4172 Presidential Address: From ambition toaction: Delivering measurable impact
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/2411-9717/2026/2026Abstract
Ambition, while necessary, is insufficient on its own. Material change depends on whether
ambition is translated into purposeful action, whether that action takes place within an
enabling system, and whether its effects can be demonstrated as meaningful impact. Drawing on
experience from the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and in particular the
development of the Young Professionals’ Council, the argument is organised around five linked
ideas: ambition, the enabling conditions for purposeful action, the distinction between activity,
output, outcome and impact, the role of time in the development of impact, and the importance
of measurement, learning and adaptation. Professional institutions should therefore judge their
success not primarily by the volume of activity they generate, but by the extent to which they
strengthen capability, widen participation, support knowledge exchange, and contribute to
meaningful and measurable change in the professions and sectors they serve.
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