by Liz Whitfield
The King of ife- His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Princess Halliday, His Royal Highness Alhaji Dr Yahaya Abubakar, His Royal Highness Mallam Mahamadu Sanusi 11(Emir of Kano), Executive Governor of Lagos State Nigeria-Governor Akinwumi Ambode, His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnemeka Alfred Achebe, CFR, Obi of Onitsha, 2019 Presidential candidate for Nigeria Alistair Soyode, are designated speakers for the forthcoming 2017 Nigeria -Agri Food Investment Forum scheduled to take place on the 9th-10th of October 2017.
Princess Halliday who is Scheduled to speak at the Mackerel Business and Leadership conference in Virginia Commonwealth University will leave the United States right after for Nigeria to speak on Leadership & Emotional intelligence. Her focus will be on addressing the seemingly increasing barriers to leadership, business and investment in Nigeria and proffering solutions through which this can be strengthened. Speaking at the World Leaders Forum, Princess Halliday share that “When Leaders get the environment right, humans, businesses, Investment will do remarkably”. She says “You can take a good business and put this in a bad environment, and that business turns sour. You can take a bad business and put in a good environment and this business will develop vigorously. Same goes for people. Leaders are responsible for creating this environment and the people that will sustain it, not just the results.
Having recently signed a broadcast deal, the multifaceted extraordinary leadership expert Princess Halliday says “You cannot place me in a box” before you do so, explain to me how you think I went from a first degree in Petroleum Engineering, International Business, Communication and Leadership etc. for over two decades? I harness my expertise and skills valuably. When countries or organizations tell me what it is that we need to accomplish and if it falls within my values, I work day and night to bring it to existence. Sometimes what people get is a fragment of who I am. I channel parts of me to context, the bits that are relevant for that situation.
My work ethics is extraordinary. I strive to harness my skills and expertise the best way I can. Gone are the days when people can enforce only one skill or career path on others. I understand that Africans still struggle with accepting young people who are unmarried and doing things the right way, we still tend to place value on having a spouse or being a Mrs.”X” as one way to being relevant and thus some women live under their shadow. I remember many years ago, when I sat for a discussion with a female leader who was at the helm of leadership in Africa and although she had lost her husband and was getting ready to date again, she constantly wore a ring on her finger. She told me that our people respected her and her position more because they still believed she was married and so she lived and operated as a married woman daily, even though she wasn’t. That was one way she could be taken seriously.
A woman must first discover who she is, what she stands for, her values, her core before embracing additional into her life.
Often times, leaders talk about growth and giving opportunity to the young generation but in reality very few leaders want growth. Power gets intoxicating and so it becomes hard for them to let go. But the truth is GREAT LEADERS EXTEND THE CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE SO THE MOST JUNIOR PERSON FEELS LIKE THEY “BELONG”.
But one great challenge for Nigeria – one that has stalled her leadership since independence – is how to convince 170 million people to put aside competing interests, sideline different religions, leaderless uprising, ethnicities, political persuasions, and build a United Nation with Authentic leaders to truly bring about significant change to Nigeria.For effective balance in our economic visions and goals and to grow the economy and make better economic opportunities for all -It is time for a change in the narrative of our leadership.
Princess Halliday’s Book “NOT AFRAID TO LEAD” is available for Pre-Order. Strengthening leaders as they walk on the road map to being Authentic Leaders are concentrations which the book provides.
PRE-ORDER on the link below and support this good cause.