Udo Maryanne Okonjo LL.M lond, M.IOD UK.

PGMAG: Udo, welcome to today's interview with Lady Anita.

UMO: Thank you Lady Anita. It's an absolute pleasure to do this.

PGMAG: Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

UMO: At a more personal level, I am a Powerhouse Leader (can I say that? Lol). I am simply a leader powered by an unshakable sense of purpose and commitment to serving and impacting a generation of high potential leaders through my most dominant gifts of teaching, writing, speaking, and coaching especially those who are committed to becoming high impact leaders. Everything else I do including more than 3 decades as an international corporate and commercial attorney and as a real estate entrepreneur serving the top 1% clientele in my market supports this simple mission, to positively impact my generation and transform lives. I simply want to me known as Chief Igniter of Limitless Possibilities. If I help someone expand their zone of possibilities, I am your woman separate from my big formal well earned descriptors on LinkedIn.

PGMAG: You are one of those women in the world of business whose presence speaks change and emits high vibration. You have shattered the 'glass ceiling' through consistency and strategic positioning of your work in the global market. With the experiences you have gathered over the years as a leader, what do you think should be done to see more women in the corridors of power?

UMO: Ah thank you so much for the compliment. It's always a blessing to have one's work acknowledged especially by other powerhouse leaders like you; Lady Anita.

I am convinced that we can have many more women in the corridors of power by having a more strategic and structured approach to developing female leaders, especially through experiential learning which exposes aspiring and emerging women in the same space as other advanced female leaders who offer guidance, mentorship and act as advocates for them. Initiatives and platforms such as the IWOW Leadership Academy which offers a 6 Module Power Women Leadership Programme to fast track growth for female leaders, equipping then with the clarity, confidence and peer community with access to the collective wisdom of global leaders (men and women) who share and showcase what it takes to break new boundaries, are invaluable in moving more women up the corridors of power and ladders of influence. As founder of the Network which was launched in Johannesburg South Africa in 2010, I curated and designed the curriculum of the academy in 2020 with a singular objective to equip more impactful and influential female leaders who transform society for good.

Our faculty and team have since graduated 200 impactful women who are each and collectively doing a world of good. This is only a drop in the sea of 10,000 women that we are committed to reaching by 2030.

And we will accomplish this bold vision leveraging technology and online learning, because we truly do need more women to stand up and be counted.

I am also a big advocate of strategic executive coaching and high level masterminds for women who are really committed to maximising their potential especially C Suite and Board level women. Too many women just aren't bold enough to show up fully at the tables they operate at, generally playing it too safe and ending up as casualties of male power play.

Finally, I believe in the power of and advocate more women building tables and deciding who gets to sit on the tables. More female owned big businesses beyond bread and butter type operations that many tend to be involved in need to be created and sustained at the highest levels, including big exits, listings and getting strategic investors to truly build business at scale. Economic power and prowess is a huge contributor to the corridors of power.

PGMAG: In your capacity as a leader, what would you say were the three top keys that have enabled you to achieve success in life?

UMO:

I love how when leaders get to the top of some ladders (because we are constantly journeying), we can with the benefit of hindsight assess our journeys and distil wisdom which we convert to wealth for those emerging.

I would definitely say that with the benefit of hindsight, 3 key factors that have helped my leadership journey and my current level of success are; 1. Purpose. Knowing I am not just a woman, a mother, wife or business leader, but a purpose driven being here to cause big shifts in people's consciousness and help demystify success has been a game changer. It is my highest measure of personal success. 2. Power. Knowing what my true strengths are and choosing to operate 80% of my energy in that zone has helped me create magic consistently. I never try to prove a point or be all things to all people whether it's in business at the corporate board level, or in real estate investing and advisory or in coaching high impact leaders. I'm clear where my highest value and highest impact lie. It's why I'm extremely selective about what I do and who I do it with. Too many people disperse energy without counting the cost and measuring the true results. 3. Profit. I'm constantly shocked at how many leaders (entrepreneurs in particular but also professionals) who don't understand their financial bottom line, what I call the profit zone. Many leaders operate on high purpose and low profit because of a limiting money mindset. They don't pay attention to what matters, and don't ask enough. I am convinced that every human is and should operate as a profit centre, ensuring they are profitable financially in the short and long term. There are 2 other success pillars I operate but since you asked for 3, they are Purpose, Power and Profit. These are the foundational part of the signature framework, I use as I mentor and coach high potential leaders to become high impact leaders.

PGMAG: I read one of your LinkedIn posts where you mentioned 'high value opportunities' – please touch some light on this. Please also tell us why those three words are important in making 2023 and beyond a successful journey?

UMO: 'High Value opportunities' is a phrase I use especially in business coaching to help entrepreneurs go beyond bread and butter and instead seek out projects, clients, and business activities that deliver returns on multiple levels. Many small business owners tend to focus more on quantity without counting the true cost of delivering quality at the levels consistent with their resources. The best approach to getting high value opportunities is by setting parameters around your top most priorities eg, opportunities from a defined level of clientele and that deliver specific profit margins so that you can preserve your service standards. For example, in our real estate business, we tend to proactively seek out visionary promoters who build iconic projects that are delivered by top notch contractors with solid profitability for all stakeholders. Focusing on the quality of the opportunity and how it aligns with your strategic goals can also lead to not only generating great revenue, but building deeper relationships with visionary partners whose brands align and enhance ours, while setting standards for the industry.

High Impact builders are long range players who not only harness short term opportunities, but keep their eyes on the big game.

They never allow the temptation of quick wins or obstacles distract them from taking correct and consistent action towards their mega vision.

There's a tendency for most leaders to take the short cut of activity for its sake or keep working only on low hanging fruit opportunities instead of seeking or creating opportunities that deliver superior returns over a long time. They require more creativity and discipline but worthwhile if you want to enjoy enhanced wellbeing especially in a world where stress is increasingly a major threat.

PGMAG: As a coach, mentor and entrepreneur, what is your message for the younger generation?

UMO: Since February 2013, I have consistently shared success principles with the emerging generation. It is anchored really on Mastering Your Mindset and Maximising Your Life. Life is a gift, a responsibility and a trust you've been given and the most important priority any young person or even old has, is to ensure they embrace the gift fully without excuses. Irrespective of how tough life may be, there is a point of decision that each person must take to become truly unstoppable. The top 3 success principles I shared earlier in the first question, starting with Understanding your Purpose and defining what success will mean for you as a young person will change your game like nothing else.

PGMAG: Have you ever experienced workplace discrimination? If yes, how were you able to navigate through the challenge?

UMO:

I can't say I have experienced workplace discrimination directly. What I have occasionally experienced in business and at work are implicit biases based on cultural nuances and projections being a woman in business.

Very early on in my career, I learnt that people's values are a reflection of them not me, and so my real response to any kind of bias implicitly or overtly, is in Michelle Obama's words, "when they go low, we go high". I honestly believe that there's a level of mindset and leadership mastery that enables us as women and leaders in any sphere to engage enemies of progress from a place of both empathy in dealing with their ignorance and yet resoluteness not to dignify or descend to their levels. It is acceptable to set clear boundaries and to walk away from situations where you are no longer able to add value or that has become too toxic. In addition, it's also important to master the art of calling out inappropriate behaviour in a way that paves the way for other female leaders not to deal with the same problem. But we aren't called to be messiahs, just courageous change makers. Do context is critical.

PGMAG: Please tell us more about your business.

UMO: I am what you might call a multi dimensional leader, with my main business roles currently as Chief Executive Officer/Vice Chairman of Fine and Country West Africa and Independent Non Executive Director, and Chair of the Governance and Remuneration Committee on the board of CAP PLC, a subsidiary of UACN Plc, one of Nigeria's oldest and largest publicly listed conglomerates.

In addition to being a trusted real estate advisor, and wealth strategist to the top 1% of African Business Leaders and Corporate Investors at Fine and Country West Africa, and an investor, I am currently in what I refer to as my 'Third Wave', where I'm using my strongest passion in serving High Impact Leaders through the ACE Business Club which offers Experiential Business Leadership Coaching, and Masterminding.

I am sold out to serving Entrepreneurial Leaders and C Suite Level Executives to becoming Purposeful, Profitable and Positive Forces Globally.

PGMAG: Finally, what would you say to your younger self?

UMO: Dear Udo, 'Your best gift to the world is that of being your true self, brilliant, bold, courageous, excellent in spirit, attitude, and action, awesome, incredible, kind, beautiful, phenomenal, a game changer, problem solver, and a trailblazer.'

Your best gift to the world is the gift of Living Fully and On Purpose.

Never ever be afraid of showing up at the table or creating your own tables. Never fear failing. Fear not having unleashed your fullest self.

Never ever ever regret your journey. You can and must convert your wounds to wisdom and wealth for the future generation coming after you. Trust your journey. You my friend are divine medicine. Serve it freely to those who need it.

Don't allow the noise of the world to blur your true values. You are more than your Profession. You have Purpose and Powerful Expressions within you. Unleash them all.

Success has many sides to it and includes expressing your highest personality. If you like teaching or coaching or writing or even dancing in addition to negotiating big transactions, add that dimension. Enjoy your journey. You my dear girl are more than enough. You are a phenomenal powerhouse. Embrace it all.

PGMAG: Thank you for sharing your brilliance with us through this interview. We wish you continued success as you travel in life.

UMO: Thank you. Your questions were amazing.

PGMAG: Please share your website/links with us.

UMO: https://acebusinessclub.com/