Reflection on My Leadership Journey

In every journey, there is a beginning. A spark is what brings about fire. The leadership journey is a journey well worth taking. When I started my leadership journey, I did not really know or consider it a leadership journey. I didn’t even know where it was leading me, and I did not recognize my strengths and the opportunities therein.

But here I am today, a change champion, a certified change agent, a certified leader, teens and youths mentor, a project manager, and a theologian.

Being on memory lane, the subject “leadership” turned into a more and more interesting area of development, recognition, and respect for me. When I watched with keen interest how my biological father was always among the leaders of any organization or association he was into, how he used to add value to people’s lives, how he always gave of himself to intentionally change people’s lives, and how my billionaire father impacted, built, and helped many people live a life of success.

Down the line, I saw myself toeing the same path, with a good managerial attribute. During my primary school days, I was not very focused on my academics, and I was so strong and hard to be messed with by any of my classmates or agemates. I don’t usually fight for my own cause; anytime I am in a fight, I am fighting to defend somebody or a case, which made even my seniors and classmates afraid of me.

In my primary school, I can’t recall for sure holding any notable position, but whatever must be done or that would be done, I was among the people that would execute it, and if I did not give my approval, it means no way. Why? Because of the force and determination to do that and stand for it, some of them don’t have it.

This continued in this way into my junior secondary school days. But my leadership journey took on a new face during my senior secondary school days. Everything about me drastically changed; my mindset about life and its intractability’s completely turned around after I came in contact with these unmatched books: Psychology Magazine and the Holy Bible.

These two great books, and many others I would read later, took everything about me to another dimension. Like the speed of light, I became one of the brightest students in the class; I became friends with many, and most surprisingly, many of my teachers became close friends, unlike before.

Simultaneously, I become the Labour’s Prefect for my class and the Games Prefect for my school. I don’t really have room for nonsense entertainment, and I love to bring out the best in people. With the knowledge I gathered from the books I have read and the experience of being welcomed by teachers and being given some vital positions and responsibilities to handle, I discovered that leadership is about using the hand and the heart. It is about motivating others, especially my colleagues, and gaining their commitment.

Down to my undergraduate years, as I reflect on my leadership journey, I found myself to be the brain behind thrones, as many use to testify. You couldn’t come to me without getting an idea, enlightenment, or insight that would give you an edge over whatever is troubling your mind. I took charge of affairs, managing, directing, and inspiring people to take positive action. Sometimes, I would pick one topic and write an article on it, print it out, and share it with some of my close friends with my contacts and name at the bottom: Obison Inspirational. Some students would come demanding a copy, and I would give them one.

As this continued, I started to get recommendations from students for one leadership position or another, which I kept turning down until the Local Government Students Association elected me as their financial secretary. After that, I contested for the presidency of the association with a fourth-year student when I was in my third year, and I won the election hands down. But they refused to give it to me because they could not imagine how “they,” the fourth-year students, would be answerable to me. Meetings after meetings were held to urge me to allow my contender to go so that next year I can come out.

Well, after due consultation, I gave him my support to carry on as our president-elect. After his tenure, I contested for the same position with three other people, and I won them and became the president of my Local Government Student association. During my tenure, I was crowned His Royal Highness (HRH) of the association on the day of our cultural Day Heritage Display, which we had many dignitaries in attendance.

In the same period, I was the personal assistant (PA) to the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Chapter.

During one of my departmental association elections, I contested for financial secretary, but later the election did not hold again for our set, and we were mandated to conduct the election for the next set, in which I was made the chairman of that election.

Down to my postgraduate degree, I moved with a high spirit of leading with excellency and managing people to bring out the best in them. I embarked on the Community Development Service (CDS) project during my NYSC program in Bauchi State, Nigeria. I carried out a Community Development Project at the Special Education Centre, Yelwa, where I was establishing a Special Education Skills Acquisition Project (SESAP) in the school. I provided the school with computers, sewing machines, chairs and tables, technical tools, and many other instruments and materials for learning.

This project indeed, earned me a State Honours Award from NYSC, the State Government of Bauchi State, the Local Government, and a recognition by the chief of the host community of the project, and many other gifts from notable individuals in the state and community.

A step into the world of reality. I gained employment, and at the same time, I joined the community of my town and village meeting in Lagos. Almost on arrival, I was made the secretary of my village meeting and later the financial secretary. While in my town meeting, I was made the financial secretary. A couple of years later, I became the General Manager of my company. A position that put me in charge of all managerial and administrative activities of the company.

To my church community, when it become so obvious to me that the Lord want me to get myself ready to teach and preach His Word to the world. By His guidance, I enrolled  in a theological School, in which I came out with awards:

• The best  graduating student
• The best project student
• The most behaved student

After my graduation from the theological school, I was appointed the Sunday School Teacher of my church, and in May 2008, another priest created a teenager group and handed the group over to me to manage, mentor, and teach them the ways of the Lord, which I am handling till now, with some other posts and engagement with some NGOs and some forums for teen and youth development.

I attended many other programs and trainings to keep myself in shape and to remain relevant and valuable to my society and to the world at large.

On a special note, my appointment and engagement with teens and youths opened my eyes to the discovery that our teenagers and youths need extreme care and mentoring. I am glad that my journey with them is what gave birth to my first book on teenagers, Teenagers’ Soul Tonic: Living with New Spirit and Thought.

Later, I was appointed as one of the members of the lay leadership committee and the harvest committee secretary of my church.

The journey into having a handshake with Dr. Mike Oladipo, the founder and provost of MOGI Global Leadership School and CEO of Heroes Nation Consulting, was a leadership journey experience with a difference. I have come to understand on a clearer note that life itself and leadership are journeys of calling into responsibility, purposeful living, making an impact, and adding lasting values to the lives of others.