Name: Nwadiuto Chukwuezi

Title: Virtual assisitant

Organisation: Professional pathfinders Mentorship Hub

My name is Nwadiuto, I'm a virtual assistant and I am from Nigeria. Over the years, I have worked with different brands and startups companies.

I basically assist business owners and coaches with their workload by assisting them in time management and prioritizing their work to ensure efficiency and focus on what really matters.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Nwadiuto's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

As challenging as it can be, I love being a leader. I enjoy working with people although, there are some difficult ones out there.

(Are you part of them?)

The most challenging thing about been a leader is the fact that human beings can be difficult and to ensure collaboration and team work, you need to uniquely understand each of their characters and what wires them in order to know how to follow them. Understanding people is what makes a great leader.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

Ohh, that's a long story but I will make it brief.

So, when I started in my field as a virtual assistant, I realized that it wasn't a really popular sector in my country.

So, I decided to host a mini session where I explained what the virtual assistant world is all about.

While doing this, honestly, I enjoyed every bit of it. From how I could help this people grow and learn something new. Some reached out asking for more information and seeking mentorship.

I didn't see myself as the one who could do it but I still took them. My mindset was even if I can't teach them all. At least, they can learn the little I know.

From there, I somehow unintentionally made a team for myself. Assigning different things to them and coordinating them as well.

Fast forward to when I hosted my first event on LinkedIn and since then, it's being a breeze.

I unintentionally made myself a leader in the sector.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

In my country, we use WAT (west african time).

Personally, I'm not a morning person. Some say wake up as early as 5am to start your day early and I say do what works for you.

My regular waking up time is usually 10am in the morning because I enjoy working at night. I love the silence and serenity that night comes with and it's when I'm most productive. I work 3x the speed I work in the day time at night.

So, depending on the task at hand, I usually work till 6am before I go to bed. It can also be less, like I said based on the workload at hand.

So, do what works for you.

Everyone has their own different backgrounds so study yourself and understand the basics you need and work on building that around you.

I still work in the daytime but it can't be compared to my night work. It can be very dull for me.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

Networking... I sing this to anyone starting anything.

Honestly, I wish I knew this when I started out. Connect with people that have the same interests or are in the same field as you.

Not everything is competition. When you collaborate and rub minds, you tend to tackle problems faster and grow with speed.

Don't do it alone. Please, don't.

To succeed, you need to build strong relationships and have resilience. The ride isn't going to be a smooth one.

If it's smooth, then you're doing it wrong. Nothing good comes easy.

Prioritize relationship building with the right people and watch your growth speed up.!

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

I love "Why You Act the Way You Do" by Dr. Tim LaHaye. Did you know he is a psychologist and pastor. I love that the book is based on the 4 personalities which is used to understand people's behavior and motivations. He explained how our personality affects our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

This book not only helped me see how I can improve but as, how to associate and connect with people on a level without stepping on their toes or irritating them.

My temperament was the choleric. The workaholics in the book that almost has it all. emphasis on almost.

It just resonated, both the good and the bad of each temperament. I could easily relate something said in the book to someone i know and this helped me better understand human nature at large.

I have read the book like 4 times already. You never know the first 3 times might not be enough to pick it all.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

If you don't have money to sacrifice to learn from the best, sacrifice your time.

Regardless, you have to sacrifice something. See sacrifices as an investment in the long run, you will enjoy the benefits.

I'm rooting for you. remember, nobody started from the top. Nope, we all started from the bottom.

So, if you ever feel demoralized. I'm rooting for you and hope you make it to the top.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

I had a time when I thought i wasn't enough for this. I always looked down on what i could do. I hope that won't be you.

Everything, you need is with you. Find it and nurture it. Don't doubt yourself for one day.

Even, if you don't have the whole plan yet, start it. It will start to make sense when you start.

Best time to begin is now!