Botaki is the author of the book, Face the person in the mirror and a regular blogger on personal mastery, leadership and employee engagement topics. He is also a certified life and business coach.

 

A son of a priest, Botaki grew up travelling the length and breadth of the country, attending different primary and secondary schools in various townships, until the Hlalele family finally settled in Phomolong, Hennenman in the Free State.

 

Botaki graduated from the NWU with an honours degree in industrial psychology in 1999 and went on to earn a master’s degree in this discipline in 2003. (He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology at the former Vista University.)

 

No stranger to hard work

 

While studying part time at the NWU, he joined the Department of Correctional Services, first as a teacher and later in human resources. Botaki then worked for major corporates such as Shell, Cummins Africa, Nestlé, Mintek and Sasol, where he held senior positions in training and human resources.

 

Botaki has many fond memories of the NWU. "My journey with the university was fascinating because I had not done industrial psychology in my undergraduate studies. When I applied to the institution at the beginning of 1998, I was required to write an assessment before I could be admitted to the class of 1998, which I passed with flying colours.”

 

Gaining a deeper understanding

 

Botaki chose industrial psychology because of the depth it brings to the understanding of human and organisational behaviour.

 

"I was attracted by the impact one can make in improving employee engagement while boosting productivity with tools and techniques we are taught in the study of industrial psychology," he explains.

 

Working on his assignments and collaborating with other students from varied backgrounds was important to him.

 

"They shared critical information, trends and best practices that made me think twice about what I thought I knew.”“Then there was the value added by our lecturers, who brought industry and functional knowledge to the mix. That set the tone for my curiosity and the need for continuous learning to remain top of my game."

 

One unforgettable experience from his student days was being nominated to go to Austria to present a paper at a psychology and mental health conference.

 

Asked what advice he would give to NWU students who are studying industrial psychology, Botaki says: "Work on yourself because it is only through self-awareness that you can become a better leader. Remain curious and learn more about your function or discipline."