Lesson from Friday’s resignations: ambition needs tempering

Ambition is a tough taskmaster as we witnessed once again on Friday with a couple of high profile resignations.

Usually stoic UK Prime Minister Theresa May for once lost her composure when resigning as the world looked on. She’d held the job for just under three years, during which the 62 year old struggled unsuccessfully to push through her Brexit package. She will stay on just long enough to host Donald Trump’s State visit to the UK.

At home, Eskom’s 49 year old Phakamani Hadebe cited health issues for resigning just a year after being confirmed into the position (he’d been acting since last January). Hadebe’s departure came five and a half years after another then 40-something, Brian Dames, also stepped away from Eskom’s top job after only a year – in his instance for “personal reasons”.

These high profile resignees are probably wondering whether, with hindsight, they might have done better not to have taken the job in the first place. And therein lies a big lesson. Promotions might bring bigger bucks. But they always come with a price. Sometimes a very big one. So best to think over such “opportunities” with great caution. Always.

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