedicated open-source communities.
• Posterous is another blogging platform, right? Wrong. It’s more than that. Posterous is probably the simplest, smartest way to upload and share information online – by email and SMS, from a mobile or your browser. One the amazing things about Posterous is its ability to take and display beautifully almost any type of file you throw at it, including images, audio, video, presentations, PDFs and text documents. It’s terrific for groups and one of the best platforms for handling information from mobiles I know. I like it a lot. You might prefer Tumblr.

Posterous will take almost file type you throw at it and display it beautifully

IMAGES

• For simple image editing tasks, my favourite online tool remains Picnik. There are dozens of slinky online image editors out there, but Picnik is fast, easy and the only one I’ve found that will crop images to a defined size, maintaining the picture’s aspect ratio, a la Photoshop. In fact, Picnik has many advanced effects too. Since Picnik’s recent takeover by Google, you can upload and ‘picnik’  your pictures within Picasa Web Albums. A good alternative image editor is FotoFlexer. For Photoshop-style features, such as layers, head for the Aviary Phoenix editor and blisteringly-fast Pixlr.

Picnik: Simplicity itself ... with some deceptively-advanced features

AUDIO & VIDEO

• Audio. Since we’re limited to online-only tools, I can’t mention Audacity, my first-choice, free, cross-platform audio editor. Instead, try Aviary Myna. Just one of the excellent suite of Aviary design and editing tools, Myna features a multi-track timeline and the power to mix, edit and export files to WAV or MP3 (or as embed code). It’s also easy to record and edit voiceovers. I’m impressed. Meanwhile, if you have a mobile and liveblogging (or phlogging) is your thing, platforms like iPadio and AudioBoo are great for capturing and sharing your commentary.
• Video. There’s only one online-based tool I rate (unless I’ve missed something), and that’s JayCut. The speed at which this video editor uploads and crunches files is, frankly, astonishing. And its twin-track video timeline (plus audio timeline) means it is possible to create decent video packages. Very good range of effects and a stylish, easy-to-use interface. A big thumbs-up for JayCut.
• Audio slideshows. Soundslides still reigns, as far as I’m concerned (but it’s a paid-for application). Online, there are several free contenders – most not worth bothering with. I’d also recommend Picasa 3.6 as cracking free slidshow tool, but you have to download it. So … make your online slidshow with JayCut.
• PS. Need to convert video or audio file formats?  There are lots of free online tools, but Zamzar won’t let you down.

An online video editor that actually does the job ... fast!

That’s it – 25 (or thereabouts) free online tools for media professionals on the move. Let’s hear it for all those who dedicate their time and talent to open-source applications and free plugins.

And let’s hear from YOU. If you come across any great (free) tools, do share them …