The joy of leadership and entrepreneurship is not in the success of the founder alone or the company that was set up. Rather, it is much in the success of everyone involved, particularly staff members that have shown loyalty to the enterprise over the years. They have proven that the enterprise is worthy of their commitment; they have proven loyalty at all times. It has always been the case that when there is the assurance of staff loyalty, the enterprise has no reason to fail, all things being equal.

Loyalty itself is the hallmark of leadership. It is a priceless endurance towards achieving some set of goals. The reward for such commitment must be seen in both the short and long terms.
What is more when the commitment has led to positive result in little more than a decade of running the enterprise? In a chosen career of private sector engagements, the contribution is positive to social and economic development in the areas of capacity building, employment generation and transfer of knowledge capital as our companies begin to make Nigeria proud in other countries like Sao Tome, Ghana, United Arab Emirate and the United Kingdom.

In what is now referred to as one of the most diversified conglomerates in Africa, Energy Group has significant interest in oil and gas, banking, insurance, reinsurance, hotels, print media, education, and industries. Nigeria, through her president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has demonstrated gratitude. The big thank you came with the conferment of the national honours on the founder of Energy Group in the category of THE COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC (CFR).

The need to transfer leadership to those next to us is the immediate benefit of loyalty. It is a further commitment of these officials, while it is appropriate for us to have another term of engagement in the public sector, as we did in the private sector, for the rest of our lives. When we contemplated, as a matter of policy, to send management staffers to the University of Oxford at the group interactive session, everyone was very happy and we were all looking forward to how it will happen. Of course, the burden was on me as the Group Managing Director. It was surprising that I was not exempted, I needed to provide leadership. The officer in charge of training in my office wrote to Oxford in respect of our decision and collected the application forms. And since I was the one making the recommendations for all the sixteen MDs applying, I was very hopeful that my application would be automatic and if that is not so, then I would have to subject myself to one hour interview on phone with Professor Lalit Johri of the University of Oxford!

Again, it was a test case for me. If I failed the interview and any of my MDs passed, I would be in trouble! I had also been informed that the class would admit only thirty five people at the maximum and most likely from 35 countries. So I was at a loss as to what the interview result would look like for me and the rest of the MDs. I had no doubt that I would pass the interview, so the university set the appointment time for me at 1pm on that eventful day.

I took a room at the hotel at 11am and asked the reception to wake me up by 12:30 pm. At 1pm, the phone rang with the professor on the line. So we began the interview. The first question was: ‘What is it that puts your company in competitive disadvantage?’

My answer: Information technology! And I explained. The next question: ‘How do you find solution to compelling problems in management?’ The answer: I find solution through management books. The next question: ‘Which of the management books are you reading now?’ I answered: Professor Kaplan and Norton on Alignment.

What followed? “I have the privilege of admitting you to the 2014 class of the Oxford Advanced Management and Leadership Programme here at the University of Oxford!” I was very happy as I accepted the Oxford admission with pride. I told my colleagues of my success at the interview and looked forward to their own success, as well. I was confident that since they were all appointed on merit, they would succeed. Two weeks later, they all succeeded but to attend Oxford at different times. Some will attend in 2014 while others will attend in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

My joy was full because if any of them was rejected, it will raise doubts about my judgment capacity in elevating people to MD positions. The reaffirmation from Oxford gave me good assurances that these gentlemen and ladies were indeed qualified for the position they were occupying, like their colleagues in the global world that were admitted to the University of Oxford.

First to attend Oxford after me was our MD/CEO, Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, Abimbola Ogunsusi, (nee Busari), a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University with second class upper degree and holding a masters in Business Administration from the same university. She is currently running the pioneer programme of Oxford Transition to Leadership. Bimbo was appointed MD/CEO about a year ago, after joining the group eleven years ago. She served in various capacities in the Group, including as petrol station manager, administrative officer, Head, Department of People Management and Head, Procurement Department, Air Nigeria. A strategic driver, she is a clear introvert, positively dangerous with the pen, compelling and a result oriented leader. I can only wish her the very best in Oxford as she joins the other eighteen leaders across the world in her class, hoping to complete it in January next year. This is wishing her the joy of headship as she completely transits to leadership.

Attending the same class with me in June was Okehie Queenette. She is a graduate of the University of Port Harcourt with a second class upper degree in Economics. Easy going, Queenette first worked in Global Fleet at the earlier stages of the company as Head, Treasury, after she rose to the position of a general manager in Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa. She later became General Manager at First Bank Plc, from where she was engaged as the Senior Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of Imo state. She later returned to base (Global Fleet) and was appointed as the MD, Energy Investment Ltd, a subsidiary of Energy Bank, Ghana. She has since returned as the Executive Director of Energy Bank. An interactive leader, the silent moving force of our 2014 class, very intelligent and result oriented person. It is left for me to wish Queenette the very best as she settles down after the class to reflect on the problems that are gigantic in nature. Very soon, we all expect from her the very first seat role in leadership.

Attending the October class of the Oxford Advanced Management and Leadership Programme are Emmanuel Jegede and Mrs. Ajayi Adetutu.
Jegede, as we fondly call him, is a complex introvert, a gentleman in every right and a moral leader with a sound sense of judgment. He is a graduate of Insurance from the University of Lagos some twenty years ago. He joined our group ten years ago and he is currently the Chief Executive Officer of West Africa’s biggest insurance company, The Nicon Insurance. It was previously owned by the government of The Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Oxford class will be very useful to Jegede in the area of strategic thinking, particularly on issues of competitive advantage and the market ends. Of more interest to him will be the challenges of leadership in the twenty-first century and interlocking strategy to move Nicon beyond the privatisation level. As I look forward to see a change in leadership, I do hope that the reflections will add up to the gains of Nicon while wishing Jegede a successful stay in Oxford.

Adetutu Ajayi, a fellow of the institute of charted accountants of Nigeria, is an executive director of the Nigeria Reinsurance Institute. She made the list of the Oxford Class of Advanced Management and Leadership programme. A completely humble leader, she is almost 100 percent introvert like her sister Abimbola. A very honest leader with creative leadership mind, Ajayi will enjoy the class on the leading change at Simmons. She will be excited with the corporate finance of Professor Marc Bertoneche’s class. As I look forward to how she advises on the American credit card case studies, I also can say she perhaps must have developed and provided some strategic thinking in relation to developing corporate social responsibility for Nigeria Re. It is my joy to wish Ajayi a pleasant stay at Oxford. We are looking forward not only to new innovations in strategies, but also accelerated innovation, the Oxford approach.

There is no doubt that these officers have demonstrated those key principles of loyalty that include love for your job, developing courage to do the job and never running away from the challenges of perception. Ajayi will never give up on an assignment until there is good result. Jegede believes there is life only in what he is doing at all times. Queenette never gives up in the face of a terrible storm. To her, a smile will do. Abimbola thinks loyalty will do it all. Her level of commitment to honesty is a precedent to many of the upcoming staffers.

In June 2015, Bridget, Kafilat, Moses, Ayelemi and Jolaiya will be joining the class as their colleagues will be graduating next month. Let me also wish the Bridget class a happy preparation. And as we prepare more leaders for the Oxford class, it is only left for me to remind the future class of Uchenna, Aminat, Yinka, Victor, Ikolo, the editors, and others in the group that they will make us proud by passing the interview. And if they do, things will be said about them when it is time to write their tributes.
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Love this, very good motivation strategy and leadership prowess. Sir, you just won my respect for your exemplary leadership skill.