During the recent Emerging Leaders' Summit, renowned performance strategist Dr. Abiola Salami delivered a powerful message to young leaders across Africa, emphasizing the critical importance of accountability and responsibility in leadership development.
The Call for Responsible Leadership
The event, which took place on November 29, 2025, served as the launch platform for Salami's new book GRIT (Grow, Rise, Innovate, and Thrive). The summit carried the theme 'How to Drive Accountability and Ownership in Young Talents,' setting the stage for Salami's compelling address.
Dr. Salami didn't mince words when he stated that excuses hinder growth and described accountability as taking responsibility before pointing fingers. "Leaders take responsibility; workers don't," he declared, challenging the audience to adopt a more proactive approach to their personal and professional development.
Practical Wisdom from Experience
Sharing a powerful anecdote from his early banking career, Salami recounted how his proactive handling of a complaint from former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, led to an unexpected reward. This single act of responsibility blossomed into a 17-year mentorship relationship that opened numerous career opportunities for the young professional.
According to Salami, this experience demonstrates how taking ownership helps individuals grow, build essential skills, and position themselves for new opportunities in both their careers and personal lives. He acknowledged the reality of office politics in every workplace but advised attendees to leverage their problem-solving abilities to drive both organizational and personal progress.
Endorsements and Additional Insights
The event featured several other distinguished speakers who added depth to the conversation about leadership and personal development. Cybersecurity Expert Professor Peter Obadare commended Salami's new book, describing it as a practical guide for personal and professional growth that emphasizes moving beyond job titles to develop a value-driven mindset.
Transformational Coach Debola Deji-Kurunmi (DDK) emphasized the importance of creating a personal blueprint for breakthrough and success. She encouraged attendees to focus on knowledge expansion, certifications, and personal development, stressing that Africans must take charge of their future by leveraging their youthful population and creativity.
DDK highlighted crucial competencies that often go overlooked: "Managing how you speak, how you regulate your emotions, how you present your ideas, how you handle conflict. Those are key competencies that are softer but are equally acquired in your group."
The Global Perspective on Leadership
Dr. Linus Okorie, a renowned leadership coach and founder of the GOTNI Leadership Centre, brought a global perspective to the discussion. He emphasized that transformational leadership is essential in today's fast-paced world, where competition is no longer local but international.
"It will interest you to know that the world has changed," Okorie stated. "To everyone in this room, your competition is no longer local; your competition is now international. We are in a world whereby if you don't do anything to reinvent yourself, to stay at the place where your impact is felt on the global level, you might not be able to make the kind of sustainable impact we are talking about."
Drawing from his 31 years of research, Okorie revealed that only five percent of humans are optimized - meaning they bring significant value to the table and are the ones who make things happen within institutions and organizations.
The event concluded with breakout sessions where faculty members shared valuable ideas with attendees, providing practical applications for the principles discussed throughout the summit.
