Ngozi Adebiyi is the Lead Consultant & Executive Coach of OutsideIn HR – an innovative organisation focused on developing people with a vision to revolutionise HR in Nigeria & impact Africa!
She has 22+ years of experience in HR & Consulting and was listed by Forbes Woman Africa as a new wealth Creator (female entrepreneurs who have created a significant impact in their respective sectors by pioneering their organization in generating new untapped streams of income). HR Person of the year 2020 by HR People Magazine.
A PCC credentialed Coach of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), she’s the author of Grow! a collection of nuggets to inspire & challenge leaders.
In her spare time, she’s involved in providing better opportunities to underprivileged kids as a trustee of United for Kids Foundation. She enjoys writing and brisk walking.
Thank you for making out time to chat with us — in your own words — who is Ngozi Adebiyi?
Ngozi Adebiyi is the Founder and Lead Consultant of OutsideIn HR – an innovative organisation focused on developing people with a vision to revolutionise HR in Nigeria & impact Africa!
The core of her essence is “pathfinding” and trailblazing” and she’s a firm believer of “kintsukuroi” -the very core of our brokenness in the form of challenges is a reminder that it sets us apart and makes us more valuable should we release it!
Partnering with global technocrats to pioneer & impart new ways of learning & development across Africa plus unlocking barriers and enabling leaders to make transformational shifts is a summary of her 22+ years’ experience in HR, Consulting and Coaching.
She was listed by Forbes Woman Africa as a new wealth Creator (female entrepreneurs who have created a significant impact in their respective sectors by pioneering their organization in generating new untapped streams of income) achieving transformation from the outside-in for employees in businesses across Africa is a passion. Awarded the HR Person of the year (2020), she’s a PCC credentialed Executive Coach of the International Coaching Foundation (ICF), and the author of Grow! a collection of nuggets to inspire and challenge leaders.
Amazing! Tell us more about the work you do at OutsideIn HR.
As the founder, I’ve midwifed this seed to the tree it’s morphing into. By day I lead the team on client engagements and everything in between and by night, the guard & responsibility officer! I also wear the hat of the Executive Coach which has, without doubt, been rewarding both for those I coach and for me personally. I absolutely love to coach!
And what have been the highlights for OutsideIn HR in revolutionizing HR in Nigeria and Africa? Any challenges faced?
OutsideIn HR is blessed I must say. I look back at how it all started and how far we have come, and I am grateful. Our growth has come through grit, hard work and staying committed & true to ourselves and the clients we support. Our vision of revolutionizing HR in Nigeria & impacting Africa is bigger than us and we are taking deliberate steps towards achieving it every day.
OutsideIn HR thrives on innovation & creativity and is thus quick to discover new ways of meeting our clients’ needs & anticipated needs in ways that are engaging. We strive to always stay ahead of the times!
In 2013 we launched our signature and bespoke HRBP Development program that provides opportunities for tomorrow’s HR leaders to show up ‘more’ and better impact their organisations by shifting the needle on HR credibility. Over one hundred (100) HRBPs have gone through the program from almost a dozen multinational and national corporate organisations in the last seven (7) years.
In February 2015, we launched the quarterly HR Business Partner (HRBP) Meet-up with the goal of shaping the HR Profession and creating opportunities for networking for HRBPs in Nigeria thereby building networks that both HR leads and organisations benefit from.
OutsideIn HR’s quarterly HRBP Meet-up has now become a household name in the HR industry in Nigeria and has set the trend & tone for many Meetups, Networks, Groups and Gatherings of HR Professionals in Nigeria today!
Six (6) full years & twenty-four (24) consecutive HR Business Partner Meetups later, we keep bringing the vision to life by grit & God’s grace. We’re counting down to #25 in February 2021.
In 2016, we partnered with Celemi, a Swedish based firm to bring Business Simulations as realistic and engaging learning experiences.
In 2017, we partnered with Accelium and in 2018, OutsideIn HR became the Africa Hub for Accelium, an Israeli based firm offering game-based skill assessments & workshops for business enterprises. OutsideIn HR provides services and support to other Accelium service providers across Africa.
In 2020, we partnered with Hemsley Fraser to bring Digital Learning Experiences as a service offering and Coach Training in Partnership with Coach To Transformation.
In 2021, we have launched a new service line Global Recruitment in partnership with Mind Consulting in Canada and will be working with Canadian employers who are looking to offer work permits for specific job roles in Canada.
We have faced loads of challenges along the way as we navigate the terrain of providing services in Nigeria as an MSME but we have learnt to continue to walk the paths less travelled and learning as we go.
Great! You authored a book titled “Grow”. What’s your motivation behind writing this book? And the key lessons shared in the book?
“Grow” is inspired mostly from personal experiences and punctuated by other relevant situations, IT postures as a rare piece of work that makes such concepts as excellent leadership, outstanding service and exceptional achievements as an entrepreneur, achievable feats.
I started writing articles as a means of sharing some of what I had learnt in my over two decades of Human Resources and Consulting career. There was a hunger to guide leaders, a yearning to share some of what I had read about and made mistakes from, and an urge to ensure people make an attempt to shift and always find a way.
My passion and desire to see people, organisations and society make positive shifts is evident in the words I have carefully and accurately captured in the chapters of this book.
I hope that when you read Grow! it inspires you on your journey of life- as a leader, follower or free spirit. I hope that in its many lessons, nuggets, bite-size insights and life’s doses, it challenges you to sprout and most importantly GROW!
Who are the greatest influences in your life and business?
My work & life experiences, good mentors along the way and Ha’el Oseh Pele!
What would you say to the younger women who want to follow in your path?
Find yourself by discovering what you love to do, your interests and the areas you just seem to excel seamlessly at and chase those interests, stay true and committed to them. Be consistent- don’t start today and stop tomorrow, there’s no winning in inconsistency. Don’t be afraid to take the road less travelled- it might be tough, but it usually comes with its own rewards because you will always stand out!
Now for some more personal stuff — what books are you reading now, and what music do you have on your playlist?
I just finished listening to the summary of Shoedog by Phil Knight on audible. Becoming a superhero by Johnny Enlow and a Promised land by Barack Obama is next.
My playlist! (laughs) – It’s categorised according to my mood arising from seasons of life. I have twelve (12) curated playlists – my top tracks include Olorun Agbaye by Nathaniel Bassey to Stronger (by Glowreeyah & Kelly Clarkson’s versions) to Life by Des’ree to Kulture by Zoro!
If you had an all-expense-paid trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Bali – to experience nature incredibly!
If you could put out an intention or desire for 2021, what would it be?
To Thrive! Do BIG things and impact lives.
The Leading Ladies Africa weekly interview series focuses on women of African descent, showcases their experiences across all socio-economic sectors, highlights their personal and professional achievements and offers useful advice on how to make life more satisfying for women.
Do you know any woman of African descent doing phenomenal things? Send an email to lead@leadingladiesafrica.org and we just might feature her.
