Enablement Leadership Story of Janet Ngombalu

Can a single leader’s resilience turn a struggling global program into a beacon of success, even when faced with the agonizing decision of a full office closure?

Tune in for an inspirational and professional deep dive into the true essence of servant leadership as practiced by Janet Ngombalu. You’ll learn how to cultivate a foundation of faith-driven resilience to navigate career-defining storms, the power of co-creation and enabling others over dictatorship, and why leadership must always be about leaving a legacy of possibility. This episode offers invaluable lessons on ethical leadership, managing organizational change, and the profound responsibility of a leader to the human beings they serve, providing the motivation you need to shine your own light brighter.

Our guest is Janet Ngombalu, the dynamic Country Director for Christian Aid in Kenya. Christian Aid is a global organization committed to alleviating poverty by addressing its root causes and reaching the unreached. Janet oversees the entire country's operations, managing complex programs in climate change, gender justice, transparency, accountability, and humanitarian crisis response. She is not only an organizational leader but also a social entrepreneur, a change-maker, and an active board member, chairing the Audit and Finance Committee for the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). Her journey is a compelling testament to the power of intentional growth and purpose-driven influence.

Janet Ngombalu shares the fascinating, innate beginnings of her leadership journey, tracing it back to the nursery school playground where her leadership qualities first manifested. She recounts the humorous yet telling moment in high school when her parents were called in not for failure, but for her too many leadership responsibilities.

The conversation then transitions to the professional foundation of servant leadership forged at Daystar University, a principle that became her guiding philosophy: leadership is not for the self, but for the service of others. Janet takes us through her impressive career ascent—from an admin assistant at Practical Action to a regional manager, and later, the Regional Programs Coordinator for 10 countries at the East Africa Green Council—highlighting how each step was supported by intentional leadership programs like the Ashoka and African Food Fellowships.

A core theme emerges as Janet defines her leadership style: enabling those around her to thrive because she, too, was intentionally enabled by mentors like the former Executive Director of Fida-Kenya, Jean Kamau. She passionately argues against dictatorship and office politics, stressing that a leader’s role is to create a psychologically safe and materially enabling environment where a team can co-create success.

Janet shares a deeply personal look at the challenges she’s faced, including the emotional drain of organizational restructuring and the harrowing experience of working for six months without pay during the COVID-19 pandemic. She reveals her secret weapon: an unyielding resilience born of faith and inner strength, which grounds her during every roller-coaster moment of life and career.

The high points are equally compelling—from turning the Kenyan Christian Aid office from a global closure risk into an organization’s talk-of-the-town success story through a focus on teamwork, to the astonishing moment she was given Red Carpet treatment as a state visitor in Rwanda for her expertise. The episode concludes with a vital message to the rising Gen Z leaders—to respect existing structures and embrace patience—and a powerful reflection on the kind of uncorrupt, selfless, and united leadership Africa desperately needs to fulfill its God-given potential. Janet leaves us with her defining legacy: “Because Janet did it, it can be done.”

Don’t just listen to the light; let it guide you. Listen now and learn how you can become the lighthouse in your own community and career.