“Leadership is not about titles or positions, leadership is about solving problems.”
Oby Ezekwesili is a force.
She was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world and by New York Times as one of the 25 Women of Impact for 2015.
She was Vice President of the World Bank (Africa Region) with responsibilities for operations in 48 countries and a lending portfolio of about $40 billion. And also worked as the Nigerian Minister of Education and later as Minister of Solid Minerals.
She exudes passion and strength.
We recorded this episode as a live event at the Ventures Platform in Abuja with few people in the audience.
Recording this podcast was an insight into her phenomenal mind.
In this episode we discuss:
- Not everyone is called to politics, but every citizen is called to governance. Good entrepreneurship is a form of participating in governance.
- Courage is an expression of inner conviction.
- Technology has given Africa unprecedented access to the ‘4th industrial revolution’. The winners are not yet determined because everyone is almost starting at the same time.
- Leadership is not a title or position. It’s about solving problems.
- Knowledge is at it’s cheapest and available to everybody. Africa can claim the 21st century.
Towards the end of the interview, I asked her what she would have been doing if she was 20 years younger.
“I probably build 20 startups,” She said.
RECOMMENDED BOOK
Selected links from this episode
Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Dr Oby Ezekwesili!
This episode is brought to you by JEE Clients Services. Have you ever left a negotiation feeling that you have lost, over-committed or will be over-paying?
Negotiation is one of the most important skills you’ll ever require as a business person. That is why you need to attend this online masterclass put together by JEE Client Services on 14th November 2017. At the end of the webinars, you will understand how to gather intelligence and prepare for a negotiation, how to set expectations, how to bargain across cultural borders, how to deal with deadlocks during negotiation, and a lot more. Go to www.jcs.ng and register.