Ndidi Nwuneli, Founder of LEAP Africa, and Co-Founder of AACE Foods, was the second speaker at the recently held LLA #100 Women Gala. She spoke on the topic: ““Leading for change: Making a case for impact and enterprise”, and we still can’t get over the amount of insight and inspiration we received from her session. She dished out pieces of vital advice that touched on every aspect of womanhood, from personal growth to leadership excellence. Because we love our LLA community, we’ve decided to share:
- Know your purpose and dig deeper into it
It is not enough for women to discover their purpose in life. Even after knowing what they are made for, there is the need to dig deeper into such purpose and make the most of it.
- Determine your level of involvement in whatever you do
So you know where your passion lies, the next vital stage is to actively determine how much you want to put it into it. Rather than take on every post, find your strength and build on it. For Ndidi, she discovered quite early that her strength was in helping businesses get a start, and she has successfully stuck to that ever since.
- It is your obligation as a woman to help other women
Ndidi definitely got us on this one when she joked that there is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women. So to every women who has achieved some level of success or the other in her chosen field, you owe it to those still on the ladder to help them climb up.
- Be extremely self-aware
Women must know themselves in and out. We all have our pressure points, so it is important for success’ sake, to know our limits, strengths and weaknesses.
- Have a cheerleader
No woman can make the best of life all by herself. In order to be much more, a woman needs a cheerleader; either someone or a group of loved ones to encourage and tell her ‘well-done’.
- Have a critic
It is also necessary for a woman to have a critic. Get someone to give honest and constructive evaluations of each stage of your growth as you climb the ladder.
- Keep a prayer partner
A prayer partner is a necessity for every woman. A woman, for the sake of her personal and business growth, must imbibe the culture of having someone or a group to hold hands with, regardless of good or bad events.
- Think about scale
When building your business, have a picture of success in your head. Picture the growth of your business in years to come.
- Have a clear vision for where you are going
In the light of this, know what you can tolerate and what you can’t. Having a clear vision for yourself is vital because as you move up, a number of those you started with won’t move up with you while some others will. You need to know who you surround yourself with.
- Have a succession strategy
A great mistake any leader can make is to take the thought of succession for granted. As a leader, you must think beyond now. A woman must have a succession plan regardless of how young her business is. Be mindful of your successor. Equip your successor with the right skills to be able to take over from you in case you’re not there for a period of time. Life happens when you least expect it.
