THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Lions Cricket in partnership with Richfield is proud to host regular thought-provoking debates; round table discussions; industry workshops; conferences and ‘TED’ lead talks. These discussions are hosted under the #ENGAGE called ‘The Richfield Thought Leadership Series’.

The Series is also sponsored by The Star Newspaper, Spier Wines, Konica Minolta Gauteng and the DP World Wanderers Stadium.

Why did the Lions Cricket Union embark on a thought provoking ‘Thought Leadership’ series?

A few years ago, Lions Cricket embarked on a journey to re-imagine its purpose. A purpose not only in sport but the role it can play within the society it exists in.

The world around us continues to pose multiple challenges that tend to stifle management thought processes and negate a plethora of opportunities that are within reach.

Management then initiated multiple internal discussions, commissioned various research,
interviewed various stakeholders, held multiple conferences and workshops with the aim of stretching old ideas beyond their traditional boundaries and create new perspectives.

The Richfield Thought Leadership Series forms part of enhancing our knowledge base. More importantly, this series serves as a foundation for us as a Union and others to expand and innovate; inspiring conversations that would have been otherwise lost or never started.

It is about unpacking various sorts of discussions which has brought about the need for bringing influential South African sports figures together in an effort that aims to conjure up solutions that ultimately pave the way for increased inclusivity in sport, so it continues to play the important role as a social unifier across our country.

UPCOMING TOPICS

To be confirmed…

PREVIOUS TOPICS

Wednesday, 22 September 2021: GATE WAY TO AFRICA

“Topic Synopsis / Context:

‘South Africa has long been heralded as the ‘gateway to Africa’ – an appropriate base of operation from which economic connection to the rest of the continent can be formed and business developed. With its well-developed financial sector, infrastructure, logistics, education, sport and select industries, the SA has earned he moniker despite various social, political, and economic challenges’.

To some the term gateway implies the transmission of ideas, people, skill, technology and goods, yet in physical realm, a gateway may also mean provision of access to other regions and markets.

Gateway countries and companies can be described as providing the connection between the regional and global level of the world economy, acting as the way ideas, people, skill, technology, and goods flow. These countries and companies take a greater role within their respective regions, emerging as natural leaders.”

Wednesday, 18 August 2021: PUTTING THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE BUSINESS OF SPORT

Off the back of an enlightening wrap to 2020’s Richfield Thought Leadership conversations, a plethora of issues and topics emerged from the meaningful engagements, under the theme ‘The world of sport re-imagined’. The biggest issue being that of the complex nature of the business of sport and what factors are considered when brands sponsor teams and athletes. This is, to an extent political, especially when it comes to women athletes and teams, with marketing and commercial professionals in the sporting fraternity suggesting that the stories behind these teams and players aren’t compelling enough to invest budgets into.

Thursday, 29 October 2020 – ‘In conversation with Xolani Luvuno’

Wednesday, 2 December 2020 –  ‘The World of Sport Re-Imagined’.

The objective is to reflect on the year that was and cast an eye into 2021 and beyond, through the lense of the sporting fraternity.

Wednesday, 21 July 2021, De-politicising sport in South Africa

To contextualise the reason for engaging in a hard topic of this nature, we’d need to back track to a year and a half ago, in which 2020 was marred with a heightened sense of racial tensions across sporting codes. The #BlackLivesMatter movement triggered unresolved racial issues within the South African democratic narrative and discourse suggested that players had some sort of moral obligation to speak out and share their personal stories of alienation in various sporting codes.