As chief marketing officer of the telecommunication giant MTN, Adia Sowho was selling one of the biggest products on the continent. Then in May this year, she left her role and the company.
What did she learn?
In an interview in This is Big, the newsletter by independent tech writer Fatu Ogwuche she opens up on how she was able to bring bigger profits to the company and lead its move into 5G.
"I have a clearer understanding of who I am. I am more comfortable building things. I am clear on what I’ll create and how to do it, especially now that I’m considering my future," Sowho tells Ogwuche about leaving MTN.
"The bigger picture was learning to build trust with her teams and applying the lessons she’d learned from the senior colleagues she admired in her career. It helped her be a better boss," Ogwuche writes of Sowho in the newsletter.
See below three takeaways for product managers from the interview:
Trust is important
"Trust is important to me. Knowing who you are is important, too. It became easy for me to understand people better in the workplace. Personally and spiritually, I start by trusting people and creating safe spaces to build trust while working with people. That’s a great way to set up a team for success."
Ask the right question
"Learning to ask the right questions is very important, and this can be applied through life. I tell founders to understand their company’s resource-based view and strategy. I ask them, ‘What’s the key resource that gives your company a competitive edge?’ Because a well-built company should contribute to that resource in some shape or form daily."
Prepare for day one
"I did a 10-day silent retreat before I resumed to prepare for the role. I had clarity on the goals I wanted to achieve and the time it would take to achieve them. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised and grateful for the opportunity and what we achieved during my time."
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