Ishmael laughs off the mistakes he made as a youth leader of his church. His leadership was propelled by starting earlier when he was a primary and secondary school prefect. Afterward, Ishmael seized opportunities to serve and exercise his passion for helping the youth. His raw and youthful zeal made him rub off the church elders wrongly; however, their grace enabled him to succeed in growing the group ten-fold.
His wife, Diana, jokingly displays the CEO business cards for the numerous businesses he started that failed. If there a "The most start-ups entrepreneur" trophy, Ishmael would have won it! Notwithstanding this, he had established a successful business by the time he entered youth ministry. With time, he has progressed to becoming a pastor in a thriving church and a regional leader of a Christian NGO.
Ishmael talks about how he discovered his passion and how it drives his leadership. He reveals the need for leaders to be futurists and challenges them on how they can engage in this aspect. He speaks about the challenges and cheers of leading a diverse team from ten countries in East Africa. Leading people from diverse cultures has caused Ishmael to balance his style and the needs of those he leads. His organization has generated a solid culture, which he articulates, that makes him lead successfully.
Ishmael Macharia is the East African Regional Director of OneHope, an international ministry changing lives by sharing Scripture with children and youth worldwide. He is a Pastor at ICC Imara in Nairobi. Before joining OneHope, he served at Life Ministry Kenya. He is married to Diana, and they have four children.
