Earlier this year, on June 14, I wrote about “Three Questions for Dr. Masachs Boungou, Author of The Power of Personal History: Turning one’s life tragedies into triumph.”
As I wrote in that post, Dr. Boungou has a uniquely compelling personal history. He already had released two books, and when I heard that he published two more this August, I thought it would be a great idea to interview him again, especially about publishing four books in 2023 and 2024.
I’m grateful to Dr. Boungou for answering my questions about his motivations as an author, how his books relate to his day-to-day entrepreneurial work, and how his books hold relevance for major international institutions.
You have two new books, which were each published in August of this year. Your two previous books were published in April, 2023. What was your motivation for publishing four books (albeit fairly short ones) in such a relatively brief period of time?
My motivation for publishing four books in such a short period stems from my drive to be better and to share my ideas and stories while they were fresh in my mind. These ideas and stories come from the reality I and many other people lived. But these ideas must also be coupled with a certain degree of creative imagination. To fulfill whatever mission we have in this mission, we need to be realistic and imaginative because if we just focus on reality, we can quickly and easily be depressed and disheartened. The reality can sometimes be harsh. That’s where creative imagination comes in, meaning we ask ourselves: What is possible out there? What promising, better future is out there for me, and what do I need to put into motion to make it happen?
These books allowed me to explore different real-world themes and concepts quickly, which I felt was essential for engaging with my readers. Given my policy management background, I also wanted to continue nurturing my creativity in ‘‘various’’ directions. Each book represents a unique piece of my journey, the history I want to make happen—as Mary Kay Ash once said, “there are three types of people: those who wonder what happened, those who watch things happen, and those who make things happen,”—, and I’m excited to have all these books out in the world!”
Do you in some ways consider Shared Prosperity: A Path Forward For Sub-Saharan Africa to be a sequel or companion to The Power of Personal History: Turning one’s life tragedies into triumph? And the same for Personal Crisis: Building A Strong Leadership Story and Shaping Business Success and The Struggle We Carry: Defining our Existence as a Success or Failure?
That’s an interesting question! I do see Shared Prosperity: A Path Forward For Sub-Saharan Africa as a companion piece to The Power of Personal History: Turning One’s Life Tragedies into Triumph. While the former focuses on one societal challenge and solution: creating economic prosperity that benefits all from a policy standpoint, both works emphasize resilience, the drive and a sense of personal or national history to create economic wealth and, at the same time, to have a social impact by helping others. Those who have the stamina to be an entrepreneur by doing good—to being a Ubuntu capitalist entrepreneur(a term I have coined in my former book), which refers to capitalist entrepreneurs who build and maintain businesses that elevate others not at the expense of others, but for the benefit of all.
It means those of us who become successful entrepreneurs must offer opportunities to those who are willing to create their own economic successes. Being an Ubuntu capitalist entrepreneur doesn’t mean being a socialist or communist entrepreneur. Ubuntu is an African term that was largely put out front when Nelson Mandela came out of prison in South Africa after twenty-seven years. Ubuntu means “humanity to others.” It reminds us that our existence, in its core essence, depends upon others’ prosperity writ large.
Similarly, Personal Crisis: Building A Strong Leadership Story and Shaping Business Success and The Struggle We Carry: Defining Our Existence as a Success or Failure connect through their exploration of re-emerging from personal adversity as an enterprising, successful individual and the impact of personal experiences on positive transformative leadership and success. Each book builds on the themes of personal resilience and adaptability, economic prosperity, peace, and social responsibility, illustrating how individual stories can contribute to collective progress.
If you were fortunate to have an employee book group based at a major international institution such as the World Bank, IMF, or United Nations read Shared Prosperity: A Path Forward For sub-Saharan Africa, what particular part of the book would they likely find to be the most relevant for the mission of their organization?
If I had the opportunity for a book group at a major international institution like the World Bank, IMF, or United Nations to read Shared Prosperity: A Path Forward For Sub-Saharan Africa,I believe they would find the whole book interesting and appealing to the noble cause they have been advocating for years. This book discusses inclusive economic policy and community-driven development from a practical standpoint. For example, sections on reimaging prosperity and a path forward to prosperity are relevant to the challenges and opportunities the Global South, particularly sub-Saharan African nations, have faced for many years. So, something must be changed in practice. The real problem in these nations is not the emphasis on removing structural factors that constrain their economic wealth creation but rather embracing and practicing shared prosperity through capitalist entrepreneurship driven by a sense of community that thrives together. These parts emphasize fostering sustainable growth that empowers marginalized communities, aligning closely with the missions of these organizations to reduce poverty and promote equitable development.
The emphasis on collaborative efforts between governments, NGOs, and the private sector would also resonate with their goals of fostering partnerships for impactful change. I hope the book discusses practical approaches to achieving shared prosperity in the region and beyond.