Etsko Schuitema | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Bio

Founder of the Schuitema Group | Leadership & Human Excellence Expert | Author & Global Consultant

Etsko Schuitema is a visionary thinker whose work on leadership and human excellence is reshaping the way we understand trust, commitment, and organisational success. As the founder of the Schuitema Group and the originator of the Care & Growth model, Etsko has spent over four decades helping organisations around the world cultivate leadership that empowers, rather than controls—creating environments where both people and businesses thrive.

Born into a mining family in Johannesburg, South Africa, Etsko’s career began with an Honours degree in Social Anthropology from the University of the Witwatersrand. He then joined the Chamber of Mines of South Africa as a researcher, focusing on workplace conflict in the country’s gold mines. His deep study of trust and commitment in high-conflict environments led to the development of the Care & Growth model—an approach that has since transformed industries worldwide.

Etsko’s work is not just theoretical; it has been implemented successfully across mining, telecommunications, financial services, retail, and manufacturing, influencing the way leaders engage with their teams. His philosophy is rooted in the belief that true leadership is about giving, rather than taking, and that sustainable success is built on intent, integrity, and service.

A sought-after consultant and speaker, Etsko has worked across Africa, Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, bringing his ground-breaking insights to organisations and individuals striving for excellence. He has authored eight books on leadership, intent, and personal development, offering profound perspectives on both organisational and psychological transformation.

Beyond his corporate work, Etsko is a teaching shaykh in the Darqawi Shadhili Sufi order and leads a Sufi Centre near Johannesburg, where he continues to explore the deeper dimensions of human purpose and excellence.

Etsko’s message is timely and timeless—a call for a shift in leadership that places growth, care, and ethical intent at the heart of human progress. His insights are shaping the future of leadership, and his impact is only beginning to be felt on a truly global scale.

Current position (1)

Co-Founder

Schuitema Group

Degrees (1)

Anthropology

University of the Witwatersrand

1980 to 1987

Presentations

Presentations (3)

Care & Growth Leadership: The Power of Intent

What makes a leader truly worthy of trust, loyalty, and deep engagement? In this talk, Etsko Schuitema introduces the Care & Growth Leadership model, revealing the core requirements for legitimate leadership.

At the heart of this model lies a profound insight: a leader’s relationship to results shapes their intent—and ultimately, the trust they inspire. True leadership is not about controlling outcomes but about having the courage to let go, focusing instead on doing what is right.

Etsko challenges leaders to confront their anxieties around results and to resist the urge to control. He shows that real leadership is about empowerment, not dominance—and that the ability to lead with intent, rather than fear, is what separates the great from the merely competent.

Team Excellence: The Key to High-Performing Teams

Etsko Schuitema explores the dynamics of teamwork and the conditions that drive true collaboration. He demonstrates that teams succeed when members focus on setting each other up for success—fostering trust, commitment, and high performance.

In this talk, Etsko explains how a group of individuals evolves into a strong, cohesive team, highlighting the role of agile principles in accelerating this transformation. Through practical insights, he reveals how intent and shared purpose create teams that don’t just function—but excel.

Personal Excellence: The Inner Foundation of Success

True excellence begins within. In this profound and transformative talk, Etsko Schuitema explores how we shape our own experience of the world—not as a mystical idea, but as a fundamental truth of human perception.

Personal excellence is not about external achievements alone; it is about understanding how we generate security, fulfillment, power, and harmony from within—through our intent. By bridging the spiritual and the pragmatic, Etsko reveals that spirituality is not separate from business success, but an essential driver of it.

This talk challenges us to recognize our deep accountability for our own condition. It shifts the focus from external circumstances to inner mastery, demonstrating that the way we engage with the world is the key to both personal fulfillment and professional impact.

Past talks (1)

Personal Excellence - 5 day Retreat

Personal Excellence Retreat

Drakensberg

May 4, 2025