Steve Teasdale: "I Always Knew the Answer. I Just Couldn't Get ItOut"

Description

Steve Teasdale grew up in Cape Town feeling less than everyone around him. His older brother sailed through school. He dreaded the moment his teacher called on him to read aloud. He went on to spend a decade inside Eskom as the lights went out, watch political interference hollow out one of Africa's most important institutions from the inside, refuse to put his name on something he wouldn't stand behind — and then build a career at the highest levels of Discovery, one of South Africa's most admired companies. This is one of the most honest conversations about leadership, broken systems, and what it actually takes to build a career that means something. What you'll get: • Growing up dyslexic in Cape Town — and why he refuses to call it a superpower • Losing confidence as a child, then finding it again through creativity and leading people • What he actually witnessed inside Eskom: political interference, disproportionate power, and what a dysfunctional system does to the brilliant people trapped inside it • The ethics moment that ended his time at Eskom — he was asked to put his name on something, said no, and the response made his position immediately clear • Whether leaders are born or made — and why he thinks environment matters more than innate ability • His unfiltered take on degrees, Discovery's high-performance culture, and why attitude beats qualifications almost every time • The single most important thing at work after 25+ years across consulting, energy, FMCG, and financial services — his answer will surprise you Chapters • 0:00 Intro • 0:30 Growing up dyslexic in Cape Town • 6:23 Leaders: born or made? • 6:51 Studying and working at the same time • 11:52 Are degrees still worth it? • 17:55 Joining Eskom — and the lights went out within a week • 21:43 What really went wrong at Eskom • 27:00 Political interference up close • 34:12 The ethics moment and the decision to leave • 36:05 How to stand out in interviews • 37:48 The one skill that transfers across every industry • 41:51 Rapid-fire: yes or no •