If you’re a young professional in Nigeria or anywhere across Africa, you’ve probably whispered this line more than once: “I’m doing everything right—but nothing seems to be working.”
You show up on time. You deliver results. You believe in excellence. Yet, somehow, mediocrity still gets rewarded while integrity feels like a disadvantage. Welcome to the harsh classroom where real leadership is born.
The truth is you don’t need a perfect system to become a powerful leader. You just need GRIT—the ability to Grow, Rise, Innovate, and Thrive against all odds.
The Myth of Waiting for the System
Many emerging leaders are caught in the trap of postponing greatness. “When I get promoted OR when the economy stabilises OR when I travel abroad.”
But the system rarely fixes itself.
History proves that transformation often begins in broken places. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple Inc. in 1997, the company was weeks from bankruptcy. When Ngozi Okonjo Iweala took charge of Nigeria’s finances, transparency and fiscal discipline were unpopular ideas, yet she pushed reforms that later earned global recognition. When Elon Musk founded SpaceX, his first three rockets exploded before the fourth finally launched.
They didn’t wait for perfect timing, they created it. And that’s what GRIT does: it moves when the world says wait.
Just this week, the global spotlight turned to Nigeria again. President Donald Trump warned of possible U.S. military action if Nigeria failed to curb the “killing of very large numbers of Christians”. The Nigerian government responded by saying it welcomes U.S. assistance only if its sovereignty is respected.
What does this have to do with you as an emerging leader? Everything.
Here’s what you should see in this moment:
• A broken system on a global stage: Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest nations, is grappling with governance, security and narrative-control issues.
• An external actor imposing pressure: One country telling another that it must fix what it perceives as brokenor face consequences.
• A leadership opportunity disguised as crisis: For young professionals in Nigeria, this moment either highlights despair or becomes the backdrop for a rise.
In other words, when even nations are being told to lift themselves up or be acted upon, your personal call to leadership is even more urgent.
A Broken System Is Not the End—It’s the Test
Let’s be honest. Many of our systems are broken. Hiring can be biased. Promotions may not always be fair. Entrepreneurship feels like swimming against an invisible current. But that’s where true leaders are distinguished from frustrated talents.
When everything is against you, your character becomes your strategy. GRIT isnot about denying difficulty; it is about refusing to drown in it. It is about asking, “What can I build in this chaos that others will follow?” Every complaint is a clue about what you are meant to fix. The system is not a sentence. It is a setup for your significance.
The 4 Anatomy of GRIT for Emerging Leaders
1. Grow beyond blame.
Stop waiting for someone to rescue you from the mess. Use every challenge as a personal development course. That toxic boss? A lesson in emotional intelligence. That underfunded project? A classroom in resourcefulness. Every frustration can either train you or trap you.
2.Rise above comfort.
Comfort zones feel safe, but they kill greatness quietly. If you’re the smartest in the room, find a harder room. Every level of your dream demands a version of you willing to be uncomfortable again.
Here Are Some Of The Realities You Must Accept Early
A. You won’t always be understood.
People may mock your discipline or doubt your motives. Keep going. Seeds don’t explain themselves to soil.
B. You won’t always have capitalbut you’ll always have creativity.
Start with what you have, where you are. Many successful founders began with borrowed laptops and shared spaces. What they lacked in capital, they made up for in courage.
C. You won’t always feel ready.
Every time you take a bold step, fear will whisper you’re not enough. Take the step anyway. Growth happens mid-air.
This article Dr. Abiola Salami’s upcoming TPP Fest Trilogy of Leadership series: GRIT, No More Shrinking, and T.I.T.L.E. Join the conversation at TPP Fest 2025, where Africa’s next generation of leaders are being shaped. Send a mail to [email protected] for participation details
Visit www.tppafrica.com for the full article
About Dr. Abiola Salami
Dr. Abiola Salami is the Convener of Dr Abiola Salami International Leadership Bootcamp ; The Peak PerformerTM FestivalMade4More Accelerator Program and The New Year Kickoff Summit. He is the Principal Performance Strategist at CHAMP – a full scale professional services firm trusted by high performing business leaders for providing Executive Coaching, Workforce Development & Advisory Services to improve performance. You can reach his team on [email protected] and connect with him @abiolachamp on all social media platforms.
