Prof. Dartey-Baah of UGBS Delivers Insightful Inaugural Lecture on Leadership in Ghana
Prof. Samuel Kwasi Dartey-Baah, a distinguished scholar and Professor of Leadership and Organisational Development at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) delivered his inaugural lecture on 10th April 2025 at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana. The event drew an impressive audience comprising University management, academics, corporate executives, traditional leaders, clergy, students, and the general public.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, who chaired the event, praised Prof. Dartey-Baah for his exceptional contributions to academia and society. In her opening remarks, she described the inaugural lecture as an important academic tradition that showcases the scholarly contributions of university professors. She commended Prof. Dartey-Baah’s deep involvement in the fields of leadership and organisational development, highlighting his role in bridging theory and practice through his research and consultancy work.
In his lecture titled “Dancing in the Boardroom: Leading with Groove, Balancing Tradition and Transformation in Ghana’s Leadership Landscape,” Prof. Dartey-Baah employed the metaphor of dance to examine the dynamic nature of leadership in Ghana. He illustrated that, much like dancers responding to rhythm, successful leaders must integrate tradition with innovation, emotional intelligence with strategic thinking, and structure with flexibility.
According to him, “Leadership, much like dance, is not static. It’s about knowing when to lead when to follow, and how to move harmoniously with others while staying in step with the times.” He advised that Ghanaian leadership must embrace the complexity of its cultural context, integrating traditional values with contemporary practices to remain relevant and impactful.
Prof. Dartey-Baah categorised Ghana’s leadership landscape into political, traditional, and corporate domains, each with its unique challenges and expectations. He advocated for adaptive leadership strategies that recognise the country’s rich cultural heritage while addressing modern development needs. “Ghanaian leaders must groove,” he stated, “which means to lead with authenticity, empathy, vision, and cultural sensitivity.”
In the lecture, he introduced the Transfor-sactional Leadership Theory, a hybrid model that combines transformational and transactional leadership styles to help leaders manage change effectively. This model, he revealed, has been referenced globally and offers a framework for resilient leadership in dynamic environments.
He also discussed practical leadership tools developed through years of mentoring, training, and executive coaching. The lecture also offered policy recommendations, including the establishment of formal dialogue structures between traditional and political leadership, integrating traditional leaders into resource governance, reforming education to promote leadership understanding, empowering youth for innovation, and enhancing CSR in local governance.
Reflecting on his journey from engineering to academia, Prof. Dartey-Baah described his transition from technical roles in Ghana and the United Kingdom to becoming a scholar of leadership as a process of "learning to dance"- a blend of structure, empathy and strategy. As the Director of Institutional Advancement at the University of Ghana, Prof. Dartey-Baah is credited with several innovations, including the establishment of alumni groups, strategic fundraising initiatives, and academic leadership development platforms.
