World-class performance Strategist, Dr. Abiola Salami, has urged young leaders across Africa to embrace responsibility and accountability.
He made the call during the launch of his new book, GRIT (Grow, Rise, Innovate, and Thrive), at the Emerging Leaders’ Summit themed, ‘How to Drive Accountability and Ownership in Young Talents.’
While stressing that excuses hinder growth, Salami described accountability as taking responsibility before pointing fingers.
“Leaders take responsibility; workers don’t,” he said.
He noted that blaming others was unhelpful and encouraged people to focus on solutions.
“The only person we engage in this programme is the one in the mirror,” he added.
The performance strategist called for a mindset change, urging individuals to make no excuses and take responsibility for their actions.
Sharing a story from his early banking days, Salami recounted how he resolved a complaint from former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Dr. Christopher Kolade.
He said his proactive approach led to a lasting 17-year mentorship that opened new career opportunities.
According to Salami, taking responsibility helps people grow, build skills, and position themselves for new opportunities in their careers and lives.
He acknowledged that office politics exists in every workplace and advised attendees to use their problem-solving skills to drive the organisation and their own progress.
Meanwhile, Cybersecurity Expert, Prof. Peter Obadare, commended Salami’s new book, describing it as a practical guide for personal and professional growth. He highlighted its focus on moving beyond job titles to developing a value-driven mindset.
Obadare also emphasised discipline as key to rising above current challenges and commended the book as a manual for applying these principles in everyday life. He encouraged readers to actively use the book’s teachings to foster growth and success.
On her part, Transformational Coach, Debola Deji-Kurunmi, also known as DDK, emphasised the importance of creating a personal blueprint for breakthrough and success.
She encouraged attendees to build their own path, focusing on knowledge expansion, certifications, and personal development, stressing that Africans must take charge of their future, leveraging their youthful population and creativity to drive innovation and growth.
She highlighted the need for GRIT to overcome systemic constraints and achieve success, while also urging attendees to focus on developing their skills, character, and leadership abilities to drive change.
Sharing her own experiences and insights, DDK highlighted the importance of being intentional about one’s growth and seeking out opportunities to showcase one’s value.
Her words: “Don’t just think about your professional development; think about your personal development. Managing how you speak, how you regulate your emotions, how you present your ideas, how you handle conflict. Those are key competencies that are softer but are equally acquired in your group.
“There must be certifications; there must be books. There have to be conferences, professional networks and communities that allow you to connect with quality like-minded people.
“Your work plan has to have coaching and mentorship. You have to be on the lookout for those who can create the gap of evolution that leads you into what you want to do next.”
A renowned leadership coach and founder of the GOTNI Leadership Centre, Dr. Linus Okorie, also emphasised the importance of transformational leadership in today’s fast-paced world.
Okorie stressed that vision is a driver of growth, noting that leaders must have a clear vision to inspire and motivate others. He emphasised the importance of values such as excellence, integrity, and love for humanity in leadership.
According to him, these values drive growth and progress. He stresses the importance of having a learning system, where individuals can learn from others and continually improve themselves.
Okorie defined transformational leadership as a concept that places a premium on humans inspired by a compelling vision, supported by sound principles that cause the leader and the followers to change in the process of pursuing the vision.
“It will interest you to know that the world has changed. To everyone in this room, your competition is no longer local; your competition is now international. We are in a world whereby if you don’t do anything to reinvent yourself, to stay at the place where your impact is felt on the global level, you might not be able to make the kind of sustainable impact we are talking about.
“When you mention GRIT leadership mindset, are you talking about building character commitment in a distracted world? You’re talking about a world that is changing faster than you can imagine. That puts on you the opportunity to do something that is worthwhile. You have to optimise yourself or you will disappear from the surface of the earth,” he said.
Speaking about his 31 years of research and study of the concept of leadership across the world, Okorie said: “Only five per cent of humans are optimised, which means these are people who bring so much value to the table. In fact, they are the ones who make things happen within institutions and organisations.”
One of the highlights of the event was a breakout session where faculty members shared valuable ideas with attendees.
