This week I had a fireside chat with Mrs Bukola Smith the Executive Director FCMB on ‘The Journey to The Boardroom’ and she shared an incredible amount of wisdom and I thought to share a few nuggets here.
- The journey to the top is filled with many interesting twists and turns, God can convert even the things that look bad into a springboard for your benefit, Don’t get discouraged when things don’t seem to be going in the direction you expected, It could be an opportunity for growth in disguise
- Build those around you and prepare your successor. We shouldn’t focus on just making money but making an impact. Are people in your team better off for having you in it? If you’re a leader have you been intentional about developing others, especially identified your successor?
- Be a person of action, not just words, be bold and step out! Talk is cheap as they say, nothing grows from the place of comfort. We have to learn to step out even when we’re not 100% sure of the outcome, do it afraid anyway.
- Make sure you’re on top of your game, be a person who adds value. Organizations will bend over backwards to retain consistent solution providers,
- Never stop learning – You’re only as good as what you know and the world around us is constantly moving. Be intentional about continuous learning. Take online courses, go back to school if necessary, never stop developing yourself.
- Have senior mentors who have similar values. There’s always someone who has gone ahead in the field you’re interested in, so find those who share similar values with you and create a formal/informal mentorship relationship.
- Don’t change who you are to suit a negative environment. There will always be negativity but be one of the few that shines the light and demonstrates the power of positive values. You may be surprised how many people you will win over.
- Integrity and trustworthiness will always supersede technical competence and experience. Character! Character! Character! Who you are speaks louder than what you have done. A soundboard will always prefer to have people of character at the table rather than just people who have experience.
