Success in the workplace is not for a limited few – Adebola Idowu
Adebola Adelaja Idowu, a seasoned corporate strategy and finance expert and author of discusses her book in this chat with CHUKS OLUIGBO, news editor.
In writing the book Unclip Your Wings, what did you set out to achieve?
he major objective was to make an impact. I wanted to share my career journey and learnings from my own experience with others. I thought of people who were unhappy with their current career situations and were looking for guidance and answers to certain questions, so I decided to share thoughts, ideas and things I have come to understand about the corporate world and how to navigate without falling into ditches or making certain mistakes. I imagined and still imagine that all of these could guide others not only in growing their careers, but to find happiness, satisfaction and fulfilment while they are at it.
If you were to sum up the core message of the book in a few sentences, what would you say?
The core message is that success in the workplace is not for a limited few. Everyone can have a sterling career and fulfilling life if we have the knowledge and understanding of what we must do. We can all be shining stars if we get deliberate about gaining clarity of our destination; having defined objectives; developing the strategies to achieve these objectives and executing these strategies.
At what point in your life/ career did you decide to write such a book and what particular experience or observation prompted it?
I honestly can’t tell. I don’t remember that point in particular, but here is what I remember: I have always loved to write – I kept diaries when I was younger, I wrote stories and poems and I could rewrite a whole textbook. Writing for me is natural.
I also love to teach. I passionately seek knowledge and when I learn something new either by reading or by experience, I share. If I wasn’t a strategy and finance professional, I would have been a teacher. I love to see people improve as a result of my intervention.
I think both passions conspired and ordered me to start typing things out in a word document. Another kick from these passions made me realise that I could make what I was typing out into a book. I was happy about this because it became clear that I would now be able to impact many people
Toutside my immediate circle. The books will be able to get into places where I might never be able to reach, and so people would learn from me and feel my impact even if I do not get to meet or speak to them personally.
The title of the book puts the responsibility of rising to the top squarely on the shoulders of the individual. It may well be so, but some may argue that it is not always so. So many have tried to unclip their wings, but unforeseen circumstances keep clipping the wings and holding them down. What would be your response to such arguments in
the context of the book?
You are right – As we journey through life, we may experience situations that will make us want to hide our heads beneath our wings and just fade into oblivion. Life will always happen. Something to take note of, however, is the beauty of creation and the human mind that allows us evolve and metamorphose into whatsoever we desire regardless of what we have been through. Irrespective of the situation we find ourselves in, we must continually find our best selves and ensure we stay committed to our truth, without losing focus and resolve. It is only when we have this zeal and determination that we can begin to ask the right questions from the right people and also ask for help. I have been through unpleasant situations in my life that could have pulled me down, but I choose to see past them. We owe that to ourselves. No matter how tough it gets, we are tougher.
Going through the book, I can say honestly that you have a good product. My worry, though, is that given the muchtalked-about poor reading culture around here, not many may get to read it. Does that worry you as well? How do you intend to ensure that the message gets across to those for whom it is meant?
It does bother me, not just because many may not get to read my book but because as a nation we are missing out on opportunities that come with acquiring knowledge. Our personal and professional development is stunted because we do not feed our minds. Seeking and applying knowledge would eliminate illiteracy and alleviate poverty, which have enveloped the citizenry. Knowledge would fast-track the achievements of laudable goals for us as individuals and as a nation.
We have strategised on how to get the message out, and one of our strategies is to hold book tours in different organisations, where we will emphasise the need for people to change their careers by applying the strategies shared in the book Unclip Your Wings. We believe these book tours will be mutually beneficial to the employees and their employers or organisations as it is strongly believed that an engaged employee will contribute positively to the growth and productivity of the organisation.
With 23.1 percent unemployment rate and an equally high rate of underemployment in the country, the major worry for quite a good number of the working-age population would be landing a well-paying, satisfying job. How does this book apply to such people?
This book talks about what companies look for in their employees; Unclip Your Wings will unveil the secrets to landing and holding down well-paying jobs to those who are seeking. Getting a good job is one thing, keeping it is another, and thriving in it is a different kettle of fish. While looking for that well-paying job, it is important to start learning the skills that will make you keep it and excel in it. I also shed some light on what C-suite executives look for in employees, and clearly described why some staffs are classified as A-star employees and the rest as ‘others’.
In chapter six of the book you write about role modelling. Many young people today find it hard to find models. Ask them who their model is and they would tell you Dangote or Otedola – for the sole reason that these guys are wealthy. Do you think role modelling still works here? Can the young still find models today?
Role modelling does work, and I agree that it is easy to want to be like the rich and successful until it is time to put in the time, effort, energy and knowledge these people have put into becoming the success they are. I have realised that being interested is different from being committed.
I advise that everyone defines what success means to them and then find people who are already in that space. This doesn’t have to be about money alone. I admire different people for different reasons, and I’m happy to learn from them, as I build myself to become a better and successful person. Of course, our young ones can still find models today. Their success at this, though, is heavily dependent on where they are searching. If you want to be the CFO of a multinational company, you wouldn’t find your role models on Instagram. Your chances of finding one on that platform are slim. I will suggest you try networking with people who are already in this career path on Linkedin, where you find a lot of professionals. If your role model is not in the career space but in the entertainment industry, more social and informal platforms like Instagram will work perfectly for you.
A point I like to emphasise about role models is that you don’t even need to meet your role model(s) personally. You can mirror and learn so much from them just by researching, reading about them to understand key things like their course of study, the professional qualification they possess and things that have helped their journey to the top.