When you work in Africa, you often come across a line manager or colleague who brings a unique touch to the office environment through folk wisdom. Think African proverbs or an African father-like approach that might not fly in the western world.

I’ve had some interesting experiences and received heartfelt advice that felt like a father talking to his child. It’s that kind of tough love, delivered lightly, to help one become stronger and more knowledgeable.

Let me share an isolated example of a leadership style way back that changed our work culture; a style that might require a different approach today. I once worked with a leader who made us feel like we were the best thing since sliced bread. At a time when we were set to execute our Service Quality Strategy, he walked into an office where nobody had laptops and promptly got his team members some. Productivity shot up. But as we honed our presentation skills with the new laptops, the expectations for quality and faster output grew higher. He soon dished out his father-like remarks appealing to the ‘Africans in us’ to reach for excellence. He’d say things like, “Even my son (name withheld) can do that,” challenging us to go above and beyond. He also often reminded us that “Talk talk does not cook rice,” emphasizing the importance of taking action and executing plans. His style, delivered lightly, not only led us to deliver for customers but also to excel in and out of Africa.

Now, one African proverb that has stayed with me, came from a relationship manager after I had completed their customer engagement assessment. She said, “Customers are not goats. You can’t tie them down.” She argued that, no matter how many visits or nice initiatives she had with a customer, if we were not there for them in their time of need, they would move on. I still smile at this quote because it hit a code. It reminds me that leaders can have great ideas and take action to personalize, simplify and recreate positive experiences. However, if the real specific customer need is still not met, the customer will walk.

If there was ever a quote that kept me up at night through my career, it would be this goat quote. When you eat, sleep, breathe customer experience, like it is for me, you can’t simply ‘talk-talk’ and expect results. You need to take meaningful action, collaborate internally and share with your leadership team blended raw feedback to close the gap; Feedback aligned with your customers, to act and keep them coming back. That’s when your efforts pay off, and more customers praise the remarkable service you provide.

Do you have a thriving environment for CX? A lot of African wisdom is about action, listen to it. Are your teams enabled/empowered? Are you focused on solving real customer needs promptly or do you superficially brush over them? Remember, customers can’t be tied down. They seek businesses and experiences that genuinely address their needs.