From potential to presence

What does it really take to move from being recognised for your potential to becoming known for your presence?

It's a question many professionals grapple with throughout their careers. Early on, potential is often measured by academic performance, technical ability or perceived promise. But as careers progress, success becomes less about what you could do and more about the impact you create, the relationships you build and the opportunities you unlock for others.

These themes took centre stage at the African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA) Power Spaces event, held under the theme Elevate, where facilitator Zama Nkabinde, Investment Analyst at Catalyst Fund Managers, was joined by Futuregrowth's Head of Debt Capital Markets, Wafeeqah Lagerdien, and EY Corporate Finance Associate Partner and AWCA Deputy President, Mmabatho Hantise, for an honest conversation about leadership, visibility, mentorship and continuous growth.

While each speaker shared a unique perspective, a common thread emerged: elevating your career isn't about waiting to feel ready or chasing titles. It's about cultivating curiosity, embracing discomfort, building meaningful relationships and helping others rise along the way.

Potential is only the beginning

For Hantise, potential is not an endpoint but a starting point. "Potential is what is possible for you. But presence is what is possible because of you."

Reflecting on her journey, she said one of the biggest lessons she learned was that success isn't measured by the title you earn, but by the impact you have on others along the way.

For Lagerdien, reaching your potential requires both preparation and opportunity. "You have to be prepared in terms of your willingness to step up to the game and the effort you put into building your career. But you also need opportunity for it to count."

Using the analogy of a plant, she illustrated how even the strongest potential can only flourish under the right conditions. "You can bloom where you are. But you can also give yourself permission to go and look elsewhere to thrive."

The metaphor serves as a reminder that while individuals are responsible for investing in their own development, organisations also have a responsibility to cultivate environments where people can flourish.

Growth begins where comfort ends

If there was one message that resonated throughout the conversation, it was that growth rarely arrives once confidence has been established. More often, confidence develops because people choose to act despite uncertainty.

As Nkabinde observed, "You're not always going to be 100% ready... but action itself creates confidence."

Lagerdien reflected on the many occasions throughout her career where she accepted opportunities before feeling fully prepared - from taking on unfamiliar projects to stepping into leadership.

"I came across this concept that if you wait for your product to be perfect before you launch it, it's too late," she said. "It's similar in your career."

Instead of waiting until every box has been ticked, professionals should embrace the reality that many of the skills they need will only be developed through experience.

"You don't have to know everything. You just have to have a willingness to learn."

Mmabatho shared a similar lesson when she chose to move from a familiar technical specialisation into corporate finance, which was a decision many questioned at the time. 

She said that, sometimes we tend to live by other people's definitions of growth and success. "But you need to define your own why." 

Visibility isn't about being the loudest voice

Career progression is often associated with visibility, but Lagerdien challenged the misconception that visibility requires being the loudest person in the room.

Those seemingly insignificant moments accumulate over time. As confidence grows, so too does trust. Colleagues begin seeking your perspective, managers entrust you with greater responsibility and your contribution becomes increasingly visible.

Nkabinde encouraged attendees to be intentional about creating those opportunities. "When you identify a gap, be that someone," she said. "That is visibility because it creates evidence."

Those contributions become the stories others tell about you in rooms you're not yet part of.

Leadership begins with understanding people

One of the most refreshing parts of the discussion was Lagerdien's perspective on leadership itself. Having recently stepped into a leadership role at Futuregrowth, she reflected that one of the biggest shifts wasn't learning new technical skills but learning how to lead people.

One of the tools she found particularly valuable was Futuregrowth's use of Enneagram personality assessments for all employees. Understanding both her own personality traits and those of her team, she explained, has enabled her to tailor feedback to each individual and better support their growth.

Rather than assuming everyone responds to feedback in the same way, she explained that effective leaders invest time in understanding what motivates each individual, how they process feedback and what support they need to succeed.

Feedback, she suggested, should never be one-size-fits-all.

Understanding both her own personality traits and those of her team, she explained, has helped her become a more intentional leader - one who adapts her communication, coaching and feedback to the individual rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

It is an approach grounded in empathy rather than authority while recognising that leadership is as much about adapting to others as it is about directing them.

Mmabatho echoed this sentiment from the perspective of receiving feedback. As a leader, she admitted that she had often been described as "strict". Rather than dismissing the feedback, she chose to reflect on it and adjust her own leadership style.

Instead of immediately pointing out mistakes, she now begins by asking team members how they believe they performed, encouraging self-reflection before offering coaching and development guidance.

Her broader message was that growth depends on our willingness to receive feedback with humility.

As Nkabinde aptly summarised, "Anyone's capacity to learn is guided in proportion to their capacity for feedback."

The people around you shape the leader you become

Reflecting on the biggest decision that shaped both her personal and professional life, Lagerdien offered an answer that surprised many in the audience.

"The most intentional decision... was choosing my life partner," she explained.

"We think about our careers as a personal journey, but in reality they're not," she reflected. "The people closest to you can either create an environment for you to grow or the opposite."

Having built her career alongside her husband, Lagerdien reflected on how emotional support, shared decision-making and having someone who genuinely believes in your ambitions can shape the risks you're willing to take and the opportunities you're prepared to pursue.

Leadership, she suggested, is rarely achieved in isolation.

Mmabatho expanded on this idea by encouraging professionals to become intentional about the people they surround themselves with.

"As you grow, you realise that certain relationships are there to either make you the best version of yourself or to hinder the best version of yourself."

Sometimes, she acknowledged, the most courageous decision is choosing to walk away from relationships that no longer align with the person you're trying to become or your values.

Equally important is choosing people who are willing to challenge you, encourage you and support your growth, even when the conversations are uncomfortable.

Mentors advise. Sponsors advocate.

Relationships matter professionally, too. For Lagerdien, some of the most influential mentors in her career weren't part of formal mentorship programmes.

Instead, they were relationships built naturally over time. "Sometimes the real value comes from the natural relationships you build over time."

She also drew one of the day's most memorable distinctions:

Sponsors advocate for you when you're not in the room. They recommend your name, create opportunities and help others recognise your potential.

Mmabatho described her own network as an "advisory board" rather than relying on a single mentor.

Different people provide different perspectives depending on the challenge, while peer mentorship can often be just as valuable because people are navigating similar experiences together.

"You don't have to meet ten people," she said. "One person can change your life."

Elevation starts with curiosity

As the discussion drew to a close, both panellists returned to the importance of continuous learning.

For Mmabatho, that means remaining anchored in your values, even as your purpose evolves. While your "why" may shift throughout your career, she argued that your values should remain constant.

She also encouraged professionals to embrace emerging technologies such as AI -not as a replacement for critical thinking but as a tool to enhance productivity and support better decision-making. Used responsibly, she noted, AI can help professionals work more efficiently, but it should never replace sound judgement, technical expertise or professional integrity.

For Lagerdien, it means staying curious. Technical expertise provides the foundation but curiosity enables professionals to remain relevant as industries evolve.

Whether exploring emerging technologies, developing leadership capabilities or expanding into entirely new disciplines, curiosity creates adaptability and adaptability creates opportunity.

Presence is built everyday

The conversation challenged the idea that careers are transformed by one defining moment. Instead, elevation happens gradually.

It is built through countless small decisions: speaking up in meetings, putting your hand up for unfamiliar opportunities, receiving feedback with humility, investing in relationships, remaining curious and creating environments where others can succeed.

Potential may open the first door, but presence is earned, through the choices we make every day, the courage to step beyond our comfort zones, the relationships we nurture and the leaders we choose to become.

Read: The case for more women in asset management