In his latest offering, Behold the Turtle: Thoughts on Ethically Principled Leadership, Professor Bonang Mohale returns to familiar territory leadership, ethics, and the pursuit of a just society. Known for his razor-sharp insights and fearless honesty, Mohale builds on the metaphor of the turtle: “He only makes progress when his neck is stuck out.” It is an invitation to courage, to risk, and to principle in a time when leadership in South Africa remains under scrutiny.
Published in late 2021, Behold the Turtle is a rich tapestry of Mohale’s speeches, writings, and tributes, interwoven with reflections from respected peers such as Adrian Gore, Mteto Nyati, Vukani Mngxati, and Nicola Kleyn. The timing is significant South Africa, like much of the world, was reeling from the impact of COVID-19. Mohale positions ethical leadership as the only real compass for navigating crises of health, governance, and the economy.
The book is unapologetically bold in its insistence: corruption, inequality, and unemployment can only be tackled through principled leadership both in boardrooms and in government. In an era when accountability is often dodged, Mohale calls for it to be embraced.
At its best, the book is a manifesto for moral clarity. Mohale’s voice is passionate, insistent, and deeply anchored in democratic values. He challenges leaders to move beyond rhetoric into action, reminding us that resilience and progress demand sticking our necks out, much like the turtle itself.
The inclusion of peers’ reflections adds a personal touch, providing readers with testimonials of Mohale’s influence in corporate and civic spaces. Their voices reinforce his central message: ethical leadership is not an abstract ideal, but a lived practice.
Equally powerful is Mohale’s framing of a “better normal” in the aftermath of COVID-19. Rather than yearning for the past, he points toward building anew with ethics at the centre.
Yet, for all its inspiration, Behold the Turtle is not without flaws. Critics have noted that much of the material revisits themes explored in his earlier book, Lift as You Rise. While the conviction remains strong, the originality is sometimes less so. Readers familiar with Mohale’s work may find themselves treading well-worn ground.
Others argue that the book occasionally drifts into political shorthand. His sharp critique of the Zuma years, for instance, risks sounding partisan, leaving less space for a balanced view of the complexities of that period.
Perhaps most tellingly, some readers have left the book feeling that while the passion is undeniable, the insights don’t always break new ground. The turtle’s wisdom is compelling, but the terrain sometimes feels too familiar.
Despite these critiques, Behold the Turtle is a book South Africa and indeed the world cannot ignore. It does not pretend to be a scholarly treatise on leadership theory. Rather, it is a rallying cry, a moral compass, and a reminder that in times of turbulence, ethical leadership is not optional; it is essential.
It is not a book for readers chasing radical new ideas. It is, instead, for leaders at every level who need courage rekindled, values reaffirmed, and purpose clarified. Inch by inch, like the turtle, progress can be slow. But with ethics at the core, it remains steady and transformative.
Prof. Bonang Mohale has once again stuck out his neck, urging us to do the same. Behold the Turtlemay not reinvent the wheel, but it reinvigorates a crucial conversation: that leadership without ethics is no leadership at all.
For anyone wrestling with questions of integrity, resilience, and responsibility, this book is less a manual and more a challenge. A challenge worth accepting.
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