Chris Flowers: CEO with a sad management style

Yet the puissant Big Kahuna of Kakuzi Plc is exactly who he is because he is a workaholic, for which he offers no commiserations. He doesn’t even seem to have weekends, taking only Saturdays and Sundays off, to enjoy nyama choma or a glass of whisky, or both. A rhapsody of the soul.

Out there in the vista, retirement glints like a mirage. "How will I keep my mind growing?" Chris wonders. He is 53 now, but it’s like he is just getting started. Fate, fortune, or destiny? What does it matter? Isn’t work the reward of signing the dotted line and making a Faustian deal to live in a hermetic society? “If I don’t have passion for it, then I will not do it.” If this is his secret, we should probably all copy it.

What makes you, you?

I love what I do and get a huge amount of enjoyment from my work. I live for what I do, which is probably not a great thing from a work-life balance perspective, but if I don’t get enjoyment from what I do, then I wouldn’t do it.

Do people give in to the urge of stating that your name is “Flowers” and you work in the flower industry?

As a child, the name Flowers was not great to have because people would tease you with it. But as you get older, everybody says, “What a perfect name, because now you are doing agriculture.”

What would your children say you do for a living?

I don’t have any [chuckles].

By choice or circumstance?

By choice. I spent most of my life living in very remote areas, and the idea of having children and having to take them to a school thousands of kilometres away wasn’t appealing. And now I’m too old [chuckles].

Do you ever have that longing like something is missing?

Maybe when I am retired and sitting somewhere thinking, “I have spent my life working and doing the things I really enjoy, and now I am in a rocking chair thinking, where is the family meant to be keeping me company?” Maybe then.

Where do you get your sense of meaning from?

Oh! From what I do. I cannot do things flippantly; I put everything into it. If I don’t have passion for it, then I will not do it.

Assuming that’s a wedding band, how has your partner influenced the way you lead?

We are not sure who chased the other around the world, but we did chase each other around the world from a young age. Interesting story: my wife was born and raised in a house in Tanzania that I lived in 20 years later. She then moved to Malawi and lived in a house that I lived in 15 years later.

While we were getting to know each other, the professor under whom I did my master’s degree was at college with her parents. My wife has a PhD in forestry, and we’ve both known the same parts of the world all our lives. It is nice to have someone who knows what you are talking about when you say, “Do you remember that place that used to be there?”

What do you struggle with as a husband?

Uuh. Switching off from business and getting into the other bits of life. It is hard to leave your work behind and say, 'Now I am yours' and give your 100 percent.

Would you consider yourself a workaholic?

Yes. I love it and it gives me great satisfaction from what we achieve.

What do you do just for you?

I love photography. Going out to the middle of the bush and taking pictures and publishing them on my tiny Instagram page. I have about what, 219 followers? Taylor Swift should watch out, haha!

What led you to photography?

It’s a passion project. My maternal side of the family is very artistic. Photography was the only thing I could do, so I started taking wildlife photographs. I really enjoy it.

How was your childhood?

Not particularly exciting or dramatic. I was fortunate because my professor at university got me my first job, and I never looked back from that point. I was a lucky graduate.

What has remained unchanged about you since childhood?

I like to think of myself as having a good sense of humour. That is a key part of my world.

What’s the best lesson your father taught you?

Two eyes, two ears, and one mouth. Use them accordingly.

In what ways are you like him?

I am not at all. He was completely different. He was very dedicated to his work, but in a different era. He was born just after the Second World War, and his parents were in the shipyards fixing ships that had holes. He left school at 14 and joined the British forces. He had a very poor upbringing and never finished school. I was the first person to go to university in the family. I had all these opportunities that he never had.

Is he still alive?

Yes, I phone him every Sunday. He lives in Portugal.

What’s the one habit that has served you best across your life?

Being able to think through problems logically.

Do you have any specific rituals?

My wife and I walk our dogs every single evening when I am at home. No devices are allowed. I have three dogs.

Which part of your identity do you protect the most, and why?

Mh. I am quite an open person, but I love my privacy. I am not a big social scene person. You are not likely to see me at a party, or the quiet person sitting in a corner. I like people, but big crowds and the need for social niceties are not for me.

What matters more than you thought it would?

That’s quite interesting because I am 53 this year, and I have started thinking, “What happens when I don’t work anymore? What will keep my brain occupied? And what will make me fulfilled intellectually?” I spend a lot of my time thinking, "do I do a PhD? Do I volunteer? Teaching? Etc. What keeps the brain active?"

Are you worried about what comes next?

No, but if you look at people who have been successful after retiring, you'll see that they have kept themselves active. I think the danger of staying active after being active all these years is probably quite considerable.

What’s your leadership style?

In my office, I have this big whiteboard — my problem board, where I think about how to solve problems. We have three things to do in life. I said: We have to solve problems, avoid problems, and drive the business forward. Then Simon Odhiambo, my right-hand man said, “That’s SAD!” I was like, "What do you mean that’s sad?" Then he said, "No Chris, it’s S.A.D, it’s an acronym, your management style is sad haha!" That was quite clever of him [chuckles].

What is the most important decision you made early on in your life that has sustained you?

Not to be scared of hard work. Just get on and do what you need to do.

What is the most personal gift you’ve received?

Uuh. [long pause]. These two bracelets. [shows bracelets]. One is from a jewellery stand in town, but this other one was made for me and was designed by my wife.

What’s the one thing you splurge your money on?

I don’t feel guilty about buying expensive whisky, a nice suit, and camera equipment.

What do you wish more people knew about you?

I am not a hugely sociable person. I am very private, and I am quite happy. I saw a nice t-shirt recently that said, ‘I like cars, dogs and maybe three people.’ Haha!

What have you finally come to terms with?

Doing what you believe is the right thing is not going to make you popular. Principles are costly—if you want to stand and live by principles, then it is a lot harder than being a bit flexible.

What’s an insecurity you have as a man?

I am not a man’s man; it’s not my sort of thing. The world is moving forward, quite rightly, and you have to earn your position—that I am the breadwinner, it’s my right to be a breadwinner. The world has moved on, and we as men have to recognise that what we may have traditionally felt as our preserve is not there anymore, and quite rightly so.

What’s a weekend hack you know that can make my weekends better?

I have a strict routine on my weekends because in agriculture, we work Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon, I switch off. Sunday morning, we also work, and thus Sunday afternoon, I get my little jiko, light it, nyama choma, and just relax. That is an essential hack.

What is the best compliment Chris has received?

When somebody says they trust you, you can’t take that lightly.

What have you had to unlearn to become the best version of yourself?

It’s not all about me. When you take on positions of responsibility, that comes with the fact that you are responsible and the decisions you make have an impact on, in our case, thousands of people’s livelihoods. You have to make sure the decisions you make are not necessarily in your best interests.

What’s the soundtrack of your life?

Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits.

If you could teach the world just one thing, what would it be?

Always make sure we don’t underestimate people’s capacities because people surprise you, and it is easy to discount them. When you slow down and listen to what someone has to say, there can be some amazing insights that come out of it.

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