Bola Matel-Okoh is an skilled lawyer with greater than 30 years of expertise in varied authorized areas. She has sound authorized analysis abilities and experience in investigating circumstances, resolving consumer claims and transactions of purchasers' firms. She is an lawyer admitted to the New York State Bar and the Nigerian Bar. Her authorized expertise consists of areas reminiscent of admiralty and immigration legislation.
She is a licensed govt coach and founding father of BMO Advisory Providers and The Girls's Life-style Hub (WLH), which goals to supply help, advocacy and a protected house for govt ladies to attain stability and holistic wellness. In 2015, she was appointed non-executive director of Wema Financial institution Plc. She has accomplished coaching seminars at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France and Harvard Enterprise College, the place she developed experience in danger administration, superior govt technique and board effectiveness. On this interview with TOBI AWODIPE, she speaks concerning the which means of Girls's Month, the talents skilled ladies must excel and the way she guides ladies to beat challenges and obstacles, each personally and professionally.
March is the month devoted to celebrating the achievements and contributions of ladies all through historical past. How do you assume recognizing and honoring ladies's historical past can affect the current and future of ladies in management?
Historical past serves a twin position: not solely honoring previous achievements, but in addition as a information for these attempting to forge a path for themselves within the current and future. Recognizing and honoring ladies who’ve come earlier than us instills braveness and confidence in those that come after us in order that they will obtain the identical or extra exceptional achievements. As a girl in management, I draw loads of inspiration and motivation from the achievements of historic ladies who I look as much as as position fashions and mentors.
Worldwide Girls's Day (IWD) was lately celebrated. As an govt coach devoted to empowering C-suite ladies and ladies typically, what message would you wish to share with ladies striving for excellence of their skilled and private lives, and the way do you consider the which means of this present day?
I counsel ladies who attempt for excellence of their skilled and private lives to proceed to problem themselves by regularly elevating the bar. We can’t relaxation on our laurels and fall into the entice of considering we now have arrived. Right this moment's excellence is tomorrow's mediocrity; That’s the reason we should proceed to reinvent ourselves and make steady self-development a lifestyle. Worldwide Girls's Day is essential as a result of it creates a chance to focus on ladies who’re doing extraordinary issues by giving them the popularity they deserve.
By creating BMO Advisory Providers and the Girls's Life-style Hub, which have turn out to be standard up to now yr, you have got created an area devoted to empowering ladies in management. What impressed you to start out this enterprise and the way has it advanced to satisfy the altering wants of ladies in management?
After I first entered govt administration, there weren't many ladies at that degree and I felt like I wasn't getting the help I wanted. After I turned an govt coach, I noticed it as a chance to create a protected group the place govt ladies may get the assistance they wanted from their friends, different coaches, and seasoned mentors. Over the previous yr it has been heartwarming to see the sturdy bonds we now have developed as a group and the varied collaborations which have taken place.
How do you outline transformational management and what particular abilities or qualities do you imagine are essential for ladies in management who attempt for skilled and private excellence?
Because the identify implies, transformational management is management that may remodel lives. One of many modules we train in my six-week management program is 'Discovering the Chief Inside'. We delve deeper into various kinds of management and what it takes to be an inspiring chief; somebody who can lead in a method that has affect and creates transformational change within the lives of the individuals he leads. Authenticity and resilience are two of probably the most important traits of transformational or inspirational leaders. Each girl who pursues skilled and private excellence should develop it as a matter of nice significance.
You’re a revered lawyer who practices at each the Nigerian Bar and the New York Bar. Having attended coaching seminars at prestigious establishments reminiscent of IMD Switzerland, INSEAD and Harvard Enterprise College, how would you say these experiences have formed your strategy to danger administration, superior technique and company governance effectiveness?
I wish to name myself a lifelong learner and have a ardour for self-development. The chance to attend these trainings has helped to broaden my data of the varied matters and has due to this fact enabled me to function at the next degree of effectiveness in finishing up my supervisory obligations. The assorted trainings additionally allowed me to community with different executives from totally different nations and share mutually useful concepts.
Management positions usually include distinctive challenges. How do you information ladies in coping with these challenges and what recommendation do you have got for overcoming obstacles and setbacks?
Each problem or drawback has the potential for studying and development, and that is one thing I emphasize to main ladies in my group. That is the place resilience comes into play. There’s a saying that goes, “Powerful occasions by no means final, however robust individuals do.” You shouldn’t permit setbacks to cease you from attaining your desires. It's all a matter of perspective; you may see a setback as an ending or select to see it as simply one other problem on the trail to greatness. Challenges and setbacks have the potential to construct character in us if we embrace them and transfer via them with grit and willpower.
The significance of mentorship can’t be overstated, particularly for ladies. How do you view mentoring for ladies in management and what position does it play in your teaching philosophy?
Mentorship is important and performs an essential position in management growth. Usually, a mentor has walked the trail you’re on and is able to present invaluable and much-needed recommendation and steering at any time. That's why mentors are an essential a part of the Girls's Life-style Hub framework. Now we have month-to-month 'Energy Girls Periods' the place skilled and skilled Hub mentors share with us and these periods have confirmed to be an excellent useful resource for the management ladies in the neighborhood.
Nonetheless within the discipline of mentorship, March usually prompts reflections on inspiring ladies. Are you able to share a girl or ladies who’ve impressed you personally and professionally and the way their affect has formed your strategy as an govt coach?
On a private degree, that will positively be my late mom. She exemplified love, dedication and empathy, all qualities she instilled in me and these qualities have made me extra attuned to the wants of the individuals I coach.
Professionally, that will be Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, whom I describe as “my fountain of limitless assets”. Her authenticity and the best way she is ready to stability her roles and obligations have been an actual supply of steering and inspiration. This has offered a invaluable blueprint for me as a result of my ardour as a coach of govt ladies is work-life stability or work-life integration as some individuals name it.
Government ladies could face distinctive challenges of their careers. What particular challenges have you ever noticed and the way are you adapting your teaching to successfully deal with these challenges?
There are fairly a couple of. From my private expertise, the one which stands out is the necessity to stand your floor even if you find yourself outnumbered. Somebody as soon as instructed me that “males are likely to collaborate” and I’ve discovered this to be true. This may be fairly intimidating. That's why we train “energy play” in our management program, which teaches ladies in management learn how to finest navigate the distinctive challenges they face of their careers or enterprise landscapes.
Girls and everybody typically usually discover power in help networks. How do you encourage ladies in management to construct and leverage networks that promote collaboration, mentorship and mutual development? For instance, is that this one thing that occurs on the Girls's Life-style Hub?
The entire essence of Girls's Life-style Hub is to construct a supportive community of ladies who’re dedicated to constructing long-term strategic relationships, whether or not that's with their friends, coaches or our hub mentors. The reality is that as people we can’t obtain something alone. We lately had a session exploring alternatives for collaboration throughout the Hub and we now have already seen some collaboration between group members.
As an govt coach targeted on serving to C-suite ladies maximize their potential, are you able to share a transformative second once you witnessed vital private {and professional} development in a consumer that displays the affect of your teaching strategy?
Oh, there are fairly a couple of. In every cohort of our six-week management program, we now have what we name the “Dean's Discretionary Award,” which is given to the person who demonstrates vital development throughout this system. In cohort one, I ended up giving the award to 2 women as a result of the transformation that passed off in them throughout this system was nothing in need of superb. This has been the development in subsequent cohorts and the numerous testimonials we obtain are testomony to this.
Within the spirit of this month, how can ladies in management actively contribute to constructing a optimistic legacy for future generations, each inside and past their skilled environments?
Legacy is all about affect and constructing a optimistic legacy begins with defining what sort of optimistic affect you wish to make within the lives of individuals you work together with, each on a private {and professional} degree. When you are able to do this, you may focus your vitality on what it takes to attain these targets.
What’s the final phrase you wish to share with ladies studying this?
I don't know if I’ve only one phrase, however I might say to each girl studying this: “You could have all the pieces you should excel, go for it!”
