Be Inspired! From a Sales Rep To General Motors E.A Managing Director

What does it take to rise from one position to another? Wishful thinking? Connections? Extreme hard work? Luck?

In a past interview done by Daily Nation, Rita Kavashe attributed her career success to hard work and what she called, “going beyond what was expected of me.”

If the name sounds vague to you, she is the General Motors East Africa Limited M.D and Chairperson of the same company where she worked for 17 years to finally get that title.

But what’s her day like as the Managing Director? In an interview with The Edition, she reveals, “It consists of 10 working hours,” she says there’s no routine to it other getting to work between 6 am and 7am, “ and sometime leaving as early as 4.pm or as late as 8.pm.”

And how did she get the top job at General Motors? She attributes this to the immense training coaching, guidance and exposure that she had to go through for 17 years which prepared her for the MD position.

“I now know for a fact that I had been identified years prior to my appointment, without my knowledge,” she tells the magazine.

With a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders, she talks of things that keep her awake at night.

“There are some thoughts that tend to carry over into the night, and though exciting, they remind me of all the eyes that are watching. The pressure to create a new legacy, while keeping one of great performance, is upon us,” she says, adding that commitment to her responsibilities is what made her succeed.

“There is no science or confusion. When one is given the responsibility to sweep the street, do it in such a way that whoever treads on that surface, they will recognize the effort put on that task,” she advices

An advocate for talent, she counsels young people to never shy away from competition and always speak up their minds. “We all have unique characteristics, which make us exceptional in whatever we have identified as our talent.”

She adds that as the first woman and the first Kenyan to head a multi-national organization she hopes to inspire someone through her career journey.

“Irrespective of your current position-figuratively speaking and I have said this before, sweep that street like your life depended on it.”

In her own words, she talks of how she looks up to the late professor Wangari Maathai .

“I learnt about being a humble leader and she affirmed to me that it can be done, admired and celebrated. She forged ahead bravely, unashamedly, and that has made all the difference.

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