Tony Elumelu is a successful business man from Delta State, South -South Nigeria. He is known for his success in banking sector, leading a family-owned business and a philanthropist.
He also lives a quality lifestyle as seen in his fashion, exercise and mobility package.
He is also notable for his leadership prowess and how he chooses his team members in line with motivating them into producing results in UBA Group, Transcorp Group, Heirs Holding and Tony Elumelu Foundation.
People have been wondering his secrets in leadership and it prompted the entrepreneur notable for preaching Africapitalism to give certain statements on his leadership journey which to him has some elements of luck.
Tony revealed that he was fortunate to meet Chief Ebitimi Banigo whom he worked for during the early stage of his career. He said that Chief Ebitimi Banigo gave him a chance to prove himself in Allstates Trust Bank after accepting his application in 1988.
His career journey was guided and motivated by Ebitimi and he acknowledged how the disciplined life of his former boss enabled him to acquire rare leadership skills that enabled him to rise faster in his career especially when he led a group of people at the age of thirty-four to take over a failing bank and restore it into what UBA Bank is known today.
Speaking further, Tony said that “good leaders find in people what people did not know they possess – Leaders recognise the talent in their team and then push to unlock the talent”.
He mentioned that he looked up to his mentor and always asked what his mentor would have done better if he (his mentor ) faced an impossible situation on the road to showing leadership.
TOE revealed that he still runs to Chief Banigo for advice till date despite not working directly for him.
The knowledge he gathered from his mentor whom he worked for in 1988 – 1995 remains a sharpener to his career growth.
Tony is a rare business leader who also understands the importance of family as he makes time to be in the lives of his family members. He credited his prompt email replies to Chief Banigo who always does justice in replying to emails very quickly.