It is often said that “leadership is only spoken about in terms of influence, authority, or vision”. But for me, leadership has always begun with identity, more specifically about understanding who you are, where you come from, and how those experiences shape the way you engage with the world.
My identity has never been confined to a single place.
With a mixed heritage and a life shaped by movement across cultures, I have grown up navigating different worlds simultaneously. I learned early on that belonging is not always automatic, it is something you build, negotiate, and carry with you. This experience did not just shape how I see myself; it shaped how I communicate, how I listen, and ultimately, how I lead.
When I joined Radisson ACCA, I did not simply join a club, I found a space where my layered identity became an asset rather than a complexity to manage. In every meeting, I encountered individuals from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds, each bringing their own voice, their own story, and their own perspective. It was in this environment that I began to understand that leadership is not about fitting into a predefined mold. It is about creating bridges between differences.
My mixed heritage allows me to approach communication with a unique sensitivity. I am constantly aware that the way a message is received can vary depending on cultural context, tone, and lived experience. In Toastmasters, this awareness has become a strength. Whether delivering a speech or evaluating another speaker, I find myself naturally seeking connection and finding the common thread that resonates across backgrounds.
As the VPE of the club, I strive to bring this perspective into every interaction. I see the club not just as a meeting space, but as a microcosm of a broader Africa (diverse, dynamic, and deeply interconnected). Each session becomes an opportunity to practice leadership without borders: to speak in a way that includes, to listen in a way that understands, and to lead in a way that uplifts.
But this mindset does not stop within the walls of Toastmasters. In my professional life, working within international and continental spaces, I carry the same pan-African lens. The work I do requires navigating complex political, cultural, and institutional landscapes. It demands clarity of thought, precision in communication, and above all, an ability to engage with multiple perspectives simultaneously.
Toastmasters has strengthened these very skills.
It has taught me how to structure ideas in a way that transcends audiences. It has trained me to communicate with intention, whether in a formal briefing, a strategic discussion, or a high-level engagement. Most importantly, it has reinforced the idea that leadership is not about dominating conversations, but about shaping them constructively.
Through my Toastmaster’s journey, I have come to realize that leadership without borders is not about erasing differences. It is about embracing them and using them as a foundation for stronger, more inclusive leadership. It is about recognizing that our diversity is not a barrier, but a resource. As I continue to grow within Toastmasters and beyond, I carry this belief with me. That leadership is not defined by where you stand, but by how you connect, not by the borders that separate us, but by the purpose that unites us.
Because in the end, as Kwame Nkrumah so powerfully said
“I am not African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me.”