Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast
Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast: where culture, communication, and context meet at work. Discover what cultural influences have formed the careers of noteworthy leaders in a variety of professions, by exploring the groups that shaped who they are today. Learn about the collective context and experiences that affect their worldview, leadership style, workplace communication and behaviour.
Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast
Dele Ola – Change is the Only Constant
Doctor Dele Ola is the Director of Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing at Red River College Polytechnic. He is also the award-winning author of Be a Change Agent: Leadership in a Time of Exponential Change, publisher of the Prowezz Leadership Newsletter, a change leader, and an accomplished professional engineer.
Episode highlight
Facing childhood survival challenges during a time of turmoil in Nigeria and later in college helped Dele Ola deepen his focus on the end goal while maintaining an attitude of hope and remaining patient until he achieved his desire.
Links
Email: dele.ola@deleola.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dele-ola-ph-d-p-eng-b33aa03/
Website: deleola.com
Quotes
“It doesn’t matter if I fail… 500 times, I will still get up and try again.”
“People can always learn when they are open.”
Takeaways
Childhood Incidents
Dele grew up in a conservative Christian household to educated middle-class parents who taught him the values that helped him survive in difficult situations and shaped who he is today.
He was a teenager during the time of political turmoil in Nigeria, which taught him discipline, hope, resilience, and courage.
Influential Groups
Dele grew up in a city in Nigeria which is part of Yorubaland, and he is proud of his native Yoruba ancestry from Southwest Nigeria.
His religious background has influenced his leadership style, with the servant leader exemplified in Jesus Christ.
As a professional, he belongs to many intellectual groups, from whom he has learnt to conduct research.
Temperament and Personality Influences
Dele was told as a child that he was introverted, but he thinks of himself as living on the edge of introversion and extroversion. He can be outspoken and network when he needs to but isn’t always out there connecting. He also thinks of himself as a realistic optimist.
The personality he has developed is that he approaches his work in a reasonable and systematic way. He also values merit-based work and relationships based on respect. Additionally, the core concepts of justice and fairness are equally important to him as well.
Cultural Epiphanies
An eye-opening moment for Dele was when he moved to Canada from Nigeria, and realized that Canadians are rarely as direct and confrontational as Nigerians.
Advice to an Employer
Dele likes to work in a place where merit, contribution, knowledge, and effort are appreciated. He also welcomes disagreement and openness.
More Great Insights!
Dele’s company, Prowezz Leadership, is offering Quality 101 training in Canada. Visit his website to learn more and read his two books!
