Who should we trust with power?
It is a question that reaches far beyond job titles, boardrooms and government offices. It goes to the heart of how institutions operate, how decisions are made and what happens when something goes wrong.
That question took centre stage at Regent Business School’s latest Critical Conversations engagement, where award-winning investigative journalist and author Jeff Wicks joined Dr Shahiem Patel, Academic Dean of Regent Business School, for a wide-ranging discussion on truth, power, accountability and leadership.
Hosted as part of Regent’s regular Critical Conversations series, the Johannesburg engagement examined corruption, institutional failure, public trust and the responsibilities that come with positions of authority.
At its core was a question that proved difficult to ignore:
What does the right person for leadership actually look like?
Leadership Is More Than a Position
For Dr Patel, leadership is ultimately reflected in conduct.
It can be seen in the decisions leaders make, the standards they establish and the behaviour they are willing to tolerate.
“The people we place in positions of authority shape the institutions they lead,” Patel says. “Their judgement, integrity and willingness to act when something is wrong have consequences for everyone around them.”
That places leadership firmly within the broader conversation about institutional health.
It is not only about who occupies the position. It is also about what that person does with the authority they have been given.
Following the Evidence
Jeff Wicks brought years of investigative reporting experience to the conversation.
His work has examined how corruption can exist within seemingly ordinary systems, including procurement processes, transactions and institutional routines.
The discussion highlighted the importance of people who are willing to question what they are told, examine the evidence and continue asking questions when the answers do not add up.
That investigative mindset became particularly important when the conversation turned to whistle-blowers.
The Cost of Speaking Up
The case of Babita Deokaran, the whistle-blower who exposed wrongdoing, was discussed as an example of the risks individuals can face when they speak out.
For Patel, protecting people who raise concerns cannot be treated as an afterthought.
Organisations need systems that allow concerns to be raised safely and ensure that those concerns are properly addressed.
“People need to know that speaking up will lead to action,” he says. “That depends on proper oversight, transparent processes and a culture where concerns can be raised safely.”
The issue therefore goes beyond encouraging people to speak.
Institutions also need to demonstrate that when someone does speak, their concerns will be taken seriously.
When Power Creates an Opportunity for Corruption
Power was another recurring theme throughout the discussion.
The conversation examined how corruption can require access and opportunity, as well as people within institutions who enable it, ignore it or fail to stop it.
That places the spotlight on more than individual behaviour.
It raises questions about appointments, internal controls and what happens when those controls are bypassed.
For Patel, these realities need to form part of leadership education.
“Future leaders need to understand what comes with authority,” he says. “The decisions they make, the behaviour they allow and the people they appoint all shape the health of an institution.”
It is a reminder that leadership decisions can extend far beyond the individual making them.
Building Systems That Make Wrongdoing Harder
The conversation did not stop at identifying problems.
It also explored practical measures that can make corruption more difficult to commit and easier to detect.
Among the measures discussed were:
- Greater transparency in procurement
- Wider use of electronic systems that create clear audit trails
- Stronger protection for whistle-blowers
- Accessible mechanisms for reporting concerns
- Meaningful consequences when wrongdoing is established
For Patel, accountability needs to be part of the architecture of an organisation.
“Accountability has to be built into the way organisations operate,” he says. “People should know where to report concerns, those concerns should be investigated properly and there must be consequences when misconduct is proven.”
The principle applies across both public and private institutions.
Boards, businesses and other organisations all face questions about governance, ethical leadership and whether people within their systems feel able to challenge wrongdoing.
The Conversation Starts Earlier Than We Think
Perhaps one of the most striking parts of the discussion was its focus on younger South Africans.
An audience member spoke about taking conversations around fraud and corruption into schools and engaging learners between the ages of 15 and 17.
The discussion raised concerns about young people being exposed to displays of wealth associated with questionable conduct and public figures who appear to benefit from wrongdoing.
For Patel, this makes early engagement important.
“We have to reach young people early,” he says. “They need examples that show the value of integrity, hard work and accountability, especially when the opposite can appear to offer a quicker reward.”
The challenge, then, is not simply preparing young people for careers.
It is also helping them understand the values that should guide the choices they make when they eventually hold positions of influence.
Why Critical Conversations Matter
For Regent Business School, these difficult discussions are central to the purpose of its Critical Conversations series.
The initiative creates space for current and future leaders to examine challenging issues alongside people who have confronted them first-hand.
The conversation with Wicks and Patel brought several interconnected ideas into focus.
Truth must be pursued. Power must be scrutinised. Accountability must be built into institutions.
And leadership cannot be separated from any of them.
The discussion ultimately delivered a practical message: institutions need people who are prepared to act when something is wrong, but those people also need systems that support them.
Because strong institutions do not depend only on who is placed in charge.
They depend on the integrity of the decisions being made, the standards being upheld and the systems that ensure people are held accountable when those standards are broken.
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