Coaching: Personal inspiration for transformation (2)

Bola Akindele, group managing director, Courteville Business Solutions in this interview with KELECHI EWUZIE asserts that transformational leadership style, stimulating work environment is a step in the right direction for achieving organisational development

Career path

The journey has been challenging yet fruitful. I studied Agriculture with focus on Animal science, from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). Thereafter I received my training in accounting from KPMG Peat Marwick, Ani, Ogunde and Company.

I also have a Master’s Degree in Banking and Finance from University of Lagos. I am a fellow of the Institute of Directors, Fellow of the Institute of Taxation Nigeria and the Institute of Management.

I went through extensive banking and audit career spanning over 20 years across various institutions comprising Central Bank of Nigeria, Oceanic Bank and Foundation Trust Bank PLC.

My years of experience from the institutions helped shape my leadership and networking skills and strategic thinking. These all combined to contribute to the promotion of Courteville Business Solution PLC in 2004.

I am currently concluding my doctoral thesis with the International School of Management, Paris in France towards the achievement of a Business Administration (DBA degree). I am also a member of Board of Directors of a number of public and private companies.

What is your motivation in life and career?

My key motivating factor is “impacting positively on lives around me.” This is the basis for the promotion of Courteville Business Solution PLC. All resources that pass through my business relationships must reflect the essence of this vision.

What is your Leadership style?

As a leader, I combine various leadership styles to drive my organisation. As a participative leader, I involve my management team, subordinates and team leaders in decision making. However, as a participative leader, I still have the final say, and will make the final decision.

As an individual who possess integrity, I set a good example and clearly communicate my goals. I expect the best from my staff. I inspire them to look beyond their own interests to the needs of the organisation. Using a transformational leadership style, stimulating work environment is provided and I take time to recognise good work and good staff. By employing this approach, I have been able to retain employees, I fully engage with my staff, and I seek to satisfy their needs right along with the organisation’s needs. Often times, extra effort is taken to find out how employees under me feel about changes that are being made, ask for their opinion on a variety of matters, and attempt to motivate them to better their own situation. Morale is often times the biggest overall change.

With my transformational leadership style, employees are going to be apt to work towards promotions as they are been pushed to work harder and develop as an employee. I also find ways to encourage them during the tough times congratulate them for their successes and acknowledge important events in their life. As a leader, decisions are made based on the company’s needs and the needs of the employee.

I take time to listen to each and every employee that works for me. This time spent listening to them often results in a better understanding of the work place.

Using situational approach, I rely on my intuition and analysis of a given situation to lead in a way that makes sense based on that particular situation.

For my transactional leadership style, rewards are contingent upon the performance of staff. Rules, procedures and standards are essential in my leadership style. You have to know that people perform their best when the chain of command is definite and clear, workers are motivated by rewards and punishments.

How impactful are your company’s services to organisational needs?

The foremost service we provide in Nigeria and Sierra Leone is the AutoReg franchise. We started in Sierra Leone in 2011, but we started in Nigeria in 2007 with Lagos State. We provide the Motor Vehicle Administration documents System to serve the needs of the stakeholders in the transportation sector of these economies.

We are currently working with NAFDAC in providing solutions vital to the optimal documentation of the NAFDAC transactions and product service.

We also work with the Nigerian private sector in the area of insurance through the Nigeria Insurance Association (NIA) where all insurance policies are remotely documented for the proper monitoring and regulation of the industry.

Egole shopping site has established a B2C platform for organisations and consumers to interact, without necessarily having the physical structure to be able to conduct their businesses. The idea is to satisfy their ability to fully carry out their transactional requirement without the restriction of geography and space.

 What is your take on the need for talent management in organisation?

Courteville Business Solutions plc always makes efforts to recruit the best qualifying candidates for the staff structure. Our standards have been one of the key factors contributing to the company’s productivity. It is only essential that to retain and develop these employees, talent management in the organisation should be adopted.

At Courteville Business Solutions plc we are like a family as we ensure staff feel connected and relevant in the system and we help develop the skills of staff whose performance have been above par. For those outside this performance programme, the Human Resource Manager conducts internal interviews to ascertain the causes of their poor performance.

The half-yearly appraisal exercises help identify the exceptional staff and the struggling ones. On the recommendation of the HRM and the head of the departments, the management approves training for recommended confirmed staff relating to their area of strength to help develop and harness their productive and intellectual level.

How best do you create the balance between work life and family life?

As the GMD of Courteville Business Solutions plc and a member of the Board of Directors for other companies, maintaining a balance between my family and my work responsibilities is not so complicated considering the fact that both activities are largely system based. But when you identify what is truly important, everything gets easier.

Family comes first for me and my philosophy of life is to be “very simple” and always look to God for everything in life. I go on vacation with my family during the major holidays and I spend the better part of my weekends with them no matter how busy the day may be.

I visit my parents and speak with my siblings regularly and we all carry each other along on most important decisions.