SUG: The Prof. Umar Kari's Students Affairs division harps on impactful Students Unionism at the capacity building workshop.
Sinach
Published Date:
May 30, 2024
Last Updated:
The Prof. Umar Kari's Students Affairs division harps on impactful Students Unionism at the capacity building workshop.
A leadership event organised for the Students Union Government leaders at the postgraduate hall,Faculty of Law.
As the UofA students union government shifts from creating diverse teams to cultivating digital cultures that nurture belonging and innovative thinking, knowledge and language is becoming increasingly important as a leadership capability. The recent publication of Amy Edmondson's book 'Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing' has redressed why knowledge and language is essential and clarified how it gives rise to cultures of innovation.
"Now that you're running the students union government, your languages must be different and as you all know, there is no apology for knowledge" said the key note speaker, High Chief, Ezenwa Nwagwu-Samson, a former vice president (National Affairs) of National association of Nigerian students(NANS).
The time management of the Keynote speaker, was superb and I must confess, I took a lot's home, as I now know, that knowledge is power.
A union with transparency and collaborations creates space and trust where leaders and individuals can take interpersonal risks in sharing ideas without being punished for challenging the norm, speaking up, or making mistakes or fear of the oppressive tendencies of the authorities,thus going beyond the "Aluta" Mantra,is truly an agent of our societal transformation.
"The leaders of our Nigeria are definitely you all,comrades, so create bills that will suite your students welfare in transparency" said Dr. Omale Adoyi,the former SUG president of ABU Zaria.
Trust and empathy go hand in hand in creating a 21st century digital Students Union Government which UofA has just began. Cultivating a culture of trust requires leaders to recognize and relate to the emotional states among their teams. Empathetic leadership is particularly acute when organizations are facing crises and uncertainty. As empathy is gaining attention as a leadership attribute, the paradox lies in this trait being viewed as a weakness for leaders, arguing individuals who demonstrate this behavior are viewed as submissive and placing emotional interests over rational, wider organizational needs. However, more recently, research suggests that empathy, in particular, comprises cognitive, emotional, and behavioral tendencies. As a result, more than emotional intelligence, empathy enables leaders to discriminate among emotions and utilize the information to influence decision-making, focusing on what to do and how to do it.
"Though this trust and empathic traits and unique character is always thought to be predominantly feminine,I do urge our female lawmakers and students leaders to go beyond the status quo for what men can do,women can do better" noted the next speaker,Aanu Rotimi,founder of CAAID and also a former student leader under NANS.
At this next lecture by a veteran leader,Veteran. Wole Badmus, the popular Wolly Bee,a former senate president and former president of National association of Nigerian students(NANS),I paid keen attention,to all the true life experiences of a great leader.
In leadership education, experiential programs are compelling to create a stimulus for change through the transformative nature of the exercise.
Veteran Wolly Bee explained that the starting point for recognizing the value of empathy as a leadership trait is by asking these questions: "What essential information does a leader miss if they do not have a developed sense of empathy? What if developing the perceptual awareness it takes to leverage empathy could assist leaders with achieving their deliverables and navigating the landscape of uncertainty?".
I must confess, that engaging in that experiential learning with this veteran, where there is guarantee of success, created a powerful in-the-moment feedback for us all. Without the usual slide presentation method, Veteran Wolly Bee emphasised on the power of dialogue.
"Most students leaders tend to operate from their head more linearly than from a relational framework, but I must leave you with one thing that I cherish so much, alwaysgo for dialogue and a good leader may sell his pride to bring the glory back to his union, so if it demands for you to kneel down at offices for the purpose of students welfare, do it,charged Veteran Wolly Bee"
True leaders demonstrate complete congruence in how they act; but a few leaders, in contrast, often say one thing and behave entirely differently. When we see this among leaders, trust is broken and difficult to re-establish. Adeboye Adekunle ESQ, the pioneer speaker of the UofA SUG described Prof. Umar Kari as a definition of a true leader we all must learn from.
"For Prof. Kari, there is no separation between his actions and what he think and feel and in experiential leadership development, you leaders must learn to read the Prof. Kari's emotional state and determine what it needs from him at any moment.
A leadership event organised for the Students Union Government leaders at the postgraduate hall,Faculty of Law.
As the UofA students union government shifts from creating diverse teams to cultivating digital cultures that nurture belonging and innovative thinking, knowledge and language is becoming increasingly important as a leadership capability. The recent publication of Amy Edmondson's book 'Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing' has redressed why knowledge and language is essential and clarified how it gives rise to cultures of innovation.
"Now that you're running the students union government, your languages must be different and as you all know, there is no apology for knowledge" said the key note speaker, High Chief, Ezenwa Nwagwu-Samson, a former vice president (National Affairs) of National association of Nigerian students(NANS).
The time management of the Keynote speaker, was superb and I must confess, I took a lot's home, as I now know, that knowledge is power.
A union with transparency and collaborations creates space and trust where leaders and individuals can take interpersonal risks in sharing ideas without being punished for challenging the norm, speaking up, or making mistakes or fear of the oppressive tendencies of the authorities,thus going beyond the "Aluta" Mantra,is truly an agent of our societal transformation.
"The leaders of our Nigeria are definitely you all,comrades, so create bills that will suite your students welfare in transparency" said Dr. Omale Adoyi,the former SUG president of ABU Zaria.
Trust and empathy go hand in hand in creating a 21st century digital Students Union Government which UofA has just began. Cultivating a culture of trust requires leaders to recognize and relate to the emotional states among their teams. Empathetic leadership is particularly acute when organizations are facing crises and uncertainty. As empathy is gaining attention as a leadership attribute, the paradox lies in this trait being viewed as a weakness for leaders, arguing individuals who demonstrate this behavior are viewed as submissive and placing emotional interests over rational, wider organizational needs. However, more recently, research suggests that empathy, in particular, comprises cognitive, emotional, and behavioral tendencies. As a result, more than emotional intelligence, empathy enables leaders to discriminate among emotions and utilize the information to influence decision-making, focusing on what to do and how to do it.
"Though this trust and empathic traits and unique character is always thought to be predominantly feminine,I do urge our female lawmakers and students leaders to go beyond the status quo for what men can do,women can do better" noted the next speaker,Aanu Rotimi,founder of CAAID and also a former student leader under NANS.
At this next lecture by a veteran leader,Veteran. Wole Badmus, the popular Wolly Bee,a former senate president and former president of National association of Nigerian students(NANS),I paid keen attention,to all the true life experiences of a great leader.
In leadership education, experiential programs are compelling to create a stimulus for change through the transformative nature of the exercise.
Veteran Wolly Bee explained that the starting point for recognizing the value of empathy as a leadership trait is by asking these questions: "What essential information does a leader miss if they do not have a developed sense of empathy? What if developing the perceptual awareness it takes to leverage empathy could assist leaders with achieving their deliverables and navigating the landscape of uncertainty?".
I must confess, that engaging in that experiential learning with this veteran, where there is guarantee of success, created a powerful in-the-moment feedback for us all. Without the usual slide presentation method, Veteran Wolly Bee emphasised on the power of dialogue.
"Most students leaders tend to operate from their head more linearly than from a relational framework, but I must leave you with one thing that I cherish so much, alwaysgo for dialogue and a good leader may sell his pride to bring the glory back to his union, so if it demands for you to kneel down at offices for the purpose of students welfare, do it,charged Veteran Wolly Bee"
True leaders demonstrate complete congruence in how they act; but a few leaders, in contrast, often say one thing and behave entirely differently. When we see this among leaders, trust is broken and difficult to re-establish. Adeboye Adekunle ESQ, the pioneer speaker of the UofA SUG described Prof. Umar Kari as a definition of a true leader we all must learn from.
"For Prof. Kari, there is no separation between his actions and what he think and feel and in experiential leadership development, you leaders must learn to read the Prof. Kari's emotional state and determine what it needs from him at any moment.
The story of the most popular, controversial and charismatic SUG president of UofA, Prince Igwe Ude,-Umanta, and Barr. Ahmed Ahmed Ibrahim, the former speaker, UofA had only one great impression on me,and that is, our Union is devoid of tribe and tongue and truly the UofA is the university of national unity and a breeding ground for Nigeria politics.
Truly, the Dean of the students Affairs, UofA, Prof. Umar Kari, the first democratically elected SUG president of UofA, and the Nelson Mandela of the union is worthy of his flowers,and I must sincerely pray that,may Umar Kari happen to Nigeria 🇳🇬.
Viva Vitória
©️ Hon. UTOH, IFESINACHI DONALD
ODOGWU UOFA
About the Author
Sinach
A les Avocat, living with the It Begins With Me Mantra and determined to dot all i's and cross all t's for a better Nigeria.
