Barloworld Limited: Leading Brands

Dominic Sewela - The steady hands steering the Barloworld ship

Barloworld is a distributor of brands that provide integrated rental, fleet management, product support and logistics solutions. It offers earthmoving and power systems, car rental, motor retail, fleet services, used vehicles & disposal solutions, logistics management & supply chain optimisation and material handling.

Dominic Sewela has held his current position for just over two years, after a long history with the company in various roles. In a recent interview session Dominic Sewela shares his insights, advice and experience in Leading Barloworld, beyond the bounds of his role as Chief Executive of Barloworld.

Who is Dominic Sewela?

“Dominic is a dad. He’s a brother. He’s an uncle. Family defines me. Too often we neglect some elements of our lives, we focus on the job at hand, the glamour that sometimes comes with the job. But at the end of the day, when you’re lying in your sick bed, who will come to visit you? Family will be with you right to the end.”

How would you define leadership?

“For me, leadership is about stewardship and legacy. Those two things fundamentally define leadership in the sense that if you’re leading people because a baton was passed to you, you need to ensure that you leave those people better than when you started leading them.”

How would you say your employees perceive you?

“Some employees will describe me as ‘tough’, those who are not very close to me. But those that are close to me will say that I’m supportive but challenging. I am demanding of the people that I work with. If you don’t focus on winning, and you keep losing, that’s how you lose jobs.”

What is your advice to young people embarking on their career journey?

“I tell young people this - it’s about being professional and diligent in what you do,”

How do you feel about the future?

“I’m excited about our prospects for the future. A lot of people focus on the negativity but they don’t realise that each of them has capability within themselves to transform their own future. Once you stop focusing on outside influences, and just do your part, South Africa will be a wonderful place to live in.”

For more insights about the leadership journey of Dominic Sewela you can watch the video: Leading Barloworld featuring Dominic Sewela.

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