Emmanuel Stephen Lekundayo - Programs Manager, Landscape and Conservation Mentors Organization (LCMO)

ACLN Cohort 4

Who is someone who's inspired your leadership, and why?

My younger brother, we grew up in the same area, away from the main family and happen to share the same passion for wildlife. He is currently pursuing the same course as I did and has always been inspired by my leadership journey. He love my resilience and great passion to see tough things working out which is all attributed to my top most strength which is restorative. I am a person who enjoy solving problems and through that I gain both personal and professional skills.

What motivates you to do your job?

I love wildlife, this is because I grew up in an agropastoral community in Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya and we have been living with and seeing wildlife throughout my childhood life. I also witnessed some instances of human wildlife conflict in my community and has always compelled to be part of the solution. The fact that I am doing what I have been admiring since childhood, gives me a new motivation everyday to love what I do and invest my energy and time towards it.

What piece of advice would you give to an aspiring leader in African conservation?

I would simply recommend them to embrace teamwork and collaboration in whatever they do as the simplest way of achieving impact. It is the great lesson I've recently learned during my leadership journey. Most people tend to assume this yet its a very noble and simple way of solving problems, promoting innovation and developing excellent soft skills by working together- LCMO is currently embracing this. It has helped us at individual and organization level and would recommend every aspiring leader to see it as a simple way for reaching far -achieving greater impact. A lesson we can also learn from ants.