Bailie Leadership Consultancy

18/08/2026

What could the proposed regulation of the Christian sector mean for churches and religious freedom in South Africa?

Craig Bailie of Bailie Leadership Consultancy joins 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐨 𝐓𝐨𝐲𝐨𝐭𝐚 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝟓:𝟏𝟎 𝐏𝐌 to share his experience of the 𝐂𝐑𝐋 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 consultation and unpack the issues surrounding the proposed framework.

📻 Tune in at 5:10 PM and join the conversation!

21/07/2026

On 19 June, Engage South Africa hosted several speakers, including BLC's Craig Bailie, for an online Youth Month Civic Dialogue.

Fifty years after South Africa’s 1976 student uprisings, 30 years into the country’s constitutional democracy, and with South Africa's upcoming in mind, the dialogue set out to answer the following question:

What role should young people play in shaping the next chapter of South Africa's — and how do we prepare them for that responsibility?

In Youth Month 2026, Engage SA hosted several speakers from the you...

22/05/2026

In our pursuit of professional advancement, we often focus entirely on the destination: the title, the salary, and the financial security. We search the job boards and submit our resumes, hoping for an open door. But a job is more than a paycheck; it is an environment that will either nurture your spirit or slowly erode it. That is why, when praying for a job, you must also pray for a culture that gives you respect, growth, and peace of mind.

A position is temporary, but how a workplace treats you leaves a permanent imprint on your life. True, world-class organizations are built on a "care and connect" philosophy rather than a rigid "command and control" mindset. They understand that a human being cannot flourish in a state of constant survival.

You deserve a workplace that acts as a sanctuary of psychological safety—a space where your voice is respected, your development is prioritized, and your mental health is fiercely guarded so you can sleep peacefully at night. Never settle for an environment that forces you to compromise your soul for success.

Are you ready to build a culture where your people can truly thrive? Transform your organization into a sanctuary of growth and respect by ordering copies of my Amazon Bestseller, "The Blueprint of Leadership," for your entire team today. Let’s work together to cultivate an unshakeable workplace where your people feel safe, valued, and empowered to win.

Invest in your team’s growth. Order on Amazon today: https://geni.us/s2nooOD

20/05/2026

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐓𝐎 𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑?

As 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 approaches its 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, eligible citizens, beginning with first-time voters, should consider who they'll be voting for, and why. At least three interrelated 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 may prove helpful:

➢ 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲/𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲: To what degree does the party ideology, policy, or worldview recognise and promote human dignity?

➢ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫: Is party leadership (or the independent candidate) virtuous, recognising and promoting human dignity? What signs, if any, show that party leadership (or the independent candidate) has the potential to govern democratically?

➢ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Is party leadership (or the independent candidate) competent enough to promote human dignity through civil governance? Does collective or individual leadership expertise, developed through academic qualifications and practical experience, suggest that the leadership (or the independent candidate) has the knowledge, understanding, and practical capacity to govern?

➢ 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝: Does party leadership (or the independent candidate) have a governance track record that speaks to leadership character and competence? This is more easily assessed when considering the track record of an incumbent party/leadership.

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠? Add your thoughts in the comments section...

Image credit: Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

19/05/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭:

isn't only the enabler of global business - it's what makes mutually beneficial relations between all individuals, communities and organisations (including nation-states) sustainable over the long term. We have and continue to see an erosion of trust globally.

In late 2024, Afrobarometer published its research findings that "𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚, 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠" (https://www.afrobarometer.org/publication/ad891-across-africa-public-trust-in-key-institutions-and-leaders-is-weakening/).

A few years earlier, the same organisation found that "𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬’ 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐰"(https://www.afrobarometer.org/articles/south-africans-trust-state-institutions-and-political-parties-reaches-new-low/).

"As social creatures, we naturally follow leaders and model our behavior on theirs. The influence they have means they can easily sabotage trust in two key ways: by stoking fear and wielding dominance," says expert on the neuroscience of human connection, Paul J. Zak.

While this Harvard Business Review article is aimed at business leaders, the lessons are applicable across leadership contexts.

https://hbr.org/2019/07/how-our-brains-decide-when-to-trust?tpcc=orgsocial_edit&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin

Insights from neuroscience

06/05/2026

𝐀 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞:

is one of the philosophical cornerstones at Bailie Leadership Consultancy.

In this piece for The Gospel Coalition, Alan Noble challenges our conception of courage. While written for a Christian, Western audience, the article contains truths for all people.

Often, the things we perceive or experience as "mundane" require courage, and, if repeated often enough, with growing success, over an extended period of time, give life true meaning.

"Courage doesn’t demand that you’re fearless, only that you act resolutely."

If you're an existing or aspiring leader, but especially am ambitious one, or someone who avoids discomfort, conflict, or confrontation with others, this is a worthwhile read.

In our mundane lives, we must dare to risk suffering for the sake of the good.

05/05/2026

𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐖𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐔𝐏 (𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐱 𝐈𝐭):

"Many senior leaders say they want an organization filled with and candor, but they often act in ways that are counterproductive to that goal."

The key to leaders getting followers/subordinates to speak up and tell the 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 is building a credible pattern of 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭, and fundamental to this is how leaders 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞.

In his interview with Adi Ignatius of Harvard Business Review, Charles Duhigg cites the following tactics for effective :

➢ Reward candor: the more we 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ourselves, how we do things, and present and discuss alternatives, the better we get. "When you feel furious, get 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬."

➢ Ensure equality in conversational turn-taking - invite people into the dialogue, while understanding that great communication doesn't equate with agreement, but with 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

➢ Put followers/subordinates in a position where they know, not only that you're 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, but also that you 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 what they're saying - what Charles Duhigg calls 𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠.

➢ Respond with (including respect) before proposing practical steps (if appropriate) in a way that affirms the follower/subordinate's 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲.

https://hbr.org/podcast/2026/04/why-your-team-wont-speak-up-and-how-to-fix-it?tpcc=orgsocial_edit&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

A conversation with author Charles Duhigg about creating an open culture.

29/04/2026

If "The best leaders [are both competent and virtuous, they will] balance ambition with humility, empathy, and a commitment to others."

In a setting, the identification and elevation of such depends, among other things, on an educated and virtuous , able to discern between narcissistic leaders and leaders who are balanced in their confidence, because they have a healthy understanding of their value and limitations.

Narcissistic leaders rise fast on confidence and charisma but often falter on empathy and judgment. The real edge is balancing bold self-belief with humility and care for others.

24/04/2026

One of the philosophical cornerstones at BLC is . "When we see acts of moral courage, we should recognize and applaud those who show it. We should feel emboldened to practice more of it ourselves," writes Lawrence Reed, for the Foundation for Economic Education.

If moral courage means knowing what’s right and both doing it and defending it in spite of fear or obstructions, would you say we’ve improved over the years?

23/04/2026

Ahead of South Africa's Local Government Elections (LGEs), BLC founding director, Craig Bailie, highlights as integral to efforts to improve and curb the municipal decay that characterises many municipalities. Access his latest article with Daily Maverick, here: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-04-21-why-sas-municipal-decay-is-a-followership-crisis/.

Rather than the failures of incumbent municipal leadership, the deeper, more pressing matter confronting local governance in South Africa is the apparent lack of willingness and/or ability among South…