A team is a group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. In assembling a good team, one needs to strike a balance between the crippling nature of ‘’sameness’’ and the chaotic nature of diversity. Team vs. Group To be successful, …

Models can sometimes portray unattainable standards. When your journey doesn’t match the picture-perfect model depicted by conventional society, have the confidence to embrace your reality. This was one of the key takeaways from the LCIA Power Panel event which I attended on Saturday. At the event, I shared my ”12 step Startup Action Plan” with …

If you have ever wondered why people start businesses, here are three of the predominant reasons

My Find of the Week is a case study illustrating the importance of core values for business leaders. When the pandemic forced tough corporate decisions, this CEO leaned into his ethical, Jesuit-based education. Travel and Transport is the world’s largest 100% employee-owned global travel management company. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the transportation industry hard and …

What ”powers” characterize great entrepreneurs? The Latin word for ”power” is ”virtus” or virtue. So, to rephrase the question, what virtues make an entrepreneur great? On my recent talk with Michael Oguntimehin on ”The Big Resolution Show”, I shared my views on the following entrepreneurial powers: 1. Magnanimity: The power to aspire to great achievements. An example …

My ”Find of the Week” is Vishal Gupta‘s award-winning journal article which reveals that female CFOs are less likely to engage in financial misreporting than male CFOs. Vishal Gupta is a renowned Professor of Entrepreneurship at the The University of Alabama. Passionate about research and scholarship, he is spearheading the 2021 Virtual Seminar for Entrepreneurship Research at the Academy …

My ”Find of the Week” is Evan Douglas‘ latest book on ”Entrepreneurial Intentions.” Evan Douglas is a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Griffith University in Australia. His book, published by Edward Elgar Publishing in 2021, addresses the famous phrase popularised by Simon Sinek ”Start with Why” Why do people start businesses? The lure of profit, the desire to make a difference, the desire …

My ”Find of The Week” is Brian Green‘s research on the relationship between technology and religion (particularly the Catholic Church). I met Brian Green when he was invited by Søren Juul Jørgensen to give a talk to the participants of the Responsible Digital Leadership project at Stanford University. Professor Green is the director of technology ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied …

“Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly. —Stephen R. Covey, educator, author, and businessman Before you begin the journey, ask yourself these questions: What is motivating me to start this business?Am I prepared to live up to the demands …

The world was recently enthralled by the conduct of the Presidential elections in the United States of America, which ushered in President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Keeping tabs on the goings-on in the United States isn’t merely good for conversing on social media; it’s also good for business. As the world’s largest …

Entrepreneurship has become a broad label under which a hodgepodge of assumptions are housed. This blog post will clarify what entrepreneurship is and what it isn’t. MYTH 1: ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS ABOUT DELIVERING HIGH PERFORMANCE: Entrepreneurship is not the study of performance of individuals or firms in the context of small or new businesses. The study …

I love the month of September – not merely because it’s the month in which I was born but also because it’s that time of the year when a new academic year begins all around the world. I’m happy to announce that three years after obtaining an Executive MBA from Lagos Business School, I’m returning …

Law firms. Restaurants. Consulting firms. Fashion boutiques. Schools. While the technology enterprise aspires for growth and the social enterprise is geared towards impact, the small business enterprise is built for stability. A good example of a small business is a nursery and primary school. Schools are the quintessential small business and their owners are devoted …

Grameen Bank. The Salvation Army. Mercy Corps. The African Leadership Academy. Unlike the typical technology entrepreneur who is spurred on by innovation and the lure of riches, the social entrepreneur is inspired by a noble desire to make a difference in the world. They are action-oriented idealists – sensitive enough to see a need in …

Like the blind men who described an elephant from different perspectives, several pundits have attempted to define entrepreneurship in disparate ways. Not least among them is a renowned Harvard business school professor, Howard Stevenson, who famously described entrepreneurship as ‘’the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled.’’ I like to think of the …

Chances are that you are a gainfully employed professional in a stable industry with good future prospects. However, there’s a germ of a business idea that has been niggling at the back of your mind for months. Perhaps you are tired of the daily grind, endless politicking or interminable traffic and want to make a …

Simon Sinek, the popular author, speaker and marketing consultant, wrote about the importance of defining your company’s mission statement in his groundbreaking book ‘’Start with Why.’’ And he makes a really great point: Figuring out “why” you do something makes it easier for you, and those you work with to find fulfillment in doing it. …

  My AWEC (African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative)journey started during my days as an Executive MBA student at Lagos Business School. I was fortunate to have been selected as one of the 50 pioneer students of the African Platform course offered by the Centre for Global Enterprise (CGE) – a micro-course which changed the trajectory of …

Ode to Excellence When I was 16, I recall flipping through the pages of an old edition of the Harvard Business Reviewwhile waiting for my mother in her boutique in the suburbs of Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria. As I flipped through, the picture of a man standing triumphantly at the peak of a …