NIM charges managers on leadership, managerial capabilities

The Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) has urged organisations as well as individuals to develop both leadership and management capabilities to become excellent managers.

The guest speaker and Director of Corporate Services, African Finance Corporation, Anthony Arabome, said this at this year’s awards, fellows and spouses’ day luncheon, organised by NIM, in Lagos, where he spoke on ‘The Leadership Imperatives for all Managers in a Rapidly Changing World.’

He said if one is going to be influential and impactful, irrespective of the sector he or she belongs to, the person has to deploy good effect, management and leadership skills.

Noting that leadership demands initiative and calculated risk-taking to try new ideas, he said management must deliver ongoing best practices to assure quality and customer satisfaction

He stressed that leadership depends on self-confidence and using one’s sixth sense to link industry and business experience with the marketplace needs of the future.

According to him, management depends on control and accountability for today’s performance, while leadership relies on creativity and responsibility for the future.

In addition to being excellent managers, Arabome listed four behaviours from research, which successful executives and business leaders demonstrated and proven as critical to their high performance.

He said there is a need for chief executives and leaders to decide with speed and conviction, engage for impact, adapt proactively and deliver reliably.

“Make no mistake: in the end, leadership is about results. Great leadership has the potential to excite people to extraordinary levels of achievement, but it is not only about performance; it is also about meaning,” he said.

President and Chairman of Council, NIM, Dr. Christiana Atako, while congratulating the new fellows enjoined them not to be contented with just adding the title (FNIM) to their names but to see it as a call to higher responsibility and service to the institute, the management profession and the nation.

“From this day forward, each of you is required to devote more of your time, talent, treasure and thinking to the service of the institute and nation.

“I enjoin you to place your competencies and specialisations at the disposal of the institute as you might be called upon to be of service to her in your area of professional calling as the need arises,” she said.

At the event, where about 122 members were awarded fellows, the institute also recognised elder statesmen and women, who received life membership awards.

To qualify for the life membership award, Atako added that the member must have attained the age of 70, served the institute and the nation selflessly, adjudged to be above reproach, be financially up-to-date in the payment of his or her yearly membership subscription, as well as met other statutory obligations to the institute over the years.