 Crucial Conversations Drivers for Effective Leadership The team of the ongoing 76 United Nations General Assembly is restoring hope in a post-pandemic world, extrapolates on the necessity of relevant conversations in global leadership. In order to promote leadership and governance, there is a need for a common ground for agreements between class, race, and tribe for effective leadership. Being able to bring up issues and finding sustainable solutions to enhance peace and productivity should be the core for excellent leadership. That is, where conversations play a huge role. For efficacy and delivery, there are five elements of effective conversations. We have dialogue, clarity of purpose, fact, zero sentiments, open-mindedness, and agreements. Some of these conversations are largely dependent on structures and intent of the parties involved. Leadership without effective conversation is bound to be chaotic and biased in its administration. There is a rising need to embrace inclusiveness, to promote progress, and to achieve these avenues for effective communication must be created. Despite its effectiveness, they are unending examples of field leadership, which happened as a result of poor communication and zero dialogue. When leaders across the globe understand the role of conversations play in good governance, then there will be a decline in field delivery of quality leadership. Currently, in Nigeria, there have been public outcry for the need of a national dialogue and possible referendum. This is evident from the Sorosuke Saga to the need for constitutional review and to save the termination of nationals. These I know with different from the National Reform Confab under the Ulushago Obasanjone led administration, the rebrand Nigeria under the Musayaradual led administration, and the National Conference under the Kudlob Jonathan led administration. As important as a national conversation is, it also could amount to little or no positive effect if the following are not put into consideration. Inclusiveness. For stakeholders with respect to tribal affiliation, youths, women, industry experts, civil society organizations should participate. Empathy. Being intentional. No Nigerian is more Nigerian than any other Nigerian. Being intentional and about understanding the peculiarities of other different stakeholders. A democratic approach in decision making. It is important to note that the willingness of the government, citizens and other stakeholders to take actions on agreed strategies or ideas during the course of a national dialogue is imperative for effective leadership and national development. Also it is the collective responsibility of the government and all stakeholders to be willing for a continuous dialogue for effective leadership in different phases of a national development. Well. I feel like I don't want to talk about that. You know all kinds of crucial conversations, leadership and in my mind, my mind was going in the space of what I, by the time I went, I said, oh, okay, it's going political. I'm going to let's kind of do it back first. To our political. Yes. If all the political are scrutinizing, wait for Kulela to come up, isn't he yesterday? When you said crucial conversation, what came to mind was, can anybody engage you in a conversation if he doesn't know you or if he doesn't understand you, if you don't understand yourself? So I think when we want to even talk about conversation first of all, the thing is what are we talking about? You know a lot of people talk, but they are not communicating because you are saying A, you're saying B and you're both off and both of you are making good points, but you're just not in sync. And I think when it comes to conversation in politics, we need to, when you're talking and someone is not listening, you need to look for a way to get the person's attention. And that is what we are struggling to do as a people. I'm being very careful with words because of where I'm going. Now, what am I saying? In, we've heard issues in Nigeria where people say, if it was this tribe that spoke, you would have responded. For both the government in power and even government out of power, we speak about the Niger Delta, we speak about the North. They have a way of demanding what they want, that is known to them. And every government, whether you are their tribe man or not, you respect that about them. So as a people, if you want to hear from a government, and we want them to do what we want, we must look for that key, that conversation key, the key to that conversation room that we can open and close at every time. It's not necessarily violence, but we must look for something. And one of the easiest ways is to get the right people in power because if you participate and you know that if I don't do the right thing, he will easily call me back, then you will have his ears. But that takes the assumption that the system is set up where they work for the populace, right? Rather than they think we as a populace owe them. You know, they don't understand that those, that whole political standing are actually our... No. They work for us. No, before you go far, in a way, they are right. They don't work for us. You know why? Because we expect, for example, a local government chairman to spend so much on us before he even gets into power. We take so much from everybody. I mean, someone was telling me just yesterday about a king, someone has been made a king and he has spent tens of millions of Naira before he could become a king. And now there's even the, his kinship has been challenged because another family says his judge is right and blah, blah, blah. So I asked the process, I said, okay, then later we'll say the kings are going to government. The money is paying to becoming a king. Do you think you let that go? He needs to look for the money. Who did he give the money to? Some of us. So as much, and that's what we're talking about, you know, no matter what you say, guy, I paid you. I paid you. I paid your leaders. All right. All right. So short sighted. So short sighted. That's, that's quite, before you, before you... Well, which came first? It's a chicken and egg thing. That's true. That's true. The conversation is there. The conversation is there. Which is the egg? Okay. Actually, there's what we call clarity and empathy in conversation, you know, I'm not going to repeat or reiterate what's one of our elder statesmen in Nigeria said that is constantly public uproar as regards to 2023 elections. So how can we as leaders or young persons or as a nation encourage empathy and open-minded conversation? I think, let me, Joyce will be in a very good position as you guys are the conversation experts. Thank you. The word is empathic. Yes. Where we care about what the other person thinks, feels, and we can try to see things from their point of view until we get there, leadership in itself will not be effective. I am partisan. I belong to a political party, but I don't believe in opposition. You know why? The word in itself is divisive. The moment I come to you and I say I am opposing you, guess what? It's difficult for you to listen to me because I have created conscious resistance. So I would rather speak to you with empathy, knowing that we want the same thing. A better nation, a better country, better processes. So the question goes back to what is your intention, which you mentioned in your advocacy? What is the intention of the communication in the first place? What is the intention of the leadership? Is it to just fulfill a long time or long term dream of achieving a political office or to actually bring healing to the land? Intention in my opinion is all. When the intention is right, we will find ways to make it happen effectively. When the intention is wrong, everything will go bad. I think intention is for many leaders questionable. That is a very powerful one. What is the intention of the person who wants a leader? Is it because the person is your client, is it because the person can have access to the person? Yes. Intention of all of us, the followership of leadership, all of us, what is our intention? Why do we vote? Why don't we vote? Intention. Why don't we vote? That's it. I really do think that for me on this one, I have very, what I would simply say is that it is true. We do need to have crucial conversations to really drive effective leadership in Nigeria. We need help. We need to be able to have those conversations in corridors of power and we need to have people who have the wherewithal to be able to discuss and bring solutions or ideas to the table. And so maybe we're already starting that by having this kind of advocacy coming up and then hopefully they're going to listen and we're going to have change. Right. Thank you very much. It's important we have conversations inspired and inspired solution-driven conversations in particular for national development that would deal also with collective peace, unity and groups. Up next, we're having 20 to wrap up the show.