How to Properly Navigate Leadership Handovers - Nemanja Stabic & Dawie de Klerk, Digiata

Every business eventually reaches a pivotal moment: transitioning away from being heavily dependent on its founders. This phase often involves leadership handovers, which can be both challenging and transformative. In this episode, we dive into this very process with Digiata, where Nemanja, the new CEO, joins us alongside Dawie, the co-founder and former Managing Director. Together, they share how they've successfully navigated this transition, from restructuring the organization and redefining decision-making processes to maintaining and evolving the company's culture. We also explore the dynamics between the CEO's vision and the founder's original vision for the business. This insightful conversation is packed with practical advice for entrepreneurs looking to manage leadership transitions effectively. Enjoy the episode!

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00:00 Introduction

02:58 What is Digiata?

10:28 How Digiata Got to This Point

18:56 Navigating Lockdown and How The Business Changed

29:30 How Nem Made it Easy to be Chosen For Leadership

33:30 What are the Leadership Traits That Dawie Saw in Nem

39:14 How Did the COO Role Turn into a CEO role

46:39 What Happened to Dawie’s MD Role Now That There is a CEO Role

50:14 What’s it Like to Take on So Much Responsibility?

59:25 How to Structure a Co-founder Relationship for Longevity

01:04:04 The New Organisational Structure and Where the Founding Team is Moving to

01:12:02 Power and Authority Challenges During This CEO Handover

01:18:14 Navigating This Change in Terms of Culture

01:20:22 Other Challenges Nem and Dawie Are Facing

01:23:35 How Does the Approach Towards Vision Shift Now?

01:26:01 Dawie’s Plans for the Future of Digiata

01:28:26 Advice to Anyone Going Through This Process

01:30:57 Conclusion