Responsible for enterprise-wide leadership and management development solutions, ten Cate’s role allows her to cultivate her belief in the transformative power of leadership and lifelong learning. “I always say that even if we change the life or mindset of just one participant, or help them rise above their circumstances, then that's a win,” ten Cate says. That’s why she’s so driven by the work she does in facilitating leadership and learning within Absa.
Her own career path, which spans everything from hospitality and tourism to logistics and supply-chain management, has been less than conventional. Yet ten Cate has always been drawn to learning, specifically within the leadership space. “It’s just so purposeful,” she says.
“When you see these people with their big smiles, sometimes in their advanced years, who never had the opportunity to study, be enabled to do so with Absa, it gives me goosebumps. For me, it’s about the empowerment of people, doing meaningful work and knowing that I’m contributing not only to Absa, but also to our continent.”
Within ten Cate’s portfolio is the Absa Leadership Academy, through which the banking group is building future-focused capabilities, embedding coaching mindsets, and enabling practical, digital-first learning for their leaders. Creating a connected ecosystem that strengthens leadership impact, accelerates talent, and delivers measurable value is closely aligned to Absa’s purpose.
It is within the management development pillar that Absa has been partnering with Henley Business School Africa since 2022. Explaining the origins of the relationship, ten Cate says:
“We were looking for a partner that could deliver accredited certification through a tiered approached, matching the varying levels of work of staff members, while customising the content to Absa’s Leadership Competency Framework and Values. It was Henley’s customisation ability and the flexible delivery structure that set them apart, making it really optimal for people to learn while working.”
Since the partnership began, more than 600 Absa participants have graduated from various programmes. The partnership has also recently expanded to include some of Henley’s shorter, innovative learning interventions which are specifically geared towards leadership within Africa.
While there are multiple leadership models, ten Cate has always believed in authentic leadership. “In an African context,” she says, “we often have authentic leaders and empathetic leadership as a standard way of being, which is sometimes something that’s glaringly missing from westernised civilisations. In Africa, we somehow always have that lens, which provides a deeper understanding of our peers, of the colleagues that report to us and even of society as a whole.”
The world needs more authentic leadership, so capacitating future-ready leaders is more important than ever, says ten Cate. “The world needs leaders. Throughout history, industrial revolutions, wars and more, it all came back to people. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology and digital transformation can only take us to a point. It’s the people, and those human-centric abilities and competencies that will differentiate good companies from great ones.”
While our skillsets may evolve within certain roles, it’s by equipping our leaders for change and ambiguity that we build lasting careers and companies.
“Developing leaders who have an adaptive mindset and are able to meet the people who report to them where they’re at, is what will set us apart,” ten Cate says.
“It's not only good enough to just upskill ourselves in line with the technical requirements of the future,” she adds. “It’s about how you show up as a leader within this space, where burnout is almost a badge that people wear.” Furthermore, in a working world where remote structures can make collaboration difficult, ten Cate says that in order to create connectedness within teams, you need authentic, adaptive leaders to steer the ship, ensuring all the right support mechanisms are in place.
Becoming a leader who is equipped for a rapidly changing corporate landscape means embracing learning agility, ten Cate argues. “The world of work teaches you that you have to be ready for any change. In one moment, you can be a central cog and very relevant, and then with the next shift, that function becomes redundant.”
It’s about developing a breadth of skills, we can no longer simply specialise in one direction, she warns. “It’s not going to be AI that takes our jobs, but rather the people who are able to work with AI.” It might not always be comfortable but to keep up, we must be open to constantly learning and growing, she adds.
Absa also believes in learning agility. “It forms part of our values, where we believe in stewardship and in creating trust and safe spaces where people can drive projects and still fail,” ten Cate explains. “That ties in with the idea of constantly learning, evolving and having a growth mindset, as opposed to being stuck in the idea that ‘this is my function, this is my role, and I'm not looking beyond it’. So, there's real value if you work for an organisation that doesn't only say, ‘we care about the people’, or ‘we're going to invest in our leaders’, but actually do it.”
Speaking of her own journey, ten Cate says that working under both really bad leaders and really good leaders has helped her get to where she is today. Arguing that while it is never a comfortable place to be, the bad leaders and the challenges that come with them, teach us invaluable lessons.
“It’s that age-old thing where somebody becomes a specialist in their job, and then the next logical step, many think, is for them to now lead a team. However, they’re actually not a natural leader, or they have not been equipped to lead.”
Having been exposed to such leaders early on in her career, ten Cate says that, at the time, she found it difficult to understand this anomaly. “When you’re younger, you just want the idyllic leader who can teach you all you need to know, who has your back and shares their time and knowledge, but in retrospect, I’ve realised I learned a lot from bad leaders in knowing what not to do as a leader.”
Later on, an effective leader, who didn’t micromanage, taught her to own and run with her ideas and to think outside of the box. Another strong female role model and visionary leader saw potential and talent beyond the boundaries of a particular role. Having exposure to such strong female leaders continues to pay dividends, says ten Cate.
That said, while support is invaluable, you ultimately need to take charge of your destiny. “You need to know what you want and ask for it, and make sure that you work hard and that you deliver quality and excellence. Then your opportunities will come,” she says. “Yet, mentors are a key component in the growth of any leader. It’s that ability to be open, to listen to feedback from somebody who’s been there and done that before you – that plays a massive role.”