The 6th edition of the MTN Fireside Chat with the theme, Influencing for Impact: My Leadership Journey, brought together two distinguished leaders, Professor Olayinka David-West, Dean of Lagos Business School (LBS), and Babalola Oyeleye, MTN’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, for a candid conversation on leadership, resilience, and purpose-driven impact. Held in Lagos, the event explored how authentic leadership is shaped through adaptability, integrity, and continuous self-improvement.

Professor Olayinka David-West, Dean, Lagos Business School

Embracing Change and Learning Without Regret

Drawing from her 35-year career journey spanning technology, financial services, and academia, Professor David-West opened the conversation by reflecting on her leadership journey and how learning to embrace change shaped her career. When asked about regrets, she shared a powerful truth: “You can’t turn back the clock. Learn, adapt, and move forward. Life isn’t lived in if-onlys.”

She recalled how her career began unexpectedly, studying Computer Science instead of Accounting, her preferred course, but choosing to see the detour as a lesson in flexibility and evolution. Her message to emerging leaders was clear: mistakes are part of the journey, learn from them, grow, and keep moving forward.

Delivering Results Without Excuses

Drawing from her 35-year career across technology, financial services, and academia, Professor David-West stressed that true leadership means taking responsibility and delivering results regardless of circumstances. “We have all we need to deliver value wherever we are,” she said. “What needs to be done must be done, no excuses.”Her leadership philosophy is built on grit, objectivity, and credibility, values she considers essential for professionals seeking to lead and influence others meaningfully..

Leadership Anchored in Value and Integrity

Professor David-West emphasised the importance of objectivity in leadership, using influence ethically and ensuring that every decision delivers value.

She encouraged professionals to avoid being “yes-men” and to remain grounded in professionalism, integrity, and purpose.
Her advice: leadership must always create value, not validation. She also urged leaders to continuously execute, learn, and innovate, noting that success requires consistent action and self-improvement.

Explaining her transition into academia, Professor David-West described her mission to bridge knowledge and impact, connecting research and learning to practical, real-world outcomes. She highlighted LBS’s Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Financial Services (SIDFS) initiative, which promotes financial inclusion for Nigeria’s unbanked and underserved communities.

“Innovation must have purpose,” she said. “We often focus on what we bought, not what it does. True technology solves problems and makes life better.” Through such initiatives, LBS continues to translate insight into sustainable solutions, ensuring academic excellence drives social and economic change.

Professor Olayinka David-West, Dean, Lagos Business School

Professor David-West’s Leadership Nuggets

Throughout her talk, Professor David-West shared important leadership takeaways:

• Learn to evolve: Adaptability is key to growth and relevance.

• Move beyond regrets: Every setback holds a lesson for progress.

• Deliver without excuses: Leaders take responsibility and act decisively.

• Be objective: Influence should always align with professionalism and ethics.

• Build credibility: Technical skill is good — execution and integrity are better.

• Keep learning: Leadership is a lifelong process of improvement.

Babalola Oyeleye: Lessons in Resilience and Reinvention

Babalola Oyeleye, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, MTN Nigeria

Adding to the conversation, Babalola Oyeleye shared his journey from uncertain beginnings to becoming the first Nigerian to hold the position of GM Procurement at MTN.. His story was one of resilience, courage, and constant reinvention.

Babs shared several important lessons drawn from more than two decades at MTN:

• Lesson 1: Choose environments that enable structure and growth – the right system shapes your success.

• Lesson 2: When you find yourself working under resistance, decide quickly – either align, move, or change the situation.

• Lesson 3: Leadership requires tough decisions; avoiding them only delays progress.

• Lesson 4: Always act with integrity. Every choice you make opens or closes doors for those coming after you.

• Lesson 5: Broaden your skill set beyond technical ability — problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and stakeholder management are what elevate leaders.

• Lesson 6: Never shy away from hard conversations with your leaders or teams — clarity builds credibility.

• Lesson 7: Be kind in leadership; empathy strengthens trust even in difficult moments.

Reflecting on his 22-year journey, Babs shared that leadership maturity comes when one begins to nurture new leaders, ensuring sustainability and continuity. “At this stage of my career,” he said, “my greatest responsibility is growing others to carry the torch forward.”

Together, Professor Olayinka David-West and Babalola Oyeleye demonstrated that leadership excellence is not about position or authority, but about purpose, adaptability, consistency, and courage. Their stories reminded the audience that impact comes from being authentic, making difficult decisions with integrity, and empowering others to rise.

The MTN Fireside Chat 6.0 served as a platform for truth, transformation, and timeless leadership lessons — a reminder that great leaders are those who evolve, execute, and inspire with purpose.