Leadership often looks straightforward from the outside. Many people imagine the role of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as simply making major decisions and guiding the strategic direction of an organisation. However, stepping into the role of CEO for a day at EchoHouse revealed a much deeper perspective on what leadership truly involves.
Before this experience, I viewed the CEO’s role primarily as one centred on decision-making and strategy. While these are key responsibilities, the day showed me that leadership is far more layered. Effective leadership requires continuous engagement with people, processes, and priorities across the organisation.
My highlight was getting the opportunity to connect with other ladies from other countries who were also representing their team leaders on a cross-country update call. I got access to high level update from all the country managers representing EchoHouse in Benin, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Liberia.
I am sure one of the key reasons why Uche Ofodile, the CEO of MTN Benin, created the CEO Of The Day initiative is to achieve just this – peeling back the curtain on leadership in the boardroom for young ladies like me.
One of the most insightful parts of the experience was leading departmental check-ins. Hearing directly from different teams about their responsibilities and the challenges they face provided a clearer understanding of the realities leaders must navigate. Each department shared perspectives shaped by their operational roles, from workload capacity to resource needs. These conversations highlighted the responsibility that comes with leadership. A CEO must balance operational demands, employee well-being, and long-term strategic direction while making decisions that affect the entire organisation.
A key theme that emerged throughout the day was the importance of employee well-being. It became clear that people are the driving force behind any organisation. When employees feel supported, valued, and equipped to perform their roles effectively, they are more motivated and productive. Prioritising employee wellbeing therefore strengthens not only workplace morale but also long-term organisational performance and sustainability.
Another important lesson came from observing how decisions are made at the executive level. Decisions are rarely made in isolation. Instead, they are informed by insights from multiple departments and perspectives across the organisation. During discussions with department heads, it became evident that leaders must consider several factors before arriving at a solution. Budgets, staffing capacity, operational efficiency, sustainability, and employee morale all influence the final decision. Leadership, therefore, requires thoughtful evaluation of different perspectives to ensure that outcomes benefit the organisation as a whole.
Collaboration across teams also stood out as a critical part of organisational success. Each department contributes unique insights based on its responsibilities, and when those perspectives come together, they provide a fuller understanding of how the organisation functions. Communication and alignment between teams are essential because the success of one department often depends on the work of another. Effective collaboration ensures that everyone is working toward shared organisational goals. EchoHouse is a 360 marketing communications agency, and to ensure effective delivery of the 360 offer to clients, the departments working seamlessly together is essential.
The day concluded with a conversation with EchoHouse CEO, Beryl Agyekum-Ayaaba, where I shared observations from the departmental check-ins, particularly around workload capacity, team engagement, and the need for improved operational resources that could help teams work more efficiently. During the conversation, she emphasised the importance of developing a broad leadership perspective and reminded me that leadership often requires examining situations from multiple angles.
One of the most surprising realisations from the experience was how much of leadership happens behind the scenes. Listening to concerns and suggestions from different departments showed that leadership involves managing many factors that are not always visible to those outside leadership roles. Balancing the needs and perspectives of multiple teams while identifying solutions that benefit the entire organisation proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of the role.
Ultimately, the biggest lesson from this experience is that leadership is not simply about authority or decision-making. It is about listening, understanding people, and creating an environment where teams can perform at their best. Experiences like this also show how valuable it can be for young people to step into leadership spaces, observe how organisations operate, and learn how thoughtful leadership can create meaningful impact.