The Rise of 100 Leaders, Week 7 commenced with Mr. Ekundayo Damilare a recap of past learnings and how the practical applications of collaboration, teamwork, idea generation, talent management, and much more were taught by the previous coaches. All participants were encouraged to discuss how they could have implemented the concepts in their day-to-day activities. To add a touch of interest and interaction, Mr. Ekundayo Oluwadamilare posed a quiz question that targeted recognizing and harnessing opportunities and the importance of effective resource management.
Weeks 7 to 9 covered the topics of Success, Self-Pitching, Branding, Business Opportunity and reality, and Corporate and Enterprise Leadership. As these topics were vital for every youth in the labor market, they were extensively discussed by every invited coach.
There are many definitions of success, yet being successful has been attributed to different characteristics and attributes. During the class, which was anchored by Miss Ogooluwa Oseni, all participants could reimagine the many definitions of success and see new perspectives on what success means. As a successful entrepreneur, she could practically explain what success meant, the ups and downs, the strengths and weaknesses, and everything encompassing success as a term and lifestyle.
Branding, a unique topic that is an essential part of every individual and business owner, was carefully dissected by Mister Cornelius Ilori. Everyone is a brand and has a name, but how do you effectively pitch yourself as a brand.
Whether it’s an interview or a business meeting, research says you have 45 seconds to interest your listener or lose interest in you. That is why it is very essential to develop your brand and know how to pitch yourself. Your brand is your identity. Your identity determines what kind of value outsiders will place on you. Develop your brand, develop your identity, and increase your value.
Participants were encouraged to evaluate how they had branded themselves so far and the figurative identity of branding. Social media being an effective tool for branding was included. They were guided on how to use this tool to develop their brands, such as using a uniform name on all social media, using professional pictures, posting value-rich content, and so much more. The Business Opportunity and Corporate and Enterprise Leadership classes were anchored by Miss Falolu Taiwo and Mister Ekundayo Oluwadamilare. The uniqueness of this class is that both Coaches are proven record-breakers in the business world. Having developed their brand as business entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector, they were the right mentors for this class. Both coaches used practical approaches to upskill all participants through this session, which included sharing life experiences, using analysis of different mega organizations, highlighting distinct and unique attributes of leading figures in the business world, and even enlightening the participants about the business model canva that can be used to pitch the business more effectively to any investor.
As the session ended, the participants were encouraged to conduct a SWOT analysis, identify ways to improve their weaknesses and complement them with their strengths. They were also encouraged to expand their abilities as potential leaders.
With this, we drew the curtain close to the coaching session of the Rise of 100 Leaders, Obafemi Awolowo University. The lectures were enlightening in every sense of the word. Every participant was engaged in networking and even grouped to improve communication, teamwork, accountability, and leadership. As some participants had their brands, creating a unique identity became easy as they could practice all they had learned. The program also became an opportunity to showcase its brand, and it was effectively supported by everyone who attended. The effect of the teaching throughout the eight-week program is evident on social media, with a noticeable improvement in response rate across all social networks, culminating in increased participant engagement.
At YTOP Global, we do not believe in just giving back; we restore value by giving back to society. We are committed to the success of our program participants and aim to help them achieve their dreams.