Fola Komolafe, CEO, World Vision UK
Writing this from a coffee shop. I absolutely love working in coffee shops. They’re great for locking in and getting through your list. Is it the ambience? Is it the caffeine? I don’t really know. There you go - there’s a productivity tip from me: if you don’t have a day stacked with calls, consider heading to the coffee shop. Also, that’s the most times I’ve ever written ‘coffee shop’ in one sitting.
Got sidetracked. Where were we?
In this episode, I have a chat with Fola Komolafe, CEO of World Vision UK. World Vision is recognised as the world’s largest children’s charity, and is active in over 100 countries.
Fola’s leadership journey didn’t start in international development - she originally studied architecture in Nigeria, then worked in the private sector for massive organisations like IBM, until going from Trustee to CEO of World Vision UK in 2023.
I really enjoyed recording this short episode. In it, Fola explores:
The necessity of creativity in leadership to tackle big problems in the context of falling budgets and rising needs. "My best days are when I have a blank white sheet of paper.”
How her faith guides her leadership style and gives her confidence in decision-making. “Faith for me has always been part of my journey. It's my life, you know, it's who I am, it's what I do.”
Why seeking and building a life and career of adventure is critical. "It keeps me excited about the future."
Why we must embrace failure as a learning opportunity. “If you never fail, you will never deal with certain stress buttons.”
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