Strong internal leadership is vital for CWMAC to effectively champion community conservation. From March 12 to 14, 2025, the CWMAC invested in building this capacity by hosting a specialized leadership seminar for its Executive Committee (ExCo) members. Led by leadership strategist Solo Kabeho, the “Rising to the Challenges of Leadership” session equipped 15 senior leaders with strategies to enhance governance, accountability, and stakeholder engagement in WMAs and the consortium at large.
Kabeho emphasized people-centered leadership, quoting former Southwest Airlines CEO Herb Kelleher, “If employees are happy, they will take care of the customers. In your case, if communities feel valued and empowered, they will take care of conservation.” This message resonated with participants, reinforcing the principle that when local communities thrive, conservation efforts thrive as well.
The seminar focused on three key leadership pillars: adaptability, accountability, and effective decision-making. The ExCo members explored governance gaps in CWMAC’s operations and discussed strategies to strengthen the consortium’s impact.
The discussions resonated with the CWMAC leaders. The Chairperson of CWMAC, Saidi Masudi, reflected, “This training has opened our eyes to the power of ethical leadership. We must ensure that WMAs are not just protected areas but thriving community assets.” Veronica Lazaro, an ExCo member, added, “True conservation success depends on how well we engage and support the people who live alongside wildlife. This seminar reinforced our role in making that happen.”
Strengthening the leadership capacity of CWMAC’s executive team will have a cascading effect across all member WMAs, ensuring better governance, more robust community engagement, and ultimately greater conservation impact on the ground. With inspired and capable leadership at the helm, Tanzania’s network of community-run WMAs is poised to continue thriving for generations to come.