The University of Ghana has officially launched the Legon Leadership Academy (LLA) initiative.

The initiative which aims to develop the leadership capacity of the school’s office holders, newly appointed personnel, potential leaders, and selected students was rolled out following the approval by the University Council in September 2023.

Speaking at the launch on Wednesday, the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, highlighted the prevalent misconception that experience and expertise in performing tasks automatically translate into effective leadership.

She noted that the shortcomings of this approach are what inspired her and her team to birth the LLA as the university’s proactive steps to rectify the situation.  

“More often than not, most institutions do not have a deliberately planned programme to prepare employees for strategic leadership roles. There is somehow a rather erroneous notion that once people have risen through the ranks and acquired experience and expertise in performing tasks, they would likely excel in their leadership roles.

“This approach has proven to be less productive and unsuccessful. Therefore, in an attempt to elevate the University of Ghana from this leadership concern, I conceived the idea of establishing the Legon Leadership Academy purposefully for leadership development,” she said.

The academy will offer a deliberately planned program designed to equip employees with the necessary skills and competencies required for strategic leadership roles.

Giving more details about the academy’s modules, the team lead of LLA, Professor Gordon Senanu Kwame Adika said the modules would be clustered around five leadership development areas; namely, General Leadership Skills and Competencies; Administrative and Financial Leadership; Personal and Professional Development; Policy, Governance, and Compliance; and Educational and Academic Management.

He noted that each cluster would focus “on a different aspect of leadership and management within higher education institutions, providing a comprehensive overview of the skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively in this context.”

The Executive Vice President and Country Director of Asante Gold Corporation, Ing. Frederick Attakumah, delivering the keynote address underscored the importance of formal leadership training for leaders.

He noted that even though the tenures of leaders are typically short-term, their decisions during that period have a long impact, and it could be either negative or positive.

“Therefore, we must purposefully prioritise leadership development to ensure that organizational goals are achieved with precision and their relevance endures.

“Failure to do so often results in the situation where leaders end up being caught in the daily whirlwind of responding to pressing and urgent demands while the more strategic and long-term issues which will result in organisational transformation and progress, may remain unaddressed,” he said.

Considering the positive prospects of the academy, Ing. Attakumah commended the Vice Chancellor, Prof Amfo for the ground-breaking initiative.

According to him, the launch of the academy signifies the beginning of a new era in leadership development for the university and the country as a whole.

“I have followed with great admiration the groundbreaking achievements you’ve recorded to date at the University of Ghana and would like to state that the Legon Leadership Academy which is exclusively your [Vice Chancellor] initiative, may well be the greatest contribution any Vice Chancellor can make to this institution,” he said.

A member of the University of Ghana Council, Yvette Adounvo Atekpe, on her part, challenged prospective beneficiaries of LLA to embrace the journey with zeal and resilience.

“You are not only preparing to lead, you are preparing to transform the world around you,” she said.

The LLA promises to lead with integrity and safeguard the future.