1. What have you found most challenging as a leader of a small or medium enterprise?

Being persistent with the vision and having the patience to see it materialize.
The third will be putting the right team together.

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

Coming from an entrepreneurial family, I have always been exposed to entrepreneurship and what separates successful business people from unsuccessful ones. So I grew up to love having a vision, making a plan to obtain that vision, and setting out to make that vision a reality. Which is the requirement for achieving or becoming anything in the world.

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

Since I am currently studying. I usually give four hours of my morning to studying, then exercise for about an hour. I spend the first three to four hours at work taking care of my most important task for the day. The remaining six or five hours are used to perform the less important task of the day. Before I leave work I make sure I have checked what I accomplished that day, and what I am doing the next day to make sure it is in line with my objective for the business and the week.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

Carry the team along in everything. You make the final decision but carry the team along.
Trust, integrity, making decisions based on data, and humility must never be compromised.

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?

The African Progress Initiative, by Ekos Akpokabayen.
It brought to my sense that business and leadership are not just for financial profit or wealth but for service.
It gave me an understanding of where Africa is coming from, where it is and where it is going, and how I can contribute to creating a better society, through having, outstanding skill in my line of work, the right attitude, compassion, indomitable spirit, humility, perseverance, patience, integrity and not to put profit before service but service and meaningful relationships before profits.

6. How do you build leadership capacity in an SME?

Start with the Vision in mind, in everything I do.
Aim to satisfy your customer's need not to make a profit.
Create a culture made up of integrity, a problem-solving mindset, humility, and trust.

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

For me, none of them stand out, yet.
Both there have been a number of meaningful events, ranging from receiving good compliments from customers and having a strong team to delivering excellent service.