Justin Beswick - Program Manager, Bahari Hai Conservation

AMCLP Cohort 1

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

My wife, Candice Pelser. She helped and still helps me refine my leadership skills - self development is never ending and Candice is able to see things I don't (and would otherwise miss), this has certainly helped me focus on my strengths and bring awareness to my weaknesses. The inspiration comes from her insights and wisdom, a skill and way of being which truly inspires me.

What motivates you to do your job?

Seeing talented and passionate people around me thrive, my greatest skill seems to be in creating an enabling environment for others (teams) to thrive, and fortunately, seeing this happen and the happiness it brings to people and indirectly to the world motivates me to do more

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

Enable the change you want to see in the world! Work on communication and technology skills - it is likely conservation donors and funding will be primarily coming from western countries/donors. It is also likely you're doing great work on the ground, probably at a low cost relative to larger, more established organizations. Leverage this! Learn how to use technology to improve how you monitor, measure and report your impact. Also use technology to produce well formatted and good looking reports. Learn the buzzwords within conservation and how to communicate formerly to a western audience - if you master these skills your voice and project won't need to be filtered by an intermediary and you will attract the support you need to sustain your projects/organization. And remember, receiving support from others is a privilege, they are entrusting you to help protect this beautiful earth so make sure you're always giving your best and make most use of the resources provided. Finally, as you and your organization grows, be sure to help others who will now be looking up to you for advice.