Sekunjalo Chairman Dr Iqbal Survè says humility is one of the key secrets to success.
Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers
THERE are many things that have had a profound impact on Dr Iqbal Survè's life and enabled him to enjoy success in various aspects of his life, including his time in the medical fraternity, in business and contributions as a philanthropist.
Conducting himself with humility and respecting people regardless of their rank or profile in society were some of the soft skills that formed the bedrock on which Dr Survè's achievements were built.
These insights were shared while Survè addressed nearly 500 employees, who represented various companies under the Sekunjalo Group's banner, during a conference at the Cape Town International Convention Centre last week.
Surve, who is the chairman of Sekunjalo, used the occasion to express his gratitude to staff for their respective contribution to the group.
In detailing the family values he lived by, Survè indicated that treating people with respect were among the key lessons that came to the fore during his time as a medical doctor treating patients, including caring for political prisoners, before venturing into business.
He said there was a time when he and other doctors had to look after political prisoners, those who were tortured, and served lengthy prison sentences.
"It started with what was then the rehabilitation programme using post-traumatic stress disorder tools, developed in Scandinavian countries to help people that were destroyed, because, yes people were very brave when they go through that — being in prison for 15, 20, 25 years and more for their beliefs and their values," Dr Survè said.
“I worked with them because it was difficult for them to adjust to their families, difficult for them to adjust themselves. And quietly, with a group of many other doctors and physiotherapists, we did the work to get people back into society. Many of whom became our leaders in the first government of our country, post 1994,” he said.
“What did I learn in that period as a doctor from them? I learned how unfair life can be. I learned how beautiful people are. I learned that despite spending time in prison for 25 to 27 years, you have a sense of humour. You make everything look funny. You have an amazing resilience. I learned that you don’t put yourself first. You put others first. I learned that families were traumatised, and how difficult it is to adjust again to your family.
“I learned, most importantly, that something which I am still trying to learn today is humility — to make yourself a better person by being humble, and then you treat everyone the same, whether they are the king or queen or prince, or president, or someone that cleans your toilet — you treat them the same,” he said.
In highlighting this point, he mentioned the joy he felt in appointing an editor who started as a "toilet cleaner" at the Newspaper House.
"The now-retired editor, Aziz Hartley, started as a janitor, became a reporter. He then moved up the ranks to the editor of the Cape Argus before being appointed editor-in-chief of Independent Media, a position he held until retirement.
“I have learned that you respect people. It is important to look at everyone not as a person that is a number, or has a title, but to look at people from the point of view that they are human with feelings, ambitions, aspirations, and with family.
“So one is never perfect in that process, but you do your very best because you build organisations, you build institutions, and those kinds of values are the hardest ones,” he said.
About continuous learning, he shared how he studied while working and obtained three degrees in medicine, something that led to him being roped into practicing sports medicine, where he worked with Bafana Bafana, the national football team.
At that time, the squad, which had the likes of Doctor Khumalo and Philemon Masinga, and were easily losing to African powerhouses Nigeria and Cameroon.
“I said guys, what’s wrong, because you look fit, and then I discovered it’s in their heads. They didn’t have the confidence to play against some of the international teams who were much bigger…and so I started the process with the same techniques that we used on political prisoners, and the rest is history. They went around to win the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time ever,” he said.
Dr Survè did the same with the ladies' hockey team, and they eventually won a gold medal, which again demonstrated the importance of focusing on psychology or seeking mental health assistance to overcome the battle of the mind and succeed.
He described being a medical doctor as the best 10 years of his life.
“There is no better career, no better profession. To have been given the privilege of entering someone’s personal life, physical, emotional, and psychological space is a privilege that I always treasured.
“But to get someone to be better, and to heal them physically and emotionally was a treasure of mine. I was a poor doctor. I had a yellow beetle, but I loved what I did every day of my life because I made a difference,” Survè said.
On the importance of humanity, he detailed how he never lost a patient in the emergency room. He said this was not because he was medically better than any of his colleagues.
“I had a reputation at the hospital for never losing a patient in the emergency room, which is quite challenging. And even when senior people were trying to save patients, they called me when I was not supposed to be in an emergency. But sometimes, to help intubate the patient. You know how difficult it is sometimes to put something down someone’s throat when they are heavily traumatised.
“And I used to relax the patients, as to say, I’m here to help, if you allow me, I will. The other doctors were quick to try and the patients resisted. So, treat a patient like they are alive and living and they will help you as a doctor, to do your best,” he said.
In 1998, he had to make the most difficult decision of his life. His options were going into government or becoming a professor. At the time lecturing at the University of Cape Town. He also had invites to become a professor from two US universities (New York and Texas).
His other options were to continue practicing medicine in South Africa or go into business and make an impact.
“Somehow, I thought that with business, when I became a millionaire, I could donate more money and save more people. I could even invest in clinics and all similar things.”
The difficulty, however, was in building something on that scale without money. He had ideas and networks, but none of that could get him to the top.
“And then I thought to myself, hold on, you are good at understanding the value of people, why don’t you use the same principles you had in medicine, and apply them to business? Lo and behold, 18 months later, May 1999. I listed on the main board of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), one of the first black companies in the country,” he said.
His example highlighted the importance of using the skills you already possess to make a greater impact.
While Survè encouraged entrepreneurship, he also stated that there was nothing wrong with not wanting to be in a business, but one has to constantly innovate and have the desire to do better wherever they are.
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