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Roman is one of the most extraordinary clients I’ve had the pleasure of working with. For some years he was the head of the Nescafe Business Unit across the entire West Africa. That’s a very powerful and important role to occupy in the Nestle world. That’s why Roman’s easy-going, super-friendly super chill, super cool and super inclusive style of leadership was fascinating for me.

If Ghanaian culture is anything to go by, I should have been addressing him as Chairman-General, or Chief Bossu..but not Roman. He was a first name person, same for all the expats and bosses at Nestle. In a meeting, the most important person doesn’t derive his authority from titles, but from the value he adds to a discussion, the provocations he makes which causes everyone to think sharper.

 So anyway, some time during his last week in Ghana we had lunch. I asked him “Roman, you’ve been here for some years now. Is there something you wished was different, especially about us Ghanaians?” 

“Ben, I’ve loved the team and we’ve done amazing things together, you know this. But I just wish Ghanaians were a bit more…assertive. If you have an idea fight for it some more. The fact that I disagree doesn’t mean you should buckle. Fight harder, push back, let’s banter. I like to be challenged, but most will just agree at the first sign of a differing POV.

 I also wish Ghanaians could be a bit more upfront about how they actually feel; if you have an issue or problem, let’s talk about it. But most will keep it to themselves or talk about it to others, not wanting to get into difficult conversations.”

I nodded throughout, but not because I was mesmerized by what I imagined his salary could be. He’s right! I see it all the time. To a great extent it has to do with a culture of unconditional deference to age and authority. But we must understand that for a business to be more efficient our corporate respect allocation method must be different from how we do it culturally.

“If I don’t say I am, how can they say thou art?”

In Ghana, we are reluctant to talk about our capabilities and achievements because it could easily be perceived as being arrogant or proud or ‘roshing’, but in the words of another beloved client; “If I don’t say I am, how can they say thou art?”. And who said confidence, self-awareness, respect and actual modesty cant co-exist? The fact that I talk about what I can do and my differing POV shouldn’t tag me as ‘some way’ or ‘too known’.

‘Modesty’ has denied thousands of Ghanaians the kind of top of mind awareness that could have connected them to bigger opportunities. I’m often surrounded by colleagues and clients who are older and more experienced, assertiveness is one of the few things that make my age a non-issue.

Unassertive people aren’t memorable. You want to be memorable, but make sure you’re memorable for the right reasons. If you grab that microphone, make sure you’re making sense and adding value to the conversation, otherwise you’re better off being the king of Ghanaian ‘modesty’.

PS: Originally published @ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unnecessary-ghanaian-modesty-benjamin-anyan/

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