VUYO JACK

Vuyo Jack
If a man should conquer in battle a thousand, and a thousand more, and another man should conquer himself, his would be the greater victory. Because the greatest of victories is victory over oneself; and neither the gods in heaven above nor the demons down below can turn into defeat the victory of such a man.
The Dhammapada, Buddhist Scripture

Vuyo Jack, co-founder and CEO of Empowerdex, grew up in Soweto, initially one of Johannesburgs largest informal settlements, dreaming of being a film director and producer. Discussions with a family friend in merchant banking led him to study accounting which he believes is a critical basis for informed economic decision- making. He co-founded Empowerdex, a pioneer in the field of black economic empowerment (BEE) auditing and the development of rating methodology, with ChiaChao Wu, a friend hed met at university. Vuyo was appointed

as a member of the Department of Trade and Industrys (dti) BEE Task Team in 2003 and has advised government and private sector organisations on BEE matters. He also authored a weekly column in the Sunday Business Report on issues surrounding BEE and lectured in financial accounting at the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on a part-time basis. He is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) professional development committee and very involved with Children of Fire, an organisation that focuses on fire prevention and the rehabilitation of burned children in informal settlements. He also sits on the boards of various organisations and enjoys playing classical piano and jazz.

Insight

Know yourself. This is a very difficult thing because ultimately you might have to create yourself only to destroy it later.
Know yourself Vuyo says that his advice to people to develop and market their personal brands effectively begins with knowing oneself. Know yourself. This is very difficult thing because ultimately you might have to create yourself only to destroy it later, he says. But thats okay because it gives you a vehicle to be able to apply your focus to. Define who you are, no matter how niched it is, and then increase the framework of who you are and be flexible enough to be able to break it down into a broader framework. Get to know yourself before you do anything else

Napoleon Hill [American author and father of the self-development, personal success genre] said, There is one quality which one must possess to win and that is a definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants and a burning desire to possess it. Knowing yourself is the fundamental cornerstone to personal branding. Without this self-knowledge and awareness, there is no way you can build an authentic brand. It is only once you know who you are, what is important to you and what difference you want to make, that you can address how you will achieve your goals and pursue your purpose.

Master your areas of focus Ive always loved movies, music and the arts, says Vuyo. I continually said that this is what Im going to do. Its my lifes passion. He realised, however, when he was in grade 11, the second-last year of secondary school, that the South African film industry was very much in its infancy. He decided that the best course of action would be to understand how money works and apply this knowledge to the film industry at a later stage. He is now doing just that through a documentary film he is producing. The easiest way of getting a bursary is by becoming a chartered accountant (CA), he says. And by becoming a CA you can then get into corporate finance after your articles. Thats how I decided to become a chartered accountant little did I know that I would journey into empowerment. My motivation was to make movies and create stories. Once hed completed his training to become a CA, Vuyo started Empowerdex with a friend, spurred along by the Nepad goals (New Partnership for Africas Development, which seeks to: Eradicate poverty; to place African countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development; to halt the marginalisation of Africa in the globalisation process, enhance its full and beneficial integration into the global economy and to accelerate the empowerment of women). Insight

VUYO JACK

Our idea was too big and needed to be cut down into various steps to facilitate the idea.
At that stage President Mbeki, the second president of post-apartheid South Africa, spoke of the African Renaissance and we came up with a model and went to the Presidency hoping to change the world, recalls Vuyo. We were told that our idea was too big and needed to be cut down into various steps to facilitate the idea. Then we started black economic empowerment ratings and thats how I got involved in empowerment. Vuyos passion lies in assisting people to take charge of their economic destiny. The key to doing this he believes is to enable them to be in charge of their thinking. This still fuels me every day, he enthuses. For me empowerment is steeped in those two principles, which is what I see as my mission. Rumi [the Persian poet

Jal l ad-D n Muhammad R m ] says, Your life here on earth is like youve been sent by a king to perform one particular task and you can move from one village to the other, but if you dont go to the village that the king has sent you to, then you have not succeeded in what the king has sent you to do. Empowerment may ultimately be the theme of my life, but there will be different manifestations of it. The key theme for me is transformation because there is always change in transformation.

Insight

The key driving force for me is purpose.

Vuyo notes that there are many different types of transformation, such as social empowerment or economic empowerment. By giving back, you are spiritually empowered, he says. There are many different dimensions to empowerment. I find myself having to navigate between all those dimensions. The key driving force for me is purpose. He notes that this purpose was clear to him from early in his career, but that the depth of purpose has been realised over time. I would focus on economics, but because Im only doing economics, my soul feels like its dying, he says. I feel that there is something lacking by just focusing on business, so it needs to have some level of spirit infused in it. I also sometimes go to the other extreme of being too spiritual. I realised I needed balance. With the two fused into one you can be much more powerful. It takes time, its not a eureka moment. I was clear on the overall direction but not with the steps I needed to take. Skill-up in your area of focus

Effective personal brands master the area of their focus with such superiority that one cant help but take note of them. Vuyo has achieved absolute mastery in the area of transformation and has developed an impressive reputation. With this in place, he is able to broaden the scope of where he can have best impact. Effective personal brands embrace the need for excellence and specialisation. To stand out from the pack and achieve your goals, you have to do more than just be good at something lots of other people are doing. Aim to be the best in your area of expertise and combine this with your passion. Like Vuyo, who is now making movies about transformation, powerful personal brands understand the importance of integrating their talents and their passion.

Create a niche where no-one has gone before Everybody told us that our idea was crazy and that we needed to keep our day jobs, says Vuyo. The Presidency was interested from a curiosity perspective to see what our thinking was around making Nepad work. He adds that there was healthy scepticism until Empowerdex was able to hook up with Moodys, an international credit rating agency. This was a visionary idea because it allowed the company to apply a rating system similar to those that credit providers use to audit empowerment. The key to empowerment ratings achieving such prominence, Vuyo says, was to find out what the trickle-down impact would be. Empowerdex began by targeting procurement because it impacts every area of business. Instead of forcing BEE procurement as legislation like employment equity was made compulsory we made it voluntary, says Vuyo. Because procurement affects the bottom line of business, people would comply with recommendations even though they were not enforced by law. Ultimately, Vuyo admits, measuring empowerment is arbitrary. How do you measure weather? Once you gather enough attention and say, This is how well measure it, then it starts having value. In nature there is no inherent value in anything, but value is an arbitrary mechanism that man puts on things. There is no value to the ratings unless you are able to understand this is the framework agreed upon, he explains.

VUYO JACK

Insight

I may not see the results in my lifetime.

One of the problems that we face is value creation and our ability to capture value is very weak. In Africa we have a lot of resources, but what is the value captured by Africans in terms of those resources? Its the same thing with women in the corporate sphere. Women add value, but when you look at the pay that they get, its not commensurate with what others get. So my interest is: how can we create value in Africa, how is that value captured and how can we circulate that value so that Africa can be strong? says Vuyo. It requires a long-term paradigm shift and I may not see the results in my lifetime.

He points out that Africa has the potential to create great value and needs to learn how to capture this, rather than letting it leak out of the continent. Unless we are able to harness our value-capturing skills we will always remain poor, Vuyo says. Its a virtual cycle that needs to take place before we reach economic empowerment. Successful personal brands are found off the beaten track

People who build effective personal brands stand out because they do something differently compared to everyone else. They understand the need to carve a niche for their brand or go where nobody has gone before.
Harness your attention capital Billions and billions of Rands [the South African currency] are spent trying to hook peoples attention, so attention capital is a new currency, says Vuyo. Without it celebrities would not be celebrities. Can you imagine if we starved loud-mouthed politicians of attention capital? They would not be where they are but because we give them attention over and over again, they are celebrities. How you use your attention capital is very important. If women said, We will not spend money on things that dont empower us, the economy would change overnight. Vuyo believes that one can harness attention capital through having a purpose which leads to developing goals to fulfill that purpose. You then harness your attention capital to those things that add value to you, he explains. It doesnt mean that you live in a Pollyanna-type world where everything is great. Everything is not great but you choose to deploy your focus on things that add value to you. It means that you need to be more vigilant about what you choose to focus on. Insight

There is only a handful of rich people. They are rich because they have been able to focus their attention capital very well.
According to Vuyo, we lose focus so easily because of our habits. Look at the first half of our lives we are conditioned into a particular mindset and weve invested our attention capital in those things, he says. To take back that investment is very difficult. It takes a concerted effort, but you get people who are so gatvol (an Afrikaans-language expression that can be translated as sick and tired of or really fed-up) that they take back their attention capital and reinvest it. Thats why there is only a handful of rich

people. They are rich because they have been able to focus their attention capital very well. The key to harnessing ones attention capital, says Vuyo, is to start by knowing who you are. You have to create an identity because thats what attracts people to you. If you dont know who you are then you just drift. Build your identity. But its not the ultimate goal; its the starting point, because if you dont build that identity you are not going to be able to achieve anything. You craft your own meaning and purpose and once you have that identity then you can harness your attention capital to say, How is this identity going to deploy its attention capital? The reason to avoid letting your personal identity become the end goal is that it makes you very egotistical. As they say, As the mighty rise, the mighty fall harder. quotes Vuyo. Vuyo Jack in his 20s was very different from Vuyo Jack in his 30s. He was idealistic, pushy and ambitious, whilst the Vuyo in his 30s is much more measured. Be bold enough to construct your brand, but dont be scared to create a new brand and reinvent the brand that still has the same elements. The manifestation of the purpose can change but the purpose is the same. Vuyo cautions that its important to think wisely about how you invest your attention capital. It determines everything, so if you allow people to hook your attention capital then youve got nothing left and its a very scarce resource because its limited. Every single day is one day closer to your death and its one day more that youve used your attention capital, he says. Invest your attention capital wisely

VUYO JACK

Vuyos concept of attention capital is very interesting. Essentially, wherever your attention is, your energy flows. Wasting your attention on something unimportant means wasting your energy on it instead of spending it where your focus should be. Make sure that all your energy is channeled into enhancing and marketing what you and your personal brand are really about your key competencies and talents. Dont dilute your energy on anything else.
Value integrity and awareness Integrity is having congruence between what you think, what you say and what you do, says Vuyo. Sometimes what you think is not what you say and sometimes what you say is not what you do. Yet sometimes I fail at this because I dont say the things I should say because the time is not right. If I say this, what is the other persons capacity to listen to what Im saying? If the capacity is not there, it could actually

destroy the person. Sometimes you need to have that discernment. Integrity is critical and awareness is important. An ability to see things as they are is so difficult and sometimes I get criticised, but if I have awareness then I can look at a situation from all points of view. Sometimes people give you praise, but it is shallow praise and you also need to take it with a bit of scepticism. Awareness is a skill that I have to practise continuously for the rest of my life. That is the value in terms of integrity and awareness. For both these values I cannot say with my hand on my heart that I fully live according to them. But its a litmus test that I always strive towards.

Insight

Integrity is having congruence between what you think, what you say and what you do.
Integrity and awareness go hand in hand

Vuyos definition of integrity is superb ensuring that what you think is in line with what you say and do. He also highlights the importance of the balance between integrity and awareness. Being brutally honest can be damaging in some situations. Having awareness of the perspectives of other people helps to create a balance honesty tempered with understanding. Theres a wise eastern saying which says: tell the truth in the way that commits least injury. Vuyos awareness also means that he is open to feedback on his personal brand and he is willing to hear other perspectives and see a situation from all points of view.
Keep building your personal brand with passion Im passionate about teaching, reveals Vuyo. I used to teach at Wits University and Im a visiting professor at University of the Free State. Every day I find myself on a teaching platform, whether its one-on-one or to a group of people. I also love reading. I read a lot on quantum physics, spirituality and business. I also like finding out the source of things I have that curiosity. I read a lot of books around history and the documentary film Im working on delves into the history of WWII and the parallels of the journey we are taking in transformation. Im also looking into the Anglo Boer War and the lessons we can learn from it. Strong and relevant personal brands keep learning

Successful personal brands discover their passions and then never stop pursuing them. They integrate their interests and talents by using these in new fields. Vuyo, for example, is passionate about his spirituality and business and has found a way to align the two. Similarly, his passion for cinema and his love of transformation come together in the documentary film project he has undertaken.
Insight

VUYO JACK

What weve seen as a trend is that people will give R1 000 but will spend R10 000 telling people that they are giving back.
Give back but do it quietly Before I started Empowerdex, I started a foundation by creating a stock exchange for non-profits and thats how we started the Bonngoe Foundation, says Vuyo. The foundation has a stake in all my companies Im involved in. Part of the giving back was going around the country talking to CAs who had failed the board exam and encouraging them. We were doing these workshops before we even started Empowerdex. Now we also have Africa Empowered, a non-partisan and a non-profit think-tank that focuses on the economic transformation and empowerment of Africa. Its a Section 21 that is taking economic empowerment to a different level. Weve invested somebody there from Empowerdex and Im spending more time approximately 70% of my time at that right now. Theres been quite a bit of debate lately about people giving back. What weve seen as a trend is that people will give R1 000 but will spend R10 000 telling people that they are giving back. The equation doesnt balance. We want to see the fruits of the actions rather than spending more time trumpeting in the media. The legacy that Vuyo would like to leave is that the people of Africa will be mentally empowered and that they will realise they have the power within themselves to do anything. We ultimately have the power within ourselves and need to let it manifest. Find that within you its so much power, he says. Its about the action, not the reaction

Vuyo has been involved in projects that benefit others before he even started Empowerdex, for which he is best known. He proves that giving back should be a lifestyle and an integral part of your personal brand, rather than a PR strategy or means of getting media attention. If your giving is not authentic, it wont last. Rather than finding a cause and throwing money

at it, invest your time, money or effort into a project that reaches out to others and which is built on your passions and talents. Vuyo notes that we each have the power to make a difference if we are able to realise that power and use it. Giving back is a key behavioural trait in evolved personal brands.
Gain respect through substantiation Vuyo notes that since starting Empowerdex, he has never spent a cent on PR or advertising. What we did was do research and have an interpretation that was different, he notes. Put your unique view forward and dont be scared. Initially it is scary but ultimately there is nothing to fear. We were consistent in our views and we supported them with data that was empirical. That way we were able to get peoples attention. That way we were able to build our technical knowledge. Dont be afraid to state your views, no matter how controversial they are. People respect you for being confident. Empowerdex started with economic empowerment, but Vuyo notes that as time moved on, the company realised the need to diversify and saw that the same capabilities could be applied in different areas. We then moved to municipality service delivery and then we moved to Envirodex to measure how the environment is either being depleted or replenished, he says. We can then apply the same capabilities to performance ratings. Start small and scale up. By scaling up you are diversifying your sources of revenue as well. Key to Vuyos success in defining the domain in which he works is the fact that he always had valid research in place before venturing out to speak on a specific issue. I would never say anything that wasnt backed by something, he says. Weve been involved in court cases where weve had to prove our ratings and weve always won our court cases because we can substantiate them. Weve never had to pay damages for anything. Vuyo believes that being able to call a spade a spade at times but also having a balanced view is what makes him distinctive in his field. Someone said that I am more left wing than [Zwelinzima] Vavi (General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions - COSATU), which is a perception they initially had of me but when we met, that changed because they felt that my views were practical and refreshing. I tend to be pragmatic and do not see things in black and white any more. Also, to have a balanced stand helps one to be distinctive. In empowerment, you can work just for black people and capture as much value for black people as you can, or you can work for the private sector. I believe you need to work with both. Identify your differentiator and make it work for you

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Many top personal brands are built on an individuals ability to take a unique view on a subject and stick to his or her guns by backing up that view with solid research. As Vuyo points out, people will admire you for your confidence and ability to substantiate what you say and do.
Insight

VUYO JACK

If you dont pay enough attention capital to relationships, they die out.
Your network is indispensable You need a network, emphasises Vuyo. You dont really need to have a network of thousands and thousands of people because you have limited attention capital. Having a handful of relationships that have other relationships will have a trickle-down effect. In the six degrees of separation [this refers to the idea that everyone is at most six steps away from any other person on Earth] you will find somebody. Within those six degrees of separation you probably only have three degrees of influence. Relationships have been critical to where we [at Empowerdex] are and unfortunately if you dont pay enough attention capital to those relationships, they actually die out. Ive learnt the hard way that you need to nurture relationships. Its a job to nurture relationships but it pays off because of the bond and the reach the relationship plays in assuring your success. You dont go into a relationship for reward, you go into a relationship for the sake of a relationship and those are the strongest relationships that we have. You have to invest in relationships for the sake of the business relationship. There has to be mutual benefit from the attention we both put into the relationship. Its not a numbers game, its about quality. Invest yourself in relationships

Great networks are narrow but deep. As Vuyo notes, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to building relationships. Focusing on relationships that are mutually beneficial will see results.
Your actions influence your reputation Ive never put too much emphasis on how I manage my reputation, admits Vuyo. I dont want it to be a cosmetic reputation, so my actions should have an impact on whatever reputation I get. If I try to craft a reputation theres a level of hollowness. Your actions must form your reputation because if I do bad things and then try to manage my reputation to make it look good, its not sustainable. For me, what is of primary importance is to do the things that matter and then draw attention to it but

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not an inordinate amount of attention. Manage the reputation but dont be fanatical about it. Vuyo is of the opinion that the sources of your actions will impact on your reputation, along with your values. Integrity is critical. You maintain what you think and what you say and what you do and that becomes part of your reputation, he says, adding that at times, the reputation of Empowerdex has taken a hit but that the organisations actions have ensured that it remains intact. Weve had bad attention focused on us but we never gave it attention capital and our actions spoke for our reputation. Everything you do has an impact on your reputation, he says. Everything you do affects your reputation

Your reputation should be built on your actions. Like Vuyo says, if your thoughts, words and actions dont match up, your reputation will suffer. Furthermore, everything you do has an impact on your reputation what you say, who you associate with and even how you behave at an event or what you publish on social media platforms. You need to ensure that you consistently project your personal brand in an appropriate light at all times, not only when you think someone is watching.
Insight

Weve focused on our knitting and taken it into different areas and thats how weve increased the business.
Zoom out and see the bigger picture Weve taken a very holistic view on BEE at Empowerdex and so its not about ticking the boxes, says Vuyo. There are companies that come to us and say, We want a tick box exercise and this is what we should be getting. We have said, Sorry, there is no such thing. They leave and go to our competitors, so we lose that clients business. Weve focused on our knitting and taken it into different areas and thats how weve increased the business but also by being able to look back and see how we can give back. Then we take some of the aspects weve learned from Empowerdex and apply them in a broader area because we are able to reach the man on the street. Weve had a campaign called Eyethu Sonke le BBBEE around how you bring an awareness and understanding of BEE to grass roots level. That has been very successful in terms of people understanding BEE. From that we now have a much broader campaign to teach them how they can capture value from BEE. All those things arose

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from the work that weve been doing at Empowerdex. Vuyo notes that Empowerdex also focuses on training people. Its like an audit business, he says. When you train a lot of people, you lose them and they go to the banks and so on and then it contributes to our bottom line because it brings more business to us. Its like were planting ambassadors. Its not like weve lost because there is a return. According to Vuyo, one needs to have an open mind in order to see the bigger picture. Dont be restricted, he says. Always look beyond. Attain that flexibility to achieve much greater awareness and then you will find that you expand your identity. This allows you to deploy your attention capital much more efficiently because you can see the entire field. Successful personal brands see beyond their immediate circumstances

VUYO JACK

Effective personal brands have vision. They see beyond themselves and have an idea of how they can reach others far beyond their immediate sphere of influence. They understand the core principles that govern their work and will not compromise on these but they are open to new ideas and take a holistic approach to their business. Because they are more flexible, they are able to see opportunities that others might miss to deploy their attention capital wisely.

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