The founder of TEXEM UK, Dr Alim Abubakre, a British Nigerian, has said that improving business performance during a pandemic like COVID-19 is a very challenging task.
Abubakre, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said this was because there were disruptions which a business leader needed to avoid innovatively to perform well during such uncertain periods.
The entrepreneur noted that though the challenges were enormous, they were surmountable with the right dosage of creativity, innovativeness and determination on the part of the leaders.
He urged Nigerian leaders and entrepreneurs to be self-motivated before trying to motivate their team in the volatile era of COVID-19.
Abubakre said a prolific leader must firstly motivate himself before he could motivate his or her team in order to record maximum productivity.
“It becomes easy to provide strategic direction and inspire your team to achieve organisational goals when you are self-motivated.
“But, how do you motivate yourself? Well, be open to change, learn from others, reflect on your progress, balance your emotions, be deliberate about; the company you keep and what you read, and always make positive affirmative statements,” he explained.
Abubakre further gave advice on how strategic leaders could develop a growth mindset and win in 2022 and beyond.
“While it looks challenging and daunting during times of uncertainty, yet there are executives out there who are performing exceptionally well despite the many challenges they face.
“Such cases present an opportunity to learn how such leaders are sailing through the storms of the pandemic, competition, disruption and other headwinds.
“As a public or private sector leader, you need to learn and adopt the right strategies, with the appropriate executing competencies.
“These will assist you to circumvent the innumerable hurdles of the prevailing post-lockdown volatile operating context.
“And to better implement this, you must pursue a holistic stakeholder engagement and involvement strategies to stimulate an effective and efficient organisation-wide goals achievement.
“By the way, contrary to what many people think, leadership is not about coercion.
“On the contrary, sometimes transformational leadership improves organisational performance through appropriate coaching and inspiration.
“Arguably, certain qualities and characteristics are common among successful leaders who continually contribute to nation-building.
“How such individuals respond to circumstances, including disruptive pandemics such as the COVID-19 and the strategic choices that they make, all factor into their success and effective leadership.
“Most importantly, how well people respond to the need for change and transition, especially in this fast-paced, disruptive and digital age, sets them apart from their counterparts who might be struggling or performing dismally.
“If you are looking to be that leader that turns challenges into vitamins, then you need some essential skill sets,” he explained.
Abubakre is a British based entrepreneur with an unparalleled passion for Africa, academic, and Founder and Non-Executive Chair of TEXEM, UK, which has trained over 4,000 executives in the UK and Africa in the past 10 years.
He is on the advisory board of the London Business School Africa Society and lectures in Coventry, one of the top 15 UK universities.
