Akua Nyame-Mensah on LinkedIn: #executives #leadership #entrepreneurship #peoplebeforestrategy… (2024)

Effective engagement goes beyond surface-level interactions.Leaders must invest time and energy into crafting strategies that resonate deeply with their teams. Taking your engagement approach seriously starts with checking in with each of your direct reports.These conversations can support you in understanding your team’s needs and motivations. This consistent engagement and transparency can foster a stronger connection and commitment to the organization’s goals.Join me on Thursday for the August #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable to discuss elevating your engagement strategy. DM me to reserve your spot and get more info.See you Thursday!

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Leadership should be 'easy'-1️⃣ Leverage your strengths2️⃣ Engage with stakeholders3️⃣ Communicate expectations4️⃣ RepeatVoila! You're on your way to effectively lead yourself and others.But let's be real – it's not that simple. We often complicate things because, well, we're human:🙅🏾 The Reluctant Leader: 'I feel more comfortable writing code than engaging with the engineering team.'🫠 The Overwhelmed Leader: 'I don't know who to please first! Everyone needs something from me.'👩🏻🚒 The Firefighting Leader: 'The marketing team keeps making mistakes. I have to double-check everything.'These responses are normal, and here's the kicker – it's not entirely our fault.We develop 'bad' habits, and our brains resist change.This can hamper business performance and create a vicious cycle where leaders don't lead, and teams don't engage, making it tough to perform.At , we believe leadership is a dynamic process. Like a wave, leadership has its ups and downs. The best leaders learn to ride this wave through:↳ Awareness: Ability to lead yourself↳ Engagement: Ability to connect and bring others along↳ Expectations: Ability to focus and communicate clearlyOur mission is to support you in navigating this leadership cycle because no two days in leadership are the same.How do you make sense of leadership? Are you riding the wave or letting it ride you?P.S. Watch this space! We're launching a set of leadership products next month to support leaders beyond our coaching and advisory services. Make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter for first access and a special discount. DM me for a link.📸: A screenshot of a recent 150+ virtual session on Self-Leadership where I shared my three-step process of leading yourself first. Can you find me in the picture?

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"My main concern when signing up for Akua’s session was not being sure if it would be worth my time."This is a common hesitation for many leaders. But once they experience my actionable workshops, the results speak for themselves.One client shared, "From her value session, I learned of the importance of communicating my values to those I work with early in order to get the best possible working relationship."In today’s fast-paced work environment, reflecting on and sharing values early can significantly improve working relationships and team productivity. Listening to real-life experiences from fellow attendees adds an extra layer of insight, making the session not only informative but also deeply engaging.My sessions are tailored to each audience, focusing on practical insights and real-world applications. The goal is to ensure that leaders can communicate their values effectively and replicate a similar process with their direct reports to create a cohesive team.If you are done with struggling to align your team and want to create a cohesive, productive work environment, but don’t know where to start, I can guide you. DM me and we can co-create a session together.📸: Shrugging during an in-person workshop in Acrra a few years ago.

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↦ Why isn't there a smile on your face?↦ You should be grateful!↦ Expressing your disappointment is unprofessional.These are all things I've been told in the workplace.I believe there is definitely a time and place for some behaviors but being forced to pretend that you are ok or not being allowed to express frustration in a constructive way is not healthy.Toxic positivity in the workplace stifles real emotions.For leaders, it’s crucial to create a space where genuine feelings are acknowledged and addressed. When we force positivity, we ignore underlying problems that can fester and grow.Authentic leadership means recognizing the full spectrum of emotions your team experiences. This transparency fosters trust and a healthier workplace culture.Join the next #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable on creating authentic, supportive environments. DM me to reserve your spot and get more information.

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⁤Learn to lead yourself first. ⁤⁤This is my answer whenever someone asks me what the first step is to become an effective leader.⁤Self-leadership isn't just about setting goals. ⁤⁤It's about having the courage to navigate uncertainties, reject perfectionism, and make corrections along the way. ⁤⁤When I first started building my coaching business, I was no stranger to the challenges of the online business world. ⁤⁤My background in e-classifieds provided a somewhat solid foundation. ⁤⁤Transitioning to coaching required a completely different mindset. ⁤⁤Coaching is not scalable and is time-intensive, demanding a more personalized touch. ⁤⁤One of the earliest lessons I learned was the value of charging clients from the start. ⁤⁤My experience in startups taught me that offering free services rarely converts to long-term paying clients. ⁤⁤This decision helped to establish the worth of my services but was a bold move that came with its own set of challenges. ⁤⁤I remember the initial hesitation and fear that accompanied my attempt to find paying AND unpaid clients. ⁤⁤I started small, coaching my classmates from my coaching credential program. ⁤⁤This step, though nerve-wracking, was crucial in building my confidence, but I knew I had to expand my reach beyond this safe circle. ⁤⁤Leveraging various platforms like WhatsApp groups, listservs, and LinkedIn became my strategy to find clients who knew me from my previous career. ⁤⁤As my coaching business grew, I realized the need to evolve my services. ⁤⁤When I first started, I wanted to only work with leaders one-on-one. ⁤⁤Reluctantly, I began incorporating group coaching and workshops. ⁤⁤This shift, though terrifying, allowed me to gain hours and clients quickly and offered a way to support more people. ⁤⁤Investing in yourself is definitely a message I stand behind, but I work in a space where many coaches over-invest in their credentials and new tools without much of a return. ⁤⁤I learned the hard way that investing in courses and collecting shiny new coaching tools is expensive. ⁤⁤The true value lies in applying what you learn and continuously improving your approach. ⁤⁤Each year of working for myself, I have had to shed new assumptions and try things, even if they are messy. ⁤⁤I always try to remind myself - what got me to this level will not get me to the next. ⁤⁤Before attempting to lead others, you must first learn to lead yourself. ⁤⁤What 'imperfect' steps have you taken to lead yourself today? ⁤P.S. In the spirit of evolving I've built a ChatGPT Assistant to support leaders with leading themselves first. I'm looking for leaders to test this Assistant and provide feedback. If you are interested in getting access to this tool and sharing your initial thoughts, please drop a ‘🤖’ emoji in the comments or send me a DM, and I will share the Assistant with you.📸: Attempting to lead in jenga 🤣

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"Attending this masterclass is a no-brainer."A participant perfectly captured the essence of one of my actionable workshops with this powerful statement:"During the masterclass, I learned the importance of communicating my expectations and getting feedback on my performance. I also learned to be mindful of other people's communication styles to ensure that they receive what I am trying to communicate to them very well. After this session, I will be more intentional about how I deal with people, bearing in mind that they are not me, and I don't know them. I will also try to ensure that whoever works with me gets all they need from me to succeed at their job. After the session, I felt hopeful, motivated, and confident."Having the skills to communicate expectations clearly, receive constructive feedback, and tailor your communication style to meet the needs of your team is key. Our workshops are designed to provide you with practical skills that you can immediately apply in your leadership role. We build a learning experience that includes practical exercises, real-life scenarios, and interactive sessions led by an expert facilitator.The result? Leaders who are more intentional and mindful in their interactions. This action-focused approach leads to higher productivity, stronger team cohesiveness, and a positive impact on the entire organization.If you are tired of seeing your team disengaged and struggling to stay motivated, and you are ready to shift to co-create a work environment where everyone thrives, I can help. DM me to learn more.📸: How you will most likely feel after attending one of my workshops😅

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“A lot of what I will share will seem obvious.”Whenever I start off a workshop, training, or speaking engagement, I say some version of this statement.I love being able to take complex leadership theories and break them down into simple steps. But here is the thing: saying something is different from actually doing it, which is why I think that leadership coaching, which has continuous accountability and creates space for ongoing reflection, can be so effective.This is why my #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtables are so important to me. I like to challenge my perspectives, and having the opportunity to discuss leadership-related topics with guest speakers and participants is my favorite part of the month.Whether you develop programming and engagements for leaders or are about to attend something leadership-related, we ALL can benefit from being curious about what we are consuming and sharing.🔗 Link to register is in the comments. Even if you can’t make the Roundtable live, register to get access to the recording.Hope to see you there!

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I'm allergic to hustling.That's why I'm thrilled to be speaking at the 2nd Women Who Build Africa Assembly on September 5th 🎤.I'm going to speak on the topic 'How to Flourish in a World that Fixates on Hustling: Self-Leadership for Women in Tech.'Self-leadership is such an important topic to me because my journey has been quite squiggly and experimental. I've gone from:↳ City planning graduate to↳ Startup executive to↳ Leadership & Culture Advisor.I've achieved this not by changing who I am but by intentionally leveraging different parts of myself.Join me and other voices who are passionate about closing the gender gap in business and tech at the 2nd Women Who Build Africa Assembly.🔗 Link to register and pitch is in the comments.P.S. I'll be in Nairobi all that week and available for additional paid speaking and workshop opportunities.

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Overcoming burnout is possible with the right support.Discover how I help leaders turn challenges into triumphs.It's incredibly rewarding to hear from my clients about the impact our work together has had. One such client shared, "When we started, I was recovering from a bad burnout as a result of heavy organizational and relationship debt. At the time, I wanted us to focus on one goal: raising the seed round. That goal meant a lot: cash to stay alive, build trust & confidence in the team, and achieve important milestones with our customers."Our initial calls came at the perfect time, just as they were preparing for fundraising. Working together allowed them to understand they weren't alone in facing these challenges. Many people building companies encounter similar issues, and we tackled them through tough conversations and restating values, missions, and goals. This approach gave them the energy to power through team goals and the seed round.Since working with me, they have saved 3 hours per week, increased customer onboarding by 600%, hired senior leaders, closed a $2M+ seed round, launched their website, and saw a 200% increase in sales within three months.If you are done with struggling through burnout and want to achieve remarkable business milestones but don't know where to start, I can support you as your coach. DM me for more info.

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