African talent and emerging leaders face a common challenge: turning great ideas into sustainable impact. Leadership Management International (LMI) East Africa, based in Kenya, has partnered with Aspire Institute to bridge this gap through practical leadership development.
Michael Sampson, Managing Partner for Leadership Management International East Africa, and Faswilla Sampson, Leadership Development Specialist, both support Aspire Leaders Program alumni in reaching their full leadership potential and encourage young people in their network to pursue leadership development opportunities such as the Aspire Leaders Program.
Corporate Social Responsibility as Core Philosophy
Michael Sampson explains how LMI East Africa approaches business with social impact at its core.
We believe that business should be a force for good.
Michael Sampson
“We believe that business should be a force for good,” Michael Sampson said. “We see corporate social responsibility not as a side initiative but as a strategic pillar that helps us to operate better, serve clients better, engage with communities better.”
When they give back and support other organizations and young people, they always find that they benefit.
This values-driven approach extends to how LMI East Africa delivers leadership development.
Personal Journeys to Leadership Development
Michael describes his career and work as a diplomat, ultimately working to enhance the potential of individual staff members to make teams more efficient.
“I spent my career at the intersection of business growth and human potential,” he said. “I believe the best strategies fail without leadership at every level.”
His path began as executive officer for USAID in Morocco in 2013. When he wanted to develop his team but lacked budget, he partnered with Franklin Covey and became a facilitator himself to cut costs. The positive response led the program to expand from his team to the embassy and eventually worldwide.
Before committing to LMI, both Michael and Faswilla completed an LMI program themselves. The career advancement that followed demonstrated the program’s effectiveness.
“After one year, Faswilla went from being a director of operations to being a VP of operations. And in a year and a half, I went from being, not the highest-ranking [Executive Officer] in the field to being the leader of the [Executive Officer] technical area for headquarters and covering 90 countries,” Michael explained. “That was all because of that leadership development program that we took with LMI.”
Bridging Theory and Practice
LMI East Africa’s mission centers on helping leaders and organizations to effectively reach their goals by unlocking the potential of people.
“Our mission is to develop leaders and organizations to their full potential,” Michael said. “We focus on equipping individuals and companies with the mindset, skills, and habits that produce measurable results in productivity, personal growth, and organizational performance.”
The company distinguishes itself by combining proven leadership principles with practical application.
“What sets us apart is that they take that scientific foundation and break it down into individual parts and tasks where you have to do exercises to build up yourself, your team, and your company. So, it’s all practical,” Michael said.
For Faswilla, this focus stems from her 17 years of experience in healthcare NGO operations.
“I realize that everything we do in business really comes down to people,” she said.
The Future of Skills
Both leaders recognize the critical importance of soft skills in an increasingly technological world.
“Soft skills are the new hard skills,” Faswilla emphasized. “Anytime you get people, there’s going to be ideas, and so how are we going to translate those ideas in a meaningful way, right? It always comes back to people.”
These shared beliefs about human potential form the foundation of LMI East Africa’s partnership with Aspire Institute.
A Partnership Built on Shared Vision
We both see leadership as a multiplier. When you invest in a leader, you impact the community, you impact the organization, and you impact all the lives around them.
Michael Sampson
The collaboration between LMI East Africa and Aspire Institute grew not only from LMI’s dedication to corporate social responsibility but also aligned missions and values in the field of leadership development.
“Your commitment to unlocking the potential of young leaders aligns perfectly with our belief that leadership is the key to long-term progress and success,” Michael said. “We both see leadership as a multiplier. When you invest in a leader, you impact the community, you impact the organization, and you impact all the lives around them.”
LMI East Africa continues to support Aspire Leaders Program alumni pursuing Aspire-funded projects and initiatives across the African continent. Their most recent session focused on budgeting and financial planning.
Energized by Young Leaders’ Courage
After facilitating training sessions with Aspire Leaders Program alumni, both Michael and Faswilla came away energized by the participants’ commitment.
“It was energizing for me. My key takeaway was their courage,” Michael said. “They’re not waiting for perfect conditions. They’re starting where they are, with what they have, and it’s not much, and they’re making a tangible impact. That mindset is the foundation for great leadership.”
Faswilla shared in this observation about their resilience and innovativeness.
“Africa’s potential is immense and there were so many innovative things that we learned about what people were doing and their ability to translate ideas into impactful community projects,” Faswilla said. “The energy, the resilience, but also this creative problem-solving capacity was on full display.”
Unlocking Africa’s Potential
With the majority of Kenya’s and Africa’s population consisting of young people, structured leadership programs are critical for sustainable development.
“I believe because Africa has immense, untapped potential, we really want to do this kind of developing leaders in Africa one skill at a time,” Faswilla explained. “I see this partnership [as an opportunity] to enhance access to coaching, mentoring, and skill building.”
Michael emphasized the importance of providing structured support to turn great ideas into sustainable results.
“I’ve seen in East Africa, and really around the world, where there is no shortage of great ideas or passion what is often missing is a structured support program to take those ideas and to turn them into sustainable results,” he said. “It’s one thing to have a great and bright idea, it’s another thing to implement.”
Words of Wisdom for Emerging Leaders
You’re never done learning and growing. Build others up and your impact will echo beyond your community.
Faswilla Sampson
Both leaders shared advice drawn from years of developing others, offering guidance for emerging leaders in East Africa and beyond.
“Lead yourself before you lead others,” Michael advised. “Having that clarity and consistency will take you further than just talent alone. Keep learning, keep listening, and keep moving forward.”
Faswilla added her advice as a lifelong learner herself.
“Lead with integrity. Focus on growth. You’re never done learning and growing. Build others up and your impact will echo beyond your community,” Faswilla said.
Looking ahead, both organizations see immense potential for expanding their impact across the continent. This partnership between LMI East Africa and Aspire Institute represents an investment in Africa’s future through the development of confident, capable leaders who can drive meaningful change in their communities and beyond.
