4 cities, 3 weeks, 2 homes, and 1 “currency”
After 3 weeks, 4 cities, and a whirlwind of experiences on my first US tour as Audere’s CEO, I settle into my seat ready for my final connecting leg home to Johannesburg, excited to soon reconnect with my family.
It has been a fascinating 3 weeks with a number of key personal learnings and insights. In planning this trip, I had a number of broad objectives — none more important than finally meeting my team in person and spending quality time with each individual. While we have gotten used to a world where virtual interactions are now the norm, this trip made it clear to me that nothing beats quality face time.The ability to interact in-person and experience a person’s energy presents a completely different and more accurate understanding of the conversation or situation in front of you. While I already had no doubt that Audere had a truly special and deeply motivated team, these in person interactions cemented just how hungry the team is to see their work matter.
The desire to see one’s work mean something, to see one’s daily efforts make a meaningful difference in the life of others struck a chord with me. As human beings, we all value and operate on different life “currencies”. For some it is power, for others it is influence, for many it is financial reward. As we think about work-life balance, what “currencies” matter? How much is “enough”? At what point do we feel the financial security we need is attained, allowing us to pivot our attention to a different and arguably more rewarding currency: the ability to spend our time giving back to the communities and world we live in…
This ever present but recently invigorated currency is the ability to “make a difference and have an impact” in the lives of others. The so-called “great resignation” and the period of deep introspections and world-wide disruption and pain caused by COVID has caused more people to ask themselves some tough questions. Does what I do matter? How do I find balance? How could I spend or dedicate a consistent amount of my time, efforts, and ideally work to make someone’s day a little brighter, their life a little easier, their health significantly better.
I don’t have the answers to these questions. I believe it is deeply personal for each individual. Born and raised in South Africa, a country like no other and which truly dominates my heart, I have a deep seated calling to help my home country’s most vulnerable and at-risk people. I have seen the impact and benefits that health innovation can have on the African continent and its population. For me, at an early stage in my career, I witnessed first hand the health-related inequality in many health systems. I observed how access to basic, high-quality healthcare was significantly limited in many settings and often related to one's social standing, financial means, education, and geographic location. Even when decent access was available and care provided, the traditional doctor-patient relationship did not see the patient interact as a partner with the provider in plotting their health choice in an informed and confident manner. Rather, oftentimes the health providers made the decisions and the patients were instructed blindly to follow. These distressing systems and agency issues played out time and again resulting in poor health outcomes and unnecessary suffering and despair. I made a choice to choose a balance of “currencies” that provided a decent and secure standard of living for my family, but more importantly allowed me to act in the service of others — offering my time, expertise, and passion to a sector and mission grounded in improving health impact and equity for as many people as possible.
Without hesitation, I confirmed on this trip that I have found myself “at home” with the Audere team. In a genuine and profound way, the “currency” that matters most to them is the deep desire and need to see the products they build, the code they write, and the deployments they plan improve the health of those most vulnerable. It’s the best feeling to connect and collaborate with like-minded, mission-driven individuals, working to tackle some of global health’s challenges. As I land in my beloved home of Johannesburg, I feel warmth and confidence in my realisation of my second home amongst my team and the common “currency” we share.
