On most weekends, James Koraro watches football. Sometimes closely, sometimes casually, but always attentively. The game gives him distance from the demands of leadership and sharpens how he thinks about it.
Football is how James unwinds. It is also where many of his most enduring lessons about people, teamwork and resilience have been reinforced.
Lessons from pressure
“There’s something about football that clears my head. You step away from work, but you still end up learning,” he says.
James is the head of people and culture at Transnep Insurance Brokers, where he leads the organisation’s people agenda in a business defined by deadlines, risk and client expectations. His role requires constant navigation between commercial urgency and human sustainability. Football offers perspective.
“When you watch a game, you’re reminded that pressure is part of performance,” James says. “Anyone can lead when things are calm. The real test is how teams and people respond when challenges arise. You focus on preparation and response, not outcomes you can’t control.”
His relationship with the sport began early. Growing up, football was woven into daily life, played in neighbourhoods and watched communally. Over time, watching became less about allegiance and more about observation.
Today, that connection is reflected in his support for Gor Mahia FC (K’Ogalo) in the Kenyan Premier League and Arsenal FC in the English Premier League.
“I pay attention to how teams respond when things aren’t going well. That’s where leadership really shows,” James says.
That lens has followed him into his professional life. James notes that in HR, success is often measured in moments of strain rather than stability.
Leadership in strain
James’s career has unfolded across people management, organisational development and leadership roles, culminating in his current position at Transnep. While his professional path is built on structure and systems, he has always resisted rigid definitions of leadership.
“I don’t believe leadership is about having all the answers. It’s about creating the conditions where others can perform,” he points out.
That belief mirrors one of football’s simplest truths: no single player wins a match alone. Even the most gifted individuals rely on systems, timing and collective effort.
“You can have a star striker,” James notes, “but without midfield support, they struggle.”
In organisations, he sees similar dynamics. High performers thrive best when roles are clear and trust is present.
“People need to understand how their contribution fits into the bigger picture. Otherwise, energy gets wasted. Football has also shaped how I think about failure. Missed chances, defensive errors and last-minute losses are part of the game. What matters is response. A team that concedes early doesn’t stop playing, they regroup,” he observes.
This mindset has informed his approach to setbacks in the workplace. Rather than framing mistakes as personal shortcomings, he focuses on learning and adjustment.
“You ask what broke down, not who failed. That shifts the conversation.”
At Transnep, this philosophy has influenced how people's challenges are addressed. Performance management, he explains, is about alignment and not punishment.
“When expectations are clear and support is present, people usually rise,” he says.
James is particularly attentive to how leaders manage themselves.
“You can see when a captain loses composure, and the whole team feels it. The same applies in organisations. Leaders set the emotional tone whether they intend to or not. Football gives me perspective and allows me to reset, so I return to work with patience and clarity.”
Setting the tone
Unwinding, for James, is functional. Watching a match allows him to detach from outcomes he cannot control and refocus on what he can.
“You accept that refereeing decisions happen. You move on.”
That acceptance has practical application in corporate life, where external factors, regulation, market shifts and client demands are often beyond influence.
In HR, he sees a direct parallel. Strong culture, he explains, is built through consistent systems, not last-minute interventions.
“You don’t fix culture in a crisis. You rely on what you’ve built.”
At Transnep, James works to ensure policies are lived rather than shelved, and that managers are equipped to lead teams effectively.
“HR doesn’t sit on the sidelines. We’re part of the game,” he says.
His football-informed lens also influences how he thinks about succession. Teams that rely too heavily on one player, he notes, are vulnerable.
“Injuries happen; that’s why you need multiple capable people ready to step in. That thinking extends to leadership development. I advocate for building benches, not just stars. When people grow, the organisation becomes resilient,” he says.
