Okay, so if you weren’t at the LLA #100 Women Gala that took place on March 30, at the Wheatbaker Hotel in Lagos, then you missed BIG Time! Make sure you get on the guest list next year. Amina Oyagbola, Founder, WISCAR delivered the Keynote Address at the event, and can we just say that it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Titled: “Leading with Boldness and Focus in Times of Change,” here are the top ten valuable lessons we learned from her:
On being flexible in changing times
Women leaders need to respond flexibly to changing times. While it is important to retain a constant set of principles, women must be dynamic in applying such principles and give
On anticipating life changing events
One of the necessary steps to success, in any given field, is to have the ability to foresee change. Women leaders must anticipate events and be proactive. According to Mrs. Oyagbola: “it is not the change itself that destabilizes us, but the fact that we did not foresee or anticipate it.”
On the concept of leadership
Leadership goes beyond being a title, an office or an opportunity. It is a state of the mind. Women leaders strive to harness the cooperation, rust and followership of others.
On the importance of every woman
No woman is of little or no use. Every woman carries in her the seeds of greatness, and as such is a potential leader and world changer.
On motherhood as a tool of impact
The most powerful and significant leadership role any woman can play is in the molding of her children. Motherhood is a platform for very woman to positively impact the world.
On the concept of boldness
Women should not make the mistake of misinterpreting boldness as an absence of fear or foolhardiness. Rather, they should view boldness as being able to forge ahead and reach their goals even in the face of fear.
On humility as a leadership trait
In other to succeed, women leaders must be humble and open-minded enough to learn from others regardless of the gap in offices. They can learn even from their children.
On reputation
In the face of compromising situations and offers, women leaders must strive to keep their dignity and protect their reputation. In Amina’s words, “a reputation once lost is difficult to rebuild”.
On the power of women
Every woman has her life in her hands. She, not her immediate environment, is the author of her own story, the creator of her destiny and the artist of her masterpiece.
On celebrating success
Women leaders owe it to themselves to celebrate every success that comes their way. It is important for women to mark the milestones in their careers. As Amina rightly put it, “to fail to mark them is to fail to fully live them”.
