VICTORIA FALLS, Aug. 3 (NewsDay Live) – Delta Corporation chief executive officer Matlhogonolo Valela has challenged accounting professionals to embrace excellence, entrepreneurship and innovation, saying these are the pillars of resilient and successful organisations.
Addressing delegates at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) Winter School 2026, Valela said organisations must invest continuously in their people and future, stressing that sustainable success requires preparation, innovation and consistent execution.
“The other part of the equation was that we would drive entrepreneurship. That includes innovation, continuous improvement, you name it. It’s part of innovation. It’s part of entrepreneurship,” Valela said.
He outlined what he described as the formula for building high-performing organisations.
“Our equation was simple: the best company equals the best people, plus entrepreneurship, plus scale and newness,” he said.
Valela said organisations should focus on creating value every day while eliminating inefficiencies, adding that capable and committed employees are central to achieving those goals.
“We must serve our customers well and every day we must eliminate inefficiencies. The best people are capable of achieving these things,” he said.
Human resources expert Winnie Salome urged professionals not to allow fear to dictate their decisions, warning that it can limit growth and encourage unethical behaviour.
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“Fear is valuable as a warning system, but when it becomes your primary driver, it can limit your growth by focusing on avoiding failure rather than pursuing purpose,” Salome said.
“So be very careful when you are being led by fear, because fear is sometimes what leads us to taking shortcuts.”
She said leadership has a decisive influence on organisational culture because employees pay more attention to leaders’ conduct than to written policies.
“Leadership sets the organisational climate because employees watch what leaders do more than the policies and what the policies say,” she said.
“Leadership sends signals through the decisions you make, the behaviour you demonstrate, how you communicate and what you recognise.”
Salome added that organisations that promote transparency and trust are more likely to foster ethical behaviour and long-term resilience.
“Transparency creates trust and trust enables ethical behaviour,” she said.
“When employees feel informed, respected and safe to speak up, organisations become stronger and more resilient.”
