Abuja – “Effective leadership requires a vision. A leader must have a clear vision of where they want to take the people who have put their trust in him or her to take them forward.” said former Coca Cola Executive Alex Cummings, now a Liberian presidential candidate in Abidjan during a leadership conference organized by the telecommunications giant, MTN recently.
Other members of the panel included Mr. Thierry Tanoh, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Deputy Chief of Staff of Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
The conference also brought together top business leaders from Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Congo, who through their many accomplishments and leadership within their countries embody the region’s future.
“Visionary leadership is important for Africa and it needs to be taken to a higher level. It is important to have a clear vision if you want to be a good leader.”, said the political leader of the Alternative National Congress, (ANC) in Liberia.
Cummings also said leadership must be ‘Transformational’, and geared towards tangible goals, which he expressed, “can only be successful through hard work, collaboration with the right people and being able to tap into the resources available”, also adding that, “being surrounded with the best possible people who believe in the agenda and use the power system with wisdom, integrity and transparency is the only way a leader can only reach his or her goals and achieve transformation. “
Minister Thierry Tanoh, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Deputy Chief of Staff, who also spoke at the panel emphasized the difference between a manager and a leader.
According to Tanoh, “a leader is one who already has a position capable of influencing others. However, this is not because we have a position that one is necessarily leader, said Tanoh. “A leader is someone who leads others to excel”.
Event organizer Chris Ngueda and his team expressed their gratitude to Alexander Cummings, the Minister Thierry Tanoh and all participants of the MTN leadership conference.
Reported with help from Elisée B at Abidjan.net