‘ Women Striving For Excellence Professionally Must Constantly Raise The Bar’

Bola Matel- Okoh

is an accomplished attorney with over 30 years of experience in diverse areas of jurisprudence. She possesses solid legal research skills and expertise in investigating cases, adjudication of clients’ claims and transactions of clients’ businesses. She is a New York State Bar and Nigerian Bar admitted attorney. Her legal experience spans areas such as Admiralty and Immigration Laws.

A certified executive coach, she is the founder of BMO Advisory Services and The Women’s Lifestyle Hub ( WLH), which seek to provide support, advocacy and a safe space for executive women to achieve balance and holistic wellness. In 2015, she was appointed Non- Executive Director of Wema Bank Plc. She has attended training seminars at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France and Harvard Business School, where she developed expertise in risk management, advanced strategy for directors and the effectiveness of corporate boards. In this interview with TOBI AWODIPE, she speaks on the significance of women’s month, skills needed for professional women to excel and how she guides women in overcoming challenges and obstacles, personally and professionally.

March is the month dedicated to celebrating the achievements and contributions of women throughout history. In your view, how can recognising and honouring women’s history influence the present and future of executive women? ISTORY

Hserves a dual role of not only honouring past achievements but also as a guide for those trying to blaze a trail for themselves in the present and future. Recognising and honouring women who have gone before instills courage and confidence in those coming after so that they can accomplish the same or more remarkable feats. As an executive woman, I draw a lot of inspiration and motivation from the achievements of historical women I look up to as role models and mentors.

The International Women’s Day ( IWD) was marked recently. As an executive coach dedicated to empowering c- suite

women and women in general, what message would you like to share with women striving for excellence in their professional and personal lives and how do you reflect on the significance of the day?

I advise women striving for excellence in their professional and personal lives to continue to challenge themselves by constantly looking to raise the bar. We cannot rest on our laurels and fall into the trap of thinking we have arrived. Today’s excellence is tomorrow’s mediocrity; so we must keep reinventing ourselves and make continuous self- development a way of life. The International Women’s Day is important because it creates an opportunity to spotlight women doing extraordinary things by giving them the recognition they deserve.

In establishing BMO Advisory Services and the Women’s Lifestyle Hub, which have become popular in the last one year, you have created a space dedicated to empowering executive women. What inspired you to start this venture and how has it evolved to meet the changing needs of women in leadership?

When I first got into executive management, there were not many women at that level and I felt like I did not get the support I needed. When I became an executive coach, I saw it as an opportunity to create a safe community where executive women could get the help they needed from their peers, other coaches and seasoned mentors. Over the last year, it has been heartwarming to see the strong bonds we have developed as a community and the different collaborations that have taken place.

How do you define transformational leadership and what specific skills or qualities do you believe are crucial for executive women aiming for professional and personal excellence?

As the name implies, transformational leadership is leadership that can transform lives. One of the modules we teach in my six- week leadership programme is, “Discovering The Leader Within You”. We take an in- depth look into different types of leadership and what it takes to be an inspirational leader - someone who can lead in a way that makes an impact and brings about transformational change in the lives of the people they lead. Authenticity and resilience are two of the most essential characteristics of transformational or inspirational leaders.

Any woman aiming for professional and personal excellence must develop them as a matter of great importance.

You are a respected lawyer called to both the Nigerian Bar and New York Bar. Having attended training seminars at prestigious institutions like IMD Switzerland, INSEAD and Harvard Business School, how would you say these experiences shaped your approach to risk management, advanced strategy and corporate board effectiveness?

I like to call myself a lifelong learner and I am passionate about self- development. The opportunity to attend these trainings has helped broaden my knowledge in the different subject matters and as a result, allowed me to operate at a higher level of effectiveness in carrying out my oversight responsibilities. The various trainings have also allowed me to network with other executives from several countries and share mutually beneficial ideas.

Executive positions often come with unique challenges. How do you guide women in navigating these challenges and what advice do you have for overcoming obstacles and setbacks?

Every challenge or problem has within it the potential to learn and grow, and this is something I emphasise to executive women in my community. This is where resilience comes into play. There is a saying that, “tough times never last, but tough people do.” You must not allow setbacks to keep you from achieving your dreams. It’s all a matter of perspective; you can see a setback as an end or choose to see it as just another challenge on the path to greatness. Challenges and setbacks have the potential to build character in us when we embrace them and walk through them with grit and determination.

The importance of mentorship cannot be overemphasised, especially for women. How do you view mentorship for executive women and what role does it play in your coaching philosophy?

Mentorship is vital and plays a significant role in leadership development. Most of the time, a mentor has walked the path you are on and is in a position to provide valuable and muchneeded counsel and guidance at any time. That is why mentors are a key feature in the Women’s Lifestyle Hub framework.