206. How Our Education Shapes Our Approach to Leading

In this episode, Julia speaks with Mona about how education — formal, informal, cultural, and familial — quietly shapes the way we lead, often without us realising it. Together, they reflect on moments in their own leading where habits, preferences, and blind spots can be traced directly back to how they were educated — what was rewarded, what was discouraged, and what was never questioned. From structure and organisation to evidence, empowerment, and questioning authority, education sits deep in our Essence. The conversation explores how early learning can both strengthen and limit us. Julia and Mona talk candidly about prejudice versus judgement, the impact of failure, and the importance of learning, unlearning, and relearning as we grow. They reflect on how questioning — something encouraged in some educations and punished in others — becomes central to trust, confidence, and psychological safety in teams. Mona also shares how empathy and grace play a crucial role in leading across difference — recognising that people come with different capacities, experiences, and confidence, and that equality does not mean sameness. This episode is a reminder that leading is shaped long before our first job title — and that the work of leading well often begins with understanding, and questioning, the education that formed us. About the Guest: Mona-Lisa Danieli Mungure is an Attorney in the High Courts of Botswana and the Regional Head of a division in one of Botswana’s government Ministries. Additionally, she plays a strategic role in Botswana’s human rights discourse where she has served and continues to serve as a national consultant and national legal team coordinator on different occasions. She has experience in various aspects of civil law and she has worked in pluralistic environments including private practice, the public sector and civil society organizations. She is the Executive Director of an award winning initiative called Molao Matters which sits on various regional and national networks to push for women's rights holistically. Molao Matters also provides pro bono services to marginalized women and advances feminist approaches in civic governance and development spaces. Mona-Lisa is also a certified Data Protection Officer and a firm advocate for just practices in data management ecosystems.

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206. How Our Education Shapes Our Approach to Leading is an episode from Women Emerging Podcast by Women Emerging.

This episode is 28:49 long.

This episode was published on Feb 25, 2026.

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