Tell me what your job as chair of Mantis Group entails.
Being chair of the Mantis Group involves leadership, support, motivation and sending out positive vibes, especially in times like this. The creation of new ideas keeps the candles burning.
How has lockdown affected how and where you work?
Lockdown has inspired us to find new ways of working - whether in small clusters or by digital means.
The curtailing of travel has inspired us to find ways of staying in contact, even if not physically.
What lockdown habits do you plan to keep when life returns to normal?
We have found ways to communicate that feel personal and achieve the same if not better results.
Burnout has been a problem in lockdown. Tell me about Mantis Group's burnout programme.
The Mantis programme Resurgence Through Nature is a luxurious eco-travel wellness programme where you are taken care of by a competent team of professionals, including psychologists and sports physicians. It is hosted in the Eastern Cape at our No 5 Boutique Art Hotel and Founders Lodge. The programme is unique in that it is a psychologically guided process, which helps people to reconnect to self and nature.
How can people avoid burnout?
The prevention of burnout requires time and effort. Taking a holiday provides some relief but could even accelerate symptoms of burnout.
Burnout happens when people become depleted from work and its excessive demands. They cannot go on.
You have highly effective people who feel their machine can't perform as it used to and all they need is a "pit stop" and the right crew, some rest and being taken care of to return with renewed energy and a different perspective.
Everyone needs a "pit stop" if they are performing at this level, and with current world pressures it is just exacerbated.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The most enjoyable part of working and leading Mantis is that our acronym for Mantis - "Man And Nature Together Is Sustainable" - says it all. In today's world the abuse of our planet must be addressed.
What we implement at our properties addresses this issue; it is so inspiring to see the changes, not only at property level, but also with our people.
What are your career "words to live by"?
My career words are "I live by one". Every problem is an opportunity. Find out what it is, make the problem the opportunity that is disguised.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
From my early teens I always wished to own my own business and create a destiny around wildlife and nature, hence the creation of Shamwari Game Reserve, followed by an international brand, Mantis, and our own nonprofit organisation, the Community Conservation Fund Africa.
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