The Faculty of Accounting and Finance (FAF) of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has launched its Professional Week celebrations with a charge to students to build their entrepreneurial skills while in school.
The week-long event which is being held on the theme, “Building the entrepreneurial skills of the Accountant and Finance professional in the 21st century,” will be used to educate the students on the need to set up their own businesses after school and not always look up to the formal sector for employment.
Addressing students last Monday, the Dean of the FAF, Dr Raymond K. Dziwornu, said although entrepreneurship was part of the school’s curriculum, the week was set aside to reorientate students to build their entrepreneurial skills.
“Traditionally we know that when our accounting students complete school, they go looking for jobs in the formal sector, but then if we look at the trend now, one of the ways by which we can grow the economy is to promote entrepreneurial development,” he stated.
“We want to use this occasion to remind them that they can set up their own businesses and manage them effectively,” he added.
Business leadership
The Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TV3 Network, Mr Lazarus Lamptey, who gave a talk on business leadership, said there were several leadership skills that could be adopted to help one succeed in today’s business environment.
He said the skills required kept changing but there had been some that had stood the test of time and those could be considered as fundamental to business success.
“I normally refer to those skills as soft skills because they are key to the development of the individual, which will in turn determine the success or failure of the individual when he becomes a leader,” he stated.
These skills include how to inspire and motivate others, ability to analyse issues and solve problems, ability to communicate effectively and build relationships or being able to work in a team.
Others include having a good attitude, displaying technical or professional expertise and the ability to innovate, which is thinking of new ways of performing a task.
“The points mentioned are not exhaustive but are considered as the basic building blocks to success as a leader,” Mr Lamptey pointed out.
Everyone is a leader
Mr Lamptey also noted that a leader was not only someone with the ultimate authority, stating that: “We are all leaders in one form or shape, which means that you may not have the final say but you are still a leader and have a stake in the organisation you find yourself in.”
According to him, a good leader should listen to other people’s opinions, build strong relationships, motivate others and have the right attitude.
“No one undertakes a journey alone. We depend on others constantly in ways both tangible and intangible to move us toward our destination. We should, therefore, appreciate that we cannot succeed without the help of others,” he mentioned.
“To succeed as a leader, you should be able to connect to all manner of people. You have to understand that everything depends on teamwork. It doesn’t matter whether you are a leader or follower. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” he added.
Leadership by example
The General Manager for Atinka FM, Mr Kofi Asare Brako, urged leaders to lead by example.
He said some of the ways a leader could lead by example were pitching in where needed, lending a helping hand and making sure that the work done was clearly understood by the team.
He pointed out that a leader should also be passionate about his way of leadership.
“A leader without passion is not a leader. Passion drives a lot and you can inspire so much in others through your own passion and enthusiasm,” he stated.
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