The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel
Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, has called on business leaders to
cultivate qualities such as empathy, integrity, good communication
skills and a strong sense of purpose if they must succeed and
achieve results during turbulent times.
Speaking during the recently concluded Advertisers Association of
Nigeria (ADVAN) Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Business Roundtable, which
held virtually, Mr. Ogunsanya offered practical tips leaders can adopt
in the event of a major crisis such as the
Covid-19 global pandemic.
He said leaders must never be in denial whenever there is a crisis,
noting that business managers and chief executives must be bold,
decisive and should immediately confront any crisis situation while
demonstrating ability to handle complex situation.
According to him, the ability to demonstrate empathy as a leader is
essential at a time where feelings of uncertainty are at an all-time
high, stressing the need for leaders to confront reality and not lose
the essence of the organization’s purpose during
disruptive times.
Speaking on the importance of good communication skills, the CEO
stated that every leader should be able to clearly communicate the
organization’s purpose and vision, identifying this as an avenue to
demonstrate commitment whilst creating opportunity to
develop and grow relationship with people within the organization.
“Good leadership involves communicating effectively. As an
individual occupying a leadership position, most especially during
turbulent period, you need to constantly communicate with your people.
It is important to leave the communication channels open.
By communicating, you’re not only building trust but also opening an
avenue for collective contributions and this will drive engagement and
solutions”, he stated.
Discussing the essence of maintaining integrity in a workplace, Mr.
Ogunsanya said a good leader must uphold strong moral and ethical
principles, including honesty, loyalty, dependability and sound
judgement.
He went on to advise leaders not to be afraid to show vulnerability as it reflects humanity and compassion.
“Showing vulnerability as a leader is not a sign of weakness, it is
simply being human. An honest leader should be able to show
vulnerability whilst also demonstrating compassion.
“One of the ways you can show compassion during turbulent times is
by offering employees the opportunity to choose to work at home or
select days in which they can work physically at the office. Empathy and
compassion not only inspire your people but also
help in building a collaborative environment”, he said.
The ADVAN CMO Forum was birthed out of a need to provide the
nation’s business leaders with a platform to hold meaningful discourse
on ways to better navigate the fast-changing marketing communications
and business landscape. The platform has, over the
years, hosted several pertinent conversations on effective marketing
and business leadership for the future.
