Nigeria must invest in the leadership capital of citizens to overcome her challenges – GOTNI president

Linus Okorie, founder and president of GOTNI, is a renowned leadership development coach and human capital development consultant. For over 20 years, Okorie has been known as a relentless icon in the quest for good leadership in public and corporate governance in Nigeria. In this Interview with MODESTUS ANAESORONYE, he discusses contemporary demands of leadership, Nigeria’s leadership challenges, Covid-19 pandemic and the role of leadership, among other issues.Excerpts:

You are known as a leadership icon. How did you get here- tell us about your journey?

Twenty-five years ago at the age of nineteen, the vision of grooming leaders for the African continent hit me and I began the process of setting up the Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI) which I later took with me to the University. Since then, it’s been a lot of work, passion and commitment. Over these 25 years, that small vision has become a global organisation that has impacted over three hundred thousand young people directly and millions through Radio and Television.

 

With a rich profile as yours, one would be wondering what else there is to know about leadership.

The study of leadership is a lifelong exercise because leadership is simply about developing your capacity to influence and impact. It’s about creating value. What this means is that we will never be hundred percent in terms of leadership perfection until the end of the world. The way to go is continue developing our leadership capital and values over time. For instance, somebody can be 30percent over 100 in passion because passion is an essential element in leadership. But 30percent passion cannot be a pass mark.

So, the individual would as a matter of priority develop his or her leadership skills over a long period of time. So, you have to be consistent in that process because the more the individual deepens, and learns from others, that individual stretches his mind and begins to change. Leadership development is a lifelong learning.

 

What is the role of leadership in achieving a balanced and focused society where things work?

Everything rises and falls on leadership according to John Maxwell. The power of leadership helps in the advancement of societies. In fact, the deficit of leadership capital in today’s society is evident both at the private and public level. It has cost us so much shame and pain. However, when we begin to prioritise the power of individual leadership, personal leadership, mind leadership, leading others and leading businesses, we begin to place priority on how to be best at becoming this type of leaders that I’ve mentioned so far, then we will strengthen individuals and when we strengthen individuals, the institutions they represent will be strengthened. The families they represent will be strengthened, the companies they work for will be strengthened, the government agencies they work for will be strengthened because leadership actually flows to the one who knows.

When people prioritise leadership, they are able to learn, develop and have leadership capital skills. What this means is that waste of resources and poor decisions in governance will no longer be a common feature in our society. The misappropriation of funds and all the types of leadership deficiencies that we see, including people’s inability to work within teams is an obstruction to progress and development of institutions. That is why it is very important that every organisationbegins to invest heavily to strengthen the leadership capital of their staff.

 

At a time like this when the global economy, business and households are challenged by COVID-19, what can leadership do to salvage the situation?

The question I often ask in my classes is this: ‘When the leader is paranoid, who takes the lead?’What the COVID-19 exposure we are having right now has done to the psychology of leaders around the world really is to generate so much fear, panic and anxiety within the minds of leaders. So, many of them have gone into reaction mode where they are no longer taking critical decision.

So, what leaders do in times of crisis is to look beyond the crisis and begin to quickly study and research the situation in order to find solutions. Constant decision making process should be the order of the day. InNigeria, right now, one of the things I believe leaders can take very seriously is to start reinventing and reorienting the minds of the people and give them hope. Remove fear from their mindset because when the population is afraid of the future, you will have a sick population – a population that is depressed, a population that will get into the mood of uncertainty and suicide.

Leaders should give the people proper information necessary to guide them on what they must do that can help them in their businesses and individual lives.  At the end of the day, they will create policies that will add value to the people in the present as well as preparing them for the economy that is being opened.  This means that just like what the CBN is doing right now, that should be intensified. Government can deliberately waive certain taxes. Government should provide specific kinds of support systems. At this time, we should be working towards becoming a production based economy rather than a consumption driven one. Right now, there should be huge investment into areas that can create jobs, especially agriculture and agricultural value chain. The government can invest in SMEs and offer them support systems that can generate sustainable growth. I want to see massive investments in these areas. That’s the only way we can position for the new normal and open up the economy for prosperity.

 

What has Nigeria as country missed in her leadership style that has not allowed the country to be in its rightful position in the comity of nations?

We have greatly as a country missed to provide leadership by example. A lot of people who get into leadership positions in this country, most of the time think about self. As a result of that, they cannot deliver quality leadership being blurred by self.  Leadership is about sacrifice, commitment and passion for the common good.

 

Rather, most people who occupy positions in organisations do not have a mindset ofsacrifice. From the day one, their values are compromised already. When you go to countries where leaders put priority in the pursuit of common good, they rise faster. The other element is lack of visionary leadership. Vision drives nations. Just imagine Lew Kuan Yew in 1965 when Singapore left Malaysia, they had nothing. But this man called Lew Kuan Yew invested in the leadership capital of his people bymaximising the human capital since they didn’t have natural resources. He began to invest in the human capital.Today, Singapore has been positioned as a global technological and industrial hub because one man decided to lead by example and to invest in the human capital development.

 

Nigeria’s development story will be different when we have leaders who understand the art and practice of leadership. So, until we begin to think big and selfless for the common good, we would not attain the development agenda we set for ourselves.

 

As Founder and President of Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI), a leadership development Institute, how has your organisation helped to shape leaders in coping with the challenges of the future?

 

 

As the president of Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI) and also the CEO of the GOTNI Leadership Centre, what we have been able to do over the years is to invest in the leadership capital of the Nigerian people and leaders around the world and the impact has been quite amazing. More than 300,000 thousand have been directly impacted and millions indirectly through our Radio and Television programmers. Over the years, we have been teaching leadership in such a way that everyone can understand and apply. Some of them have grown their leadership capital as a result of the investment we have created in their minds over time. But currently, in times like this, our message has been consistent; that the people must stay strong because leaders are dealers in hope.

 

What should business leaders be doing at this time?

The priority of business leaders at this point should beto have very strong priority which is to re-engineer the mindset of those who work for the business.So, every business leader must retool the mindset of the people who work for them. That should be the first priority. Because of the challenges of this pandemic, there is rise in fear and anxiety and leaders must position the mindset of those who work for them to face these challenges. First thing is to reinvent a positive and can-do Spirit among their staff.

This is also time to reinvent the business in terms of the structure and policies. For instance, if you have an Elephant kind of structure before, now is the time to break it down and put them in such a way that the new structure helps in quick decision making processes. This is the time forthe total re-evaluation of the organisation.

What is your advice to every leader and aspiring leader on navigating these current challenging times?

 

My advice to every leader is not to be caught up with the noise. They should capture the essence of the moment. Great leaders who have made great progress have been people who developed great visions in times of crises. This is the time for personal evaluation and rethinking. It is time for leaders to start investing in their own people in order to build their systems and prepare them for the post-COVID experience.