At 32, Astell Collins still seeks to hone his evident talents to meet the demands of a multi-faceted market. His real passion is with imparting leadership skills to people who need them most and his reputation as an inspirational speaker is known in areas of the Caribbean, the United States and principally in South Africa.
Collins, who says he is ready to place his talents at the disposal of both the public and private sectors, has his eye on developing leadership curricula that can better position the local business community to maximise the returns from their pursuits.
He says real growth in business derives from entrepreneurial know-how that
combines business know-how with leadership acumen.
Part of his focus is on sharing his perspective on inspirational leadership with management teams in both small and large companies keen to apply motivational techniques to their pursuit of enhanced production and productivity. Guyana, he believes, is just about ready to infuse an enhanced dimension of leadership skills into management, particularly in a growing economy.
While Collins acknowledges the “sweat equity” that has witnessed the growth of businesses in Guyana he says that sustained growth can only be derived from securing a competitive edge. That edge, he says, is to be secured through the cultivation of finely tuned leadership skills.
In the immediate term, Collins says, he is hoping to access both public and private sector leaders, ideally through support organisations. He seeks, in the first instance, to pass on collective messages through business support organisations like the Private Sector Commission (PSC) the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA). He says he is also keen to engage leaders in the public sector, particularly in the productive sector where leadership skills can do more to enhance growth.
