Effective leadership communication creates sustainable corporate culture – Airtel CEO
December 24, 2013 | Filed under: Brands & Advertising | Author: Editor
Segun Ogunsanya, managing director/CEO, Airtel Nigeria, has advised corporate leaders to engage in organisational conversation rather than merely speaking to employees, saying effective communication by leaders creates and maintains enduring relations and sustainable corporate cultures.
Ogunsanya, citing experiences from his work as CEO in the Nigerian arm of the fourth largest telecom company in the world, emphasised the importance of strategic internal communication and continuous engagement with all other stakeholders, saying it created the necessary two-way communication needed for smooth operations and shared values.
Ogunsanya shared his thoughts and experiences as guest lecturer at the CEO Breakfast Meeting of International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Nigeria chapter at the Moorhouse Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos.
He urged organisation leaders of this age to engage more in “organisational conversations” rather than the monologue that often characterised what passed as “corporate communication,” saying this could boost productivity in the corporate environment.
He spoke on the theme “Leadership Communication as an Imperative for Building a Strong Corporate Culture.” Airtel’s director of corporate communications and CSR, Emeka Oparah, represented him at the well-attended event.
Ogunsanya said the communication function and processes were very important in building strong corporate cultures that lead to organisational success.
Speaking further, he pointed out that leadership communication was critical because “it brings together two elements that animate any social grouping, whether it is a workplace, a family or other units of society. Leadership communication refers to the approaches of organisational leaders in sharing and exchanging meaning with followers in order to attain management objectives.”
He said leaders must lead the way, not just in words but in conduct, communicate in a strategic way, be transparent, listen more, as well as share their stories as corporate vision and mission. Research, he said, has shown that there is a clear return on investment for good communicators.
In his speech, the president, IABC Nigerian chapter, Chido Nwakanma said the CEO Breakfast Meeting was a quarterly platform for exchange of ideas on critical issues in business management, communication and leadership, all areas of concern of the International Association of Business Communicators.
Professionals in business and communication attended the IABC CEO Breakfast Meeting.
Richard Ikiebe, director, Centre for Leadership in Journalism and Senior Fellow of the School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, chaired the event. Ikiebe underscored the importance of communication by dramatising effective and ineffective use of language and the power of words in influencing players in the corporate setting.
According to Ikiebe, words can make or mar, therefore, corporate leaders must communicate to motivate, lead and influence positively.

Lagos, Nigeria; Thursday, September 5th, 2013:In line with its corporate philosophy of remaining the employer of choice and empowering more Nigerians with leadership positions, leading Telecommunications Services Provider, Airtel Nigeria, has elevated 81 employees, across various business functions.

The promotions are a direct result of the company's 2012/2013 Reward and Performance Evaluation Exercise, which ended in June.

Two employees were promoted Vice Presidents; three elevated from Senior Managers to General Managers, 32 promoted Senior Managers while 44 others were promoted to positions ranging from Senior Officer to Manager.

Top on the list of those promoted were Tayo Oladimeji and Nitin Anand.

Oladimeji, formerly General Manager: Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management, was promoted Vice