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The World Needs Visionary, Courageous Leaders

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By Austin Okere

Today’s leaders must be effective communicators who embrace depolarization, paradox, and compassion—and who take action without fear.

  • As society faces a range of global challenges, it looks for leaders who can create positive change and share responsibility across sectors.
  • Today’s leaders must reject black-and-white thinking, be comfortable with uncertainty, and empathize with others.
  • Leaders are distinguished by whether their actions and attitudes are influenced by courage or fear.

 Effective leadership plays a critical role in shaping the success of any society or organization. As American author John Maxwell declared, “Everything rises and falls on Leadership”

 In our complex and connected world, society faces mounting environmental and humanitarian crises. Leaders must help drive societal change by taking into account not just profits, but also people and the planet. They must help society determine what type of growth is necessary and sustainable and what type of growth we can no longer afford. To accomplish this, today’s leaders need three essential traits:

They must be visionary. Bold, forward-thinking leaders see farther and more clearly than others, often anticipating what lies ahead. They motivate teams to perform at their best.

They must be collaborative. Such leaders encourage a greater diversity of ideas to flourish, and they make sure no one individual or entity shoulders the entire burden of any task. Collaborative leaders know how to share responsibility across all sectors to solve pressing societal challenges.

They must be willing to learn. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and large language models introduce leaders to new challenges on a regular basis. Leaders must be ready to constantly learn, unlearn, and relearn diverse skill sets to keep up with the changes. By embracing innovation and creativity, leaders can move beyond current restrictions and unlock more possibilities, iteratively creating new and improved realities.

Essential Competencies

To discover what qualities accomplished leaders should possess, Ausso Leadership Academy conducted an inquiry in partnership with AACSB. The academy is a mentorship program in Lagos, Nigeria, that I founded for executives and entrepreneurs. Our investigation showed us that leaders must develop capacity in three areas: depolarization, paradox, and compassion. These skills are so important for future leaders that business schools should provide opportunities throughout their curricula for students to develop them.

I speak about these capacities in a YouTube video on the #BusinessInsightsWithAO channel, but here’s a closer look at each one:

Depolarization is the ability to reject black-and-white thinking, embrace complexity, and explore alternative perspectives. It requires self-awareness, an open mind, and a nonjudgmental attitude that allows to engage in meaningful dialogue.

A professor could teach students about depolarization by dividing them into two groups that stand at opposite ends of the room and study a graphic on the floor. From one perspective, the graphic will look like the figure 6; from the other perspective, it will look like the figure 9. Students should discuss how they see the graphic from their position, and then switch sides with their peers.

This exercise teaches students that they must learn to listen to each other, acknowledge their different viewpoints, and find common ground. It shows them that people can create a more peaceful and harmonious world when they come together with respect, empathy, and understanding.

Paradox is the willingness to embrace uncertainty and acknowledge the interdependence of opposing forces. It involves operating with a curious and inquisitive mindset, recognizing personal limitations, and being honest with ourselves and others.

A faculty member could teach the concept of paradox by giving all students pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that depicts an elephant. Based on the pieces in their hands, students should try to guess what the whole image is. Those who see only the tail might think they’re looking at a rope; those who see only the thick legs might think they’re looking at a tree. The true image only emerges when all the pieces are put together.

Through this exercise, students are invited to explore the complexities of the human experience. They learn that sometimes the things that seem irreconcilable can be connected in ways that are not immediately apparent.

Compassion is the capacity to empathize with and understand different cultural backgrounds and personal experiences. It necessitates maintaining a broad perspective, avoiding confirmation bias, and striving to understand as well as to be understood.

Compassionate leaders radiate warmth, kindness, and understanding; they exude a sense of serenity that eases the burdens of those around them. Quite often, a high-performance member of the team falls on challenging times and simply needs an empathetic ear. If the compassionate leader offers a comforting word, the team member will feel a sense of hope, knowing that someone is willing to help.

To teach compassion, a professor can ask students what they would do if a team member dropped the ball on an important project. The class is likely to respond that the colleague should be removed from the team. Then the professor should remind the class that the individual is historically a high performer and suggest that the person might be going through some personal difficulties. At this point, students might view the situation differently and conclude that they should support their team member through this tough patch by showing compassion.

The Importance of Generative Listening

In addition to developing these crucial capacities, leaders must possess the ability to communicate effectively. Communication is always a two-way track, and the key part is generative listening, which happens when people listen intently, with curiosity and openness, to what each person has to say. Generative listening is not about waiting for a preconceived answer, but about creating spaces where others can feel heard, valued, and understood.

Generative listeners are not just waiting for their turn to speak, but truly seeking to understand and learn from each other. They offer words of encouragement, support, and affirmation, making each person feel safe to share their thoughts and feelings. They reflect back what they hear, ask thoughtful questions that deepen the conversation, and create spaces of respect and authenticity.

To become empathetic listeners, leaders must quiet the voices of judgment, cynicism, and fear and open themselves to the expectation of learning something new. They must step outside themselves, realizing that the truth is more conditional and experiential than their lone egos can fathom. Sometimes leaders are so arrogant that they are fully confident in their own incorrect views. Their need to be right trounces their need to learn what is true. But truth is the essential foundation for producing good outcomes.

A professor can teach generative listening by having students imagine a mathematics classroom for children. In this class, the teacher presents an addition problem to a young student named Mary: “If I give you these two apples and then I give you two more, how many apples will you have?” Mary confidently replies, “Five.” Instead of chiding Mary for her incorrect answer, the teacher should ask how she came up with that number. At that point, the teacher would learn that Mary already has an apple in the lunch bag that her mother packed.

Professors also can show students the power of generative listening by inviting them to share their experiences and learn from each other.

An Analysis of Leadership Attitudes

 As a leadership consultant and an entrepreneur-in-residence at Columbia Business School in New York City, I spend a great deal of time considering the traits that distinguish leaders from each other. I have determined that one critical quality is their attitudes toward delivery (producing the desired goods and services) and accountability (taking responsibility for how the work gets done). Are their attitudes influenced by courage or by fear?

To be continued


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General News

UBA Marks 75 Years of Excellence at 65th AGM

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United Bank for Africa (UBA) celebrated its 75th anniversary during its 65th Annual General Meeting, highlighting decades of resilience, innovation, and commitment to service.

Mr. Tony Elumelu, Group Chairman, reflected on the bank’s journey, emphasizing its ability to adapt and transform over three-quarters of a century.

He announced UBA’s impressive financial performance for 2024, including a gross revenue of ₦3.2 trillion and profit after tax of ₦767 billion.

The bank’s total deposits grew by 42% to ₦24.6 trillion, while its loan book expanded by 35% to ₦7.5 trillion.

Mr. Elumelu also addressed UBA’s efforts to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive to increase the minimum capital requirement for international commercial banks.

Following a successful rights issue, UBA’s capital now stands at ₦355.2 billion, with plans to raise the remaining ₦144.8 billion later this year.

GMD/CEO, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, reiterated UBA’s commitment to enhancing customer experience through digital banking.

He highlighted the bank’s focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced technology to serve its 45 million customers across 24 countries more effectively.

UBA’s dedication to environmental stewardship and social progress was evident in its 2024 initiatives, including planting 4,550 seedlings to offset carbon emissions and distributing over 13,000 books through the Read Africa Initiative.

The bank’s efforts were recognized with multiple awards, including “Bank of the Year” in five African countries.

As UBA continues its journey, Mr. Elumelu and Mr. Alawuba expressed gratitude to shareholders, customers, staff, and regulators for their unwavering support.

The bank remains committed to innovation, financial inclusion, and driving economic growth across Africa and the globe.


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FBI Sends Team to Nigeria to Track Down ‘Sextortion’ Scammers

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Sextortion scams have become so widespread that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is sending agents to Nigeria to help track down the perpetrators.

FBI Sends Team to Nigeria to Track Down 'Sextortion' Scammers

The agency’s “Operation Artemis” has led to the arrest of 22 Nigerians, half of whom are “directly linked” to sextortion incidents in which victims died by suicide.

Sextortion scams often begin on social media, where perpetrators pose as attractive young women to lure victims—typically unsuspecting teenage boys—into sending nude photos or explicit videos.

Once the images are obtained, the scammers turn to blackmail, threatening to leak the content unless the victim pays up.

In some cases, the sextortion results in teenage victims taking their own lives over fear of the nudes leaking.

In Thursday’s announcement, the FBI noted it’s been “observing a significant increase over the last three years in financially motivated sextortion schemes targeting young males ages 14-17, resulting in more than 20 minor victims dying by suicide.”

The agency is also facing a 30% year-over-year increase in sextortion-related tips.

“According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or IC3, there were over 54,000 [extortion-related] victims in 2024, up from 34,000 in 2023,” it said.

“Over the last two years there have been nearly $65 million dollars in financial losses due to this crime.”

In response, the FBI says 55 agency field offices came together to identify “nearly 3,000 victims of financially motivated sextortion,” which led investigators to track down the culprits in Nigeria.

The US has since extradited at least three suspects from Nigeria.

“These subjects will now be held accountable in the American justice system, with more subjects still awaiting extraditions in Nigeria,” the FBI added.

 

 

 

 


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FBNQuest Trustees Hosts Estate Planning Summit in Port Harcourt

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L-r: Head, Private Trust, FBNQuest Trustees, Rotimi Obende; Group Head, Wealth Management and Investment Advisory, FirstBank Nigeria – Private Banking, Dike Nze-Dike,; Head, Marketing and Business Development, FBNQuest Trustees, Abimbola Ajinibi; Acting Managing Director, FBNQuest Trustees, Babajide Fetuga; Private Trust Specialist, FBNQuest Trustees, Mutiat Olatunji and Head, Trust Investment and Strategy, FBNQuest Trustees, Yosola Odunaiya at the Estate Planning Summit recently held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
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FBNQuest Trustees Limited, a subsidiary of First HoldCo Plc, provider of trust solutions to individuals, corporate and government institutions, recently hosted its inaugural Estate Planning Summit in Port Harcourt.

The maiden event, themed: Wealth Preservation and Transfer without Hassle, was organised to strategically enlighten and empower the participants with the necessary knowledge required to seamlessly manage and successfully transfer their assets and legacies to their beneficiaries.

Speaking at the event, the Acting Managing Director, FBNQuest Trustees, Babajide Fetuga, stressed the critical importance of seeking professional guidance on estate planning, preservation and transfer of wealth to successive generations and other beneficiaries. He stated that a professionally drafted estate plan gives no room for any form of ambiguity; hence, it provides clear directives on what to do at any time.

‘’The potential consequences of not having an estate plan include perennial family disputes and protracted court cases, which may result in a huge financial burden and foster long-lasting resentments among loved ones if proactive steps are not undertaken to protect individuals, families and loved ones from avoidable stress.

‘’Understanding the values of wealth preservation is crucial. It is vital to recognize the importance of having a strategic estate planning blueprint, and we are determined to educate you with knowledge that not only informs but inspires you to take the necessary actions as you move forward,” he added.

FBNQuest Trustees is dedicated to promoting effective estate planning solutions. The company has a track record of successfully hosting estate planning summits in Abuja, Lagos, Minna and Ibadan and continues to emphasize the importance of thoughtful planning through initiatives like the Legacy Series Campaign and the Legacy Room podcast.

The summit featured industry experts who delivered valuable insights on the significance of wealth preservation and transfer, addressing the residents of Port Harcourt and its environs. The discussions focused on practical approaches and proactive measures attendees can adopt to manage their estates effectively and minimize potential future challenges.


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