WSU’S NEWEST PROFESSOR ADVOCATES FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TO STRENGTHEN WORKFORCEE RESILIENCE

Walter Sisulu University’s(WSU) newly inaugurated professor, Sunday Samson Babalola, emphasised the need for enhanced leadership development to build supportive relationships between leaders and employees during his professorial inaugural lecture at the Butterworth Campus recently.

His lecture, titled “The Bamboo Workforce: Bending Without Breaking,” drew a distinguished audience, including WSU Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Rushiella Nolundi Songca

Professor Babalola discussed his research on resilience and adaptability, using bamboo as a metaphor to illustrate qualities of strength, versatility, and endurance—traits he believes organizations should foster to succeed in challenging environments.

“More leadership development should be emphasized to foster supportive relationships between leaders and employees,” he said.

He highlighted that enhancing leadership expertise, skills, and emotional intelligence (EL) is essential to cultivating positive relationships and increasing job satisfaction and employee commitment.

Prof Babalola stressed that organisations should focus on improving career growth prospects and reputation-building to boost retention and satisfaction among employees.

“In service-driven industries that heavily rely on teamwork and operational effectiveness, it’s imperative to create an interactive workplace that minimizes turnover,” he added.

Tracing the evolution of industrial psychology (IP) and organizational psychology (OP), Prof Babalola noted the fields’ shift from early productivity efforts to today’s focus on group dynamics and leadership. Human resource management (HRM), he explained, integrates insights from both IP and OP to develop strategies that align employee satisfaction with organizational goals.

He further emphasized that organizational equality and effective leadership are critical for promoting gender equality and countering stereotypes that hinder women’s career advancement.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Songca celebrated the occasion by highlighting the importance of higher education’s role in societal transformation and academic pursuit.

She emphasized that the title of professor signifies more than an addition to WSU’s academic roster; it reflects a commitment to advancing institutional and societal growth through research.

"Your research has been instrumental and will continue to guide universities in building institutions that nurture excellence and belonging,” she said.

In response to Professor Babalola’s lecture, Professor Sanjay Balkaran commended his dedication to empowerment, continuous learning, and collaboration in building a resilient workforce.

He underscored the need for sustainable productivity, innovation, and ethical practices within organizations, pointing out that Prof Babalola’s 80-plus publications emphasize the importance of psychological and organizational factors in enhancing job performance and overall organizational success.

By: Yolanda Palezweni