Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman of UBA Group and Foundation of the same name, elaborated on what he considers to be the principles of leadership. The founder of a foundation that supports more than 5,000 young entrepreneurs across the continent reflects on his journey and the facts that have shaped his leadership.Discover his column here.

People often ask me TOE, how do I learn leadership. Do I need to take a course? Buy a book? Looking for a mentor? Are leaders born or can we become leaders?

Like I said about business success, many elements of leadership are about luck: being in the right place at the right time. But I also believe that the talent and discipline you display in creating a vision, and the resilience and focus to achieve that vision, also shape your own personal leadership.

At the beginning of my career, I had the opportunity to work with Chef Ebitimi Banigo. My leadership philosophy was developed through working with him. It all started in 1988 when Chief Benigo took the time to read my application letter and gave me the opportunity to prove myself at Allstates Trust Bank. Today, when my coworkers tell me, “TOE, you respond to our emails too quickly,” I laugh because I learned this from the master chef Banigo. When I sent him a memo, he responded within twenty-four hours; so why shouldn’t I respond faster in the age of technology?

These are some of the leadership values ​​I learned during my time at Chief Banigo and I am putting them all into practice today.

Leaders must demand excellence : Only by working harder and pushing ourselves can we truly grow and stand out. Hard work and excellence brought me to the attention and subsequent trust of my bosses, Toyin Akin-Johnson and Ebitimi Banigo. At the age of twenty-seven, I was promoted from intern to boss and was appointed branch president. I was the youngest bank branch president at that time. Everything I had learned before paid off and I continued to learn.

Good leaders see things in people that they don’t know they have. Leaders recognize the talent within their teams and then work to unleash it. When I work, I not only achieve my own goals, but I also unlock the skills of my team. I know that everyone I work with has huge potential – for me, my success also depends on the success of others, developing and expanding their talents is the basis of our growth at Heirs Group Hodings. This focus on talent, team and individual transformation is why I place such emphasis on creating systems, cultures and pathways where human capital can thrive. This is why I am a corporate investor and an entrepreneur across Africa.
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Leaders must preach with words – A leader must be consistent. People want to trust leaders they believe have integrity. Leadership isn’t just about telling people what to do, it’s about leading by example. A good leader must lead by example and practice what they preach, which demonstrates integrity and builds trust and respect.

Leaders must spread their knowledge : I benefited from the guidance of Chief Banigo of Allstates Trust Bank. He helped me develop my strategic thinking, frame of reference, and translate my ideas into concrete actions so that when the opportunity came, at age thirty-four, I had the confidence to bring a small group together. Taking over and reviving a bank that was on the brink of bankruptcy—a monumental step that still shapes an industry and a continent to this day.

Today, when faced with an impossible situation, I ask myself: “What would Chief Banigo do?” I worked with Chef Banigo from 1988 to 1995, and to this day, when I need advice, I Everyone will ask him for help.