When Magic Happens in Strategic Management

“I had the incredible honor of being in the room where the magic happened: the Department of Child Health 2 day retreat held at the West Africa Genetic Medicine Centre, Legon (12-13 June 2025) powered by Perbi Executive Leadership Education (PELE).” That is how Dr. Adwoa Afrane (neè Darko), senior lecturer and senior specialist paediatrician at the University of Ghana Medical School and the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital respectively, began her powerful testimonial on LinkedIn. Everyone experienced the magic that happened but not everyone has the gift of lingua to capture it the way the good doc did.

You see, the daring Department of Child Health leaders from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the University of Ghana Medical School had a basketful of desired outcomes from our two days together. The final of them was “enhanced ownership and team cohesion.” Ours at Perbi Executive Leadership Education – PELÉ was to identify the approaches that would transform these brilliant individuals into a formidable team, and then transcend all the goodness of a team to the point of becoming a real transformative community.

Do you see a specialist doctor tightly hugging a specialist nurse (in the picture above)? Could anyone miss the palpable elation of the Professor of Paediatrics and Head of Department in the photo? By the end of our time together, needless to say, the desired outcome had been ‘blown out of the water!’ Again, here’s how Dr. Afrane captured that moment in a WhatsApp group for all the leaders in this Strategic Management process: “In these moments of spontaneous joy, we witness something profound: the transformation of individual achievement into collective momentum. The enthusiasm and pride displayed by teammates creates an upward spiral of motivation, where success breeds more success and each person’s growth contributes to the team’s overall strength and resilience.”

Speaking of each person’s growth, the following are seven “personal treasures” the good children’s doctor herself mined from the retreat, all of which she shared in her June 18, 2025 LinkedIn post, and all of which I can immediately tell which aspects of our PELÉ facilitation process sparked::

1. 💭 Vision isn’t what your eyes see—it’s what your heart believes is possible. While others see obstacles, visionaries see the path forward. Your mind’s eye is your greatest asset—nurture it, trust it, dream with it.
2. 🌙 Your moonshot isn’t just a goal—it’s your dare to the universe. What dream keeps you awake at night? What vision makes your heart race? That’s not just ambition—that’s your calling knocking at the door.
3. ⚡ The right question can change everything—that moment when the perfect question unlocks the door you didn’t even know existed? That’s where breakthroughs live.
4. 💪 Involvement feels safe. Commitment feels terrifying—and that’s exactly why it matters. When you’re truly committed, failure isn’t an option—it’s just feedback. The magic happens when you decide there’s no turning back and create your own path forward.
5. 💔 Integrity isn’t just a value—it’s the foundation of who you are. Every broken promise chips away at your soul. Every kept commitment builds the person you’re meant to become. Your word isn’t just your bond—it’s your legacy.
6. 🎉 Individual achievement becomes collective momentum for a team. When teammates celebrate each other’s wins, something beautiful happens—success becomes contagious. Each person’s growth lifts the entire team, creating an unstoppable upward spiral where excellence multiplies.
7. 🙏 When you serve something bigger than yourself, you discover who you truly are. The most fulfilling moments in life come when we pour ourselves out for others. Purpose isn’t found—it’s lived through service.

Perbi Executive is thankful for the opportunity to come alongside this powerful group of dare-dreamers led by their Darer-in-Chief and Head of Department, Prof. Catherine Segbefia and ably catalyzed by the Committee Chair for this Strategic Management process, Dr. William Obeng. Our hope is that the strengthened relationships and collective ownership of the department’s future direction, and continually improved dialogue and participatory decision-making will inure to the ultimate benefit of every child who comes their way. After all, their newly-minted Vision Statement from the two-day Strategic Management retreat is, “A world-class health centre where every child smiles.”