By Samuel Ojo
Undoubtly, the most talked about citizen of Edo State today is Dr Asue Ighodalo, and this is so not only because he contesting in the September gubernatorial election under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but because he has brought visible zest and vibes to the political community in the state.
Dr Asue is a man when you have a close contact with him, your baised perceptions and prejudices against him will be affected greatly. He is simply a thorough-bred mankind that has enchanting qualities no one can easily wrestle with.
I have taken my time to evaluate some of the leadership traits in him that makes him difficult to discount under any guise.
1. Credibility: Dr Asue Ighodalo has climbed the rungs of the corperate world to the pinnacle without any known blemish in his dealings. He is a candidate the electorates can easily trust with their commonwealth and hope he will be accountable and transparent in his dealings.
2. Self-Awareness: There is something about Asue that you cannot easily see with politicians in his calibre. That cherished characteristic is self-awareness. He knows what to say, he knows how to behave properly, he knows how to be as serious as much as how to be humourous. He knows the things that might be offensive to his subordinates and he treats everyone of his team as equal.
3. Decision-Making: As a man coming from the corperate world, one would expect that he is used to making a lot of decisions; both snap and think-through decisions. Some of these decisions are as little as sending birthday wishes to people, and others are as serious as knowing the political leader to visit at the right time. You cannot take this skill away from him; he is adept in it.
4. Empowerment: Dr Asue has a very large team that have been working for him since last year he started consulting on his ambition. In the 18 LGAs, he has so far been able to delegate responsobilities to so many citizens to handle. He is someone who cherish talents, and provides opportunities for such individuals to flourish. No wonder his team is made up of young ambitious citizens who want to grow in politics, and he has been able to offer them the platform to excel. A lot of those around him if steadfast will be able to reach their career goals when he becomes the governor of Edo State.
5. Communication: One of the greatest virtue of Dr Asue is his ability to communicate effectively. He is very fluent in the way he communicates and does not shy away from big stages having been there almost all parts of his career life. In addition to his physical communication skills, he does effectively employ various communication channels, especially social media.
6. Inspiration: The life of Dr Asue as a man from the corperate world is enough inspiration for the younger generation. When you listen to him talk in his usual fluent ways, you will notice how he motivates, how he inspires and how he bequeaths hope. He often reminds the people he works with that their desired goals are possible, and he is an optimist. He is driven by vision, and he provides needed incentives to those who are driven by the same ideals like him. I intentionally put him in the same class with Elon Musk without being euphemistic.
7. Open-Mindedness: Dr Asue is open-minded to the extent of being ready to learn. I recall the deliberations during the accessment of his manifesto. He will listen to every contribution and nod to those he felt makes sense to him. He is very conscious of the fact that time changes, so he is ready to listen to new ideas. He knows the new generation have a lot of ideas to share.
8. Adaptability: Coming from the corperate world, one will think Dr Asue will find it difficult to easily adapt to the political terrain. But he has effectively been able to react to the changes and he is doing exceedingly well so far.
9. Dependability: So far, Dr Asue has been able to keep as much schedules political engagement has trusted on him. He meets with several interest groups daily; from market women, artisans, political stakeholders to even members of the opposition that wish to join his camp. It is on record that he has never shut anyone or group out so far. This critical leadership quality has endeared him to the people. He has vowed that when elected, he will continue to be as engaging as he has always been.
10. Emotional Intelligence: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you. There are five key elements to EI: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Dr Asue understands the theory of Maslow when it comes to workplace. He knows what can make people who work with him to be less effective or more effective. I think this is one of the greatest noticeable asset of Dr Asue that I know.
These are parts of the qualities I have noticed in him since he started his consultations last year. I am convinced that these traits are part of his person, not make believe. He is no doubt an interesting leader Edo State will be glad to have as her governor.