Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), Edward Ato Sarpong, has called for a renewed commitment to discipline, diligence and mentorship in grooming the next generation of leaders, warning that leadership gaps continue to weaken institutions and slow national development.
Speaking at the Jospong Leadership Conference 2026, Mr Sarpong argued that many of Africa’s challenges are rooted in leadership failure rather than lack of resources or talent. According to him, the absence of disciplined and diligent leadership has had far-reaching consequences for governance and institutional growth.
“This African continent is in this state because we don’t have disciplined leaders and we don’t have diligent leaders,” he told participants.
He challenged the widely held belief that leadership is acquired primarily through formal education, stressing that true leadership is developed through experience, mentorship and close apprenticeship.
“Nobody goes to school to be a leader. Leadership is through the streets of apprenticeship. It is never through the classrooms,” he said.
Mr Sarpong described discipline as the foundation of effective leadership, explaining that it is an internal process that prepares individuals for public responsibility.
“Discipline is preparing inwardly, internally, in silence, in order to demonstrate leadership in public,” he noted.
He added that discipline cannot stand alone without diligence, describing the two qualities as inseparable.
“You can’t separate them. They are two inseparable forces,” he said.
Touching on personal development, Mr Sarpong highlighted the issue of identity and self-confidence among young professionals, cautioning that many people fail not because of limited opportunities but because they doubt their own abilities.
“Most people have an identity crisis. Do you know who you are?” he asked.
He urged aspiring leaders to be confident in their competence, open to learning, and avoid feelings of inferiority in professional spaces.
“You must not feel inferior,” he stressed.
As part of deliberate efforts to prepare future leaders, Mr Sarpong announced plans to roll out a mentorship initiative later in the year, specifically targeting professionals under the age of 40.
“We need the below 40s. Let’s spend time on them. Let’s invest in them. Let’s pump them,” he said.
He explained that the mentorship programme would form part of a broader leadership development agenda within the Jospong Group, aimed at ensuring sustainability beyond the current generation of leadership.
“This company has a future. The Jospong Group will live for over 100 years, but we need the next generation of leaders,” he stated.
Mr Sarpong concluded by reminding young professionals that leadership is fundamentally about service and responsibility, not personal ambition.
“Leadership is not about ambition. It is about your assignment,” he said.
