Partnership, Trust & Transformational Leadership Critical During Crisis, Says Keith Duncan, During Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture

The 8th annual Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture which was broadcast live on TVJ recently, offered practical and timely lessons on “Leadership During Crisis” with expertise imparted by guest speaker, Keith Duncan, CEO, JMMB Group; President, Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) and Chairman, Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC). Leveraging his vast experience in leadership, Duncan offered applicable advice on navigating crisis, such as the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sharing his expertise and experience in a conversational style, with the assistance of Rochelle Cameron chief project coordinator, PSOJ, who co-moderated, Duncan explored the role of transformational leadership at the corporate, industry and national levels and delved into the need for public/ private sector partnerships in creating a pathway for nation-building and the realization of a shared vision, while building a high trust environment. In addition, he offered perspectives on myriad opportunities presented in this crisis and the importance of digital transformation. 

He highlighted the importance of social partnerships and building an environment of trust as paramount to successful leadership and emphasized the need for leaders who cultivate an environment of trustworthiness. “You have to trust people, to be able to delegate and allow people to manifest their greatness. It begins with you trusting yourself, and trusting the people that you work with,” he noted, adding that people are at their most creative at problem-solving particularly in periods of crisis. 

In underscoring the need for social partnerships, and the importance of having competent and talented leaders who collaborate for the benefit of society, Duncan pointed to the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, through the COVID Economic Recovery Taskforce. He further revealed that in his role as chair of the taskforce, he assisted with assembling a team of highly skilled leaders, which included private and public sector organizations, to identify vulnerabilities in the economy and threats to employment.

Duncan noted that the health and wellness of employees in the workspace was a paramount consideration for this committee, even as efforts were made to safeguard economic viability, in seeking to balance lives and livelihood. This effort, he shared, demonstrates the positive impact of social partnerships and social engagement, as contributions were made to the health sector and to the aging population, especially in underserved communities. 

Duncan also spoke to the example of his mother, the late Joan Duncan, a pioneer in the money market industry in Jamaica. He detailed valuable lessons learned from her, namely, the value of building and capitalizing on the resilience and creativity of Jamaicans to partner for social transformation. “We (at JMMB Group) also have our vision of love, which anchors us,” adding that this vision underpins his leadership at and informs the culture of the company and the way service is provided to clients. In offering additional advice to leaders, Duncan emphasized the importance of engagement “in an open and honest, and non-divisive way”, urging the breakdown of negativity and toxicity, with investment in a growth mindset. “You have to be a possibility thinker. You have to move out of the negative space, be open to ideas, do your research, and have a plan,” he advised. 

Patricia Sutherland, chairman of the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation expressed pleasure in having the opportunity, through the lecture, to honour her mother and her legacy and “to every year, remind ourselves what she stood for, (and) why we are so grateful for having had her in our lives.” Sutherland pointed to her mother’s ethos of “adding value to the next person” in each of her interactions, noting that the lecture is a means through which the Joan Duncan Foundation hopes to achieve this, by facilitating enlightening and edifying discussions. 

Professor Colin Gyles, acting president, University of Technology, Jamaica, remarked that another example of public/ private sector partnership is in successful relationship forged between UTech, Jamaica and the JMMB Group, which includes among other successes, the establishment of the Joan Duncan School of Ethics, Entrepreneurship & Leadership (JDSEEL) at UTech, Jamaica. 

He highlighted that JDSEEL is instrumental in providing education and training for leaders who will be the drivers “for developing businesses that will help our economy to flourish.”

The hour-long broadcast also featured a short video documentary in tribute to Joan Duncan in which three of her children shared reflections on her life’s work and legacy. 

During the final segment of the broadcast, youth leaders from UTech, Jamaica, students Roxanne Sadler and Shelice Anderson, Robyn Murray, President, UTech, Jamaica Students’ Union and Loya Haughton, 2014 Joan Duncan Scholar who posed questions to Keith Duncan, Patricia Sutherland and Professor Colin Gyles.   Questions were also fielded from audience members joining from UTech, Jamaica and JMMB Group social media platforms. This segment was moderated by Hector Wheeler, Associate Vice President, UTech, Jamaica.

The 8th annual Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture can be seen on the UTech, Jamaica and the JMMB Group YouTube channels.