Q: What made you decide to invest in leadership training?
Amina:
To be honest, we didn’t think we needed it. I assumed being a good leader just meant setting targets and making sure people delivered. But we started having high staff turnover, poor communication between departments, and low morale. That’s when I knew something wasn’t right. We were managing, but we weren’t leading.
Q: What was your leadership approach before the training?
Amina:
Looking back, we were using the command-and-control style. If there was a problem, we just gave instructions. No one felt heard. We didn’t know how to handle disagreements or motivate our people beyond basic incentives. The truth is, we were making decisions in silos and not building a strong team culture.
Q: How did training change that?
Amina:
We worked with a training consultant who introduced us to leadership tools that I had never even heard of. We learned about emotional intelligence, how to lead with clarity, and how to coach our team instead of just supervising them. I also learned how important it is to model the behavior you want to see, something I didn’t do well before.
Q: What changes have you seen since then?
Amina:
Communication improved almost immediately. My managers started having one-on-one check-ins with their teams. Our meetings became more productive. People now take initiative instead of waiting for orders. We’ve even seen an increase in team engagement and customer satisfaction, which I didn’t expect to be connected.
Q: What would you say to other business leaders in Nigeria who haven’t yet considered leadership training?
Amina:
I would say don’t wait until you’re in crisis. Leadership is a skill, not a position. If you’re growing a team, even if it's just five people, training helps you do it right. It’s one of the best investments we’ve made as a company.
Where Businesses Are Getting Leadership Training That Works
Companies across Nigeria are discovering the value of leadership development and are turning to respected institutions such as:
- Lagos Business School, which offers intensive executive programs tailored to local and international leadership challenges
- NLP Nigeria, known for its focus on communication, emotional awareness, and personal leadership styles
- Phillips Consulting, which helps organizations build leadership pipelines and develop strategies for long-term team effectiveness
These programs go beyond theory, giving practical tools that managers and team leads can apply immediately.
Leadership is not about having authority. It’s about creating clarity, building trust, and bringing out the best in people. As Amina’s story shows, leadership training isn’t just for big corporations, it’s for any business that wants to grow with purpose.
The leaders you build today will shape the future of your organization tomorrow.