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MICHAEL JACKSON

M ichael Jackson is the senior partner at them so that one achieves the most and allowing honest, because we have huge opportunities; to let

people to achieve their ambitions on a collective
Cox Yeats Attorneys.
people see those is probably the challenge.”
basis creates enormous success and power within
Michael was born in the Eastern Cape and
finds the people of our history inspiring. “I’m proud
moved to KwaZulu-Natal at a fairly young an organisation,” elaborates Michael. As Michael is very positive about South Africa, he
age. After completing his schooling, he studied at CREATE TRUST to be part of South Africa. I’m proud to look back
the University of Durban where he completed a on the people who have faced the challenges of
LLB, following which, he went to study overseas at Reflecting on the advice that he has received over South Africa and how they did that. Particularly
Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. the years, Michael says that the best advice is never people who were able to face things like Apartheid
to try and undermine people because there is and discrimination and become world leaders in
Before he went to Cambridge, Michael’s first job huge strength in people. He expanded, “There is a advancing people’s liberties. The heritage that
was lecturing to students which he undertook for temptation particularly in the leadership position, we have is very rich and you don’t find it in other
about a year. He had also worked for his father to dominate people, and if you dominate people, countries, so we are privileged.”
in a wholesale company selling blankets and you actually stifle their ability to achieve things. I
piece goods to trading stores – a very different found that as soon as you take the lid off everything Michael believes that we have a huge opportunity
experience, he commented. that people do, you get this incredible awakening to make KwaZulu-Natal what it should be. His
of individual spirit and power. And if you can vision is that KwaZulu-Natal should achieve what
Michael started working at Cox Yeats in 1988 and
harness that in an organisation collectively, you it is entitled to. To ensure that this happens we
has been employed at the firm ever since.
can achieve enormous things.” need to unlock all the barriers that exist, which are
ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES not difficult things to unlock but are actually quite
Further to harnessing the team at Cox Yeats is the simple things that need to be done. He commented,
His purpose is to ensure that the firm achieves the importance of motivation. For Michael, the most “But, perhaps we need to unlock the spirit of the
objectives of the individuals within it. Importantly important thing is to create trust. “People have to people a little and allow them to achieve and then
that purpose is focused on ensuring that the firm trust you; they have to trust the system. And once KwaZulu-Natal will achieve.”
meets the expectations and the aspirations of all they do that and you allow them to be individuals
the very ambitious people who work within it. “And that usually creates a recipe to almost guarantee KEEP LIFE SIMPLE
that’s often quite hard actually, because you’ve got success. I’ve found that people solve problems, but
young people who start at an organisation who you need to create the environment in which they Michael says that in life he does not strive to be
have great ambitions for the future,” he says. are able to do that.” anything particularly special but tries to live life in
a simple way. He believes that if you are true to
Reflecting on his achievements, Michael explained, HUGE OPPORTUNITIES yourself and true to the people around you that
“I think something that I realised quite early on is you will be happy. He added that he has found that
that particularly in a people focused profession like While Michael has faced many challenges over in life you should not become burdened by people
law you have to try and maximise the abilities of all the years, the biggest one currently is that South and things that are negative; it’s important to try
the people who work within an organisation.” Africa’s stagnant economy is problematic as people to be surrounded by people who are positive.
feel that it is very difficult to be successful in these
Consequently, one of the achievements that circumstances. “People feel despair about their In conclusion he remarked, “You want to feel at the
Michael is most proud of is to successfully harness current conditions. To try to shift and turn that end of the day that you’ve achieved something
the abilities of the people who work within Cox around so that that people feel positive and believe that is relatively good; if it’s not something that is
Yeats. “There’s no point in trying to run people. that this environment is one where they can succeed too extraordinary then you can achieve it. So, keep
People will run you. It’s really to try and guide is the challenge. I think it’s quite an easy sell to be life simple.”

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