Seek The Wellbeing Of Your Workers – Sam Jonah To Business Owners

A former Chief Executive of AngloGold Ashanti and former Chancellor of the University of Gold Coast, Sir Sam Jonah has asked business owners to seek the wellbeing and welfare of their workers which he says has potential to develop and grow their businesses to higher heights.

To him, creating a working environment where employees feel valued and empowered constitute to effective and productive long-term success.

He was speaking at the Gold Coast University Leadership Conversation in Accra on Saturday, March 22, under the theme; ‘Global Leadership and Corporate Governance Strategies for Sustainable Business Growth’.

The Leadership Conversation was on the theme, ‘Pioneering Leadership: Navigating Ghana’s Economic and Business  Transformation.

The Gold Coast Leadership Conversation is a Premier Leadership Development Series organized by the University of Gold Coast.

“Sustainable growth isn’t just about numbers. It is about people. I have always believed in creating a culture where employees feel valued and empowered to innovate. Look at where you want to take the business in the long term, and let all your decisions and actions be guided by that, by using all the tools available to get there. It has gotten a lot of businesses the needed results when it comes to implementing it right and religiously. Most businesses that have tried to ignore this have struggled to sustain the business going forward”

Sir Sam Jonah also touched on corporate social responsibility, recalling efforts at AngloGold Ashanti to rid local communities of toxic elements that posed health risks, adding that, balancing social impact with financial stability required significant investment, especially in a volatile gold market.

“At AngloGold Ashanti, we prioritize diversity, not just as a moral obligation, but as a business necessity. Diverse teams are better equipped to solve complex problems and drive sustainable growth, and leaders must actively champion diversity and create inclusive environments where everyone can thrive. We did the need to save precious lives on the one hand, on the other hand, we did not simply wait to be taught around by market fluctuations. We diversified, we hedged where it needed to, and we managed our risk” he stated.

Sir Jonah also mentioned that a typical example of a business that had adopted this plan is Huawei and as well as other leaders of some global firms, who have explored this strategy which has helped in turning around their firms into global enterprises and household names today.

Sir Sam Jonah also observed that another critical ingredient needed that one needs to succeed in today’s environment is good corporate governance.