Beyond the byline: Rebecca Ejifoma’s blueprint for leadership, emotional intelligence in journalism
In a virtual hangout with multiple award-winning journalist and THISDAY reporter, Rebecca Ejifoma, we explore the remarkable career trajectory that has shaped her visionary leadership and unwavering resilience over the years. This in-depth Q&A delves into the experiences and philosophies that have enabled Ejifoma to seamlessly blend leadership skills with the demands of her reporting career, uncovering how her commitment to emotional intelligence not only sets her apart in the newsroom but also inspires a new generation of journalists to lead with empathy, courage, and purpose.
Q: Could you walk us through how mentorship has shaped your journey toward leadership and emotional intelligence in journalism?
A: I’ve had the privilege of reading books, taking online classes, and in-person programmes to accelerate my leadership skills. I have benefited from different mentors and role models simultaneously. I understand that too many cooks spoil the broth. However, each one of these influential individuals has helped me focus my efforts and achieve positive outcomes. That is because they speak in the same unified leadership language.
Names like the publisher of the Guardian, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru; financial service industry practitioner, Dr. Mosun Belo-Olusoga; Cybersecurity expert, Dr. Peter Adewale Obadare; world-class Performance Strategist Dr Abiola Salami; my former editor on the health desk at THISDAY, Dr. Godwin Haruna; Mr. Bennett Oghifo, my first supervisor during internship with THISDAY; and the Executive-in-Charge of Media Mentors, Lady Joke Kujenya, and a few others have been a great influence.
Sometime in July 2023, Dr. Belo-Olusoga said something that stood out to me about qualities a leader should possess. “You can’t lead anybody without competence; it gives you confidence and the moral right to lead. You also have to lead with empathy. You have to understand where people are coming from.”
Gaining valuable insights from these few highly cerebral men and women has been truly rewarding. Some of them I’m directly in touch with are always in my corner rooting for me and cheering me on. I have been a beneficiary of their individual experiences; what worked for them, what still works, and what will continue to work with little tweaks here and there as related to my profession.
Q: What other qualities have you gained as a result of embracing mentoring?
A: There were certain situations I found challenging to navigate until I opened up to mentoring. That was when I started working on procrastination, self-limiting beliefs, biases, making efforts to be more punctual (no African time), having presence of mind, being productive, and avoiding all forms of distractions–using social media for the right reason. Again, I’m still a work in progress, because adapting to these new skills is not a walk in the park. But it’s been truly gratifying to see the amount of insights I have come to add to my leadership cart today.
Q: What qualities would you say are essential in every mentor for aspiring journalists, especially regarding emotional intelligence?
A: Journalism is an utterly demanding profession. No doubt. The schedule can be overwhelming if you don’t have the right people by your side. The right people can be the mentor, who must possess empathy, constructive criticism, encouragement, acknowledgement, open-mindedness, and patience are essential.
Dr. Mosun-Belo always emphasizes empathy. It was through her guidance during her presentation at a conference that I began to give it some thought. Every mentor should embody this trait. It helps a mentor to understand the feelings of the mentee, where he or she is coming from, and where he or she is heading. This builds trust between the mentee and the mentor.
I have also come to learn that when a mentee is lagging or feeling unmotivated, a common situation in journalism, it will affect productivity. This is where the mentor steps in to share his or her feelings through similar experiences. It doesn’t have to be success stories all the time. Genuinely sharing your failures, too, is part of the motivation a mentee needs.
Another secret I have learnt from my mentors is that you should always allow praise where it is due, even if it is not at your door. So this is one attribute of my mentor, Dr. Salami (Dr. Champ, as I fondly call him), who exudes at all times in our meetings, interactions, and conferences; he acknowledges team members for their remarkable contributions.
Q: Can you share a memorable mentorship experience—either as a mentor or mentee—that taught you a valuable lesson about leadership in journalism?
A: 2021 was the year I started to redefine myself, gaining more knowledge, meeting like-minded people and adopting fresh perspectives. Dr. Champ is one of those influences. He is one of those people you meet in your career, and experience genuine transformation if you are willing and open-minded. It was there that I realized I wanted to explore a new horizon—leadership in journalism.
So, I had a rough experience in the field one day. It broke me. I picked up my phone and called my mentor to narrate my woeful ordeal and how to better navigate it in the future. He said some wise and helpful words that changed my perspective: “You cannot control how others respond. You can only control how you react. Always seek first to understand, then be understood”. These key principles help me regulate my emotions in the workplace and at home.
When I was on the Art Desk (THISDAY), I shared a challenge with my then editor, Mr. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke about how I felt my journalistic ink was dry on some days; I would struggle to craft a lead or cast a headline. It took me a great deal of thinking to divulge to anyone because I was afraid of being tagged “half-baked”.
Guess his response? He allayed my fears when he told me he still struggled with the same challenge sometimes. He made me realize that it was okay to feel that way; just relax, unplug, and then open your computer once again, and you will be lucid. I’m grateful to him because he shared that experience; it boosted my confidence.
Q: Earlier you mentioned an encounter with Lady Alex-Ibru. Could you walk us through your experience with her?
A: With all pleasure! It was a rare privilege to sit with and engage in a conversation with the very elegant Lady Alex-Ibru courtesy of Dr. Champ. Truly, she is soft spoken, charming, benign, and graceful. A woman so high in class yet so humble in words. She shared an experience with me and a friend during a networking conference in Lagos.
She said, “Treat people with respect and compassion regardless of their position in life”, drawing from her experience with her domestic staff and what they meant to her. I was genuinely surprised by those compassionate words. It was a lesson learnt. That has continued to help me in my journey in and outside my career—whether professionals or petty traders, young or old—every human deserves respect.
Q: How do you incorporate mentorship into your leadership style, and what strategies do you use to nurture emotional intelligence in your mentees?
A: I love to collaborate and carry everyone along in a team. Around age 15, I taught Literature-in-English and English Language in the Arts class in my secondary school because we experienced a dearth of teachers, especially in the Arts department, a situation that best fits the “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” quote. I was the class captain, so I would meet with a few others in the class for ideas to help ourselves.
We soon encouraged whoever was good at each of the 10 subjects to take up one and teach. It worked. We cooperated; had group reading and solving challenging sums in Mathematics, English, and others. Less than two months after graduating from secondary education, I started teaching in an elementary school. To date, I have a lot of children, teens, and twenties that I have a wonderful mentor/mentee relationship with. We interact on the phone, share genuine experiences together, and learn from each other.
Q: Can you share a specific moment with a mentee you were proud of?
A: Beautiful! There is one that I can’t seem to help but gush about. I had a phone conversation with one of my mentees recently. We talked about our days of making homemade candies, pom-pom rugs and mosaics. Then she shared her dreams of becoming a gynaecologist. I was beyond excited and proud of her. That is a subject close to my heart as a journalist in the health niche.
I admired her determination and enthusiasm to save women from dying from pregnancy-related deaths, and why she chose that path. Again, I could not be more proud of her and how much she has grown. From our interactions, it was obvious she was on the right track. We both shared our experiences that informed our choices and where we hope to be. I tried to apply my listening and encouragement skills, allowing her to make her own decisions, so she could become an independent thinker.
Like my other mentees, in and outside journalism, I give them room to make their own choices. Just like the first President of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe’s popular quote, ‘Show the light and the people will find the way’. I try not to make decisions for them, but enlighten them about certain things so that they are well informed and make meaningful decisions that they would be proud of. I try to listen more than I speak, understand their feelings, and share in their experiences.
Sometimes, too, I seek their opinions on certain things; yes, wisdom can come from unexpected sources like the famous quote in the Bible, ‘Out of the mouth of babes?’ Also, I have learnt a thing or two from team members, fellow journalists on the desk, and on the health beat from other media, too. I like to think that I can learn from anyone, even a rookie.
Q: How can mentorship programs in the newsrooms be improved to support the next generation of journalists in developing both professional skills and emotional intelligence?
A: Dr. Haruna, Mr. Oghifo are men who are so kind and gentle. They walk you through the complex processes of journalism until you get the hang of it. Even when one of them left the country, he continued to give me a leg up. Sometimes he says, “Girl, you can do it. If you’ve come this far, believe in the process.” That is deep, and it reinvigorates my body and mind in the journalism way.
Mentorship is essential in navigating the daily grind in the newsroom. It’s so taxing and demanding that it could snow you under. The newsroom is in dire need of mentorship where leaders will be empowered with the necessary skills to lead and guide journalists in the newsroom. It will be helpful if the newsroom goes beyond the Monday editorial meetings, banter, unconstructive criticisms, verbal abuse, and others.
Regular training, mentee-mentorship groups, regular mentorship training for the leaders and subordinates, effective communication, constructive criticism, feedback, and excellence in reporting as a result.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: Because of how many experiences – positive and negative — I have been exposed to over the years, I choose to encourage the mentees, the next generation of journalists, writers, and established journalists to embrace empathy, competence, courage, and purpose in their career journey. Others don’t need to go through the same rough patches, emotional damage, or humiliations that you experienced when you started; we can make the road even more seamless for the next generation.
I know I have a lot of tasks ahead of me. So, I try to take my mentors along as I saddle up my horse for the long haul. How long it will take me to get there, I have no clue. Rocky or smooth? I wish I had the slightest idea. One thing I have come to terms with is the fact that it takes blood, tears, and sweat to get to the top of the ladder of any career or endeavor. As Dr. Champ always says, anyone who aspires for greatness can become great.
I will end this conversation with a local phrase, “Follow the road you know.” I’m always tagging along with my mentors like a glue to leather. Therefore, surround yourself with the right people and see your career thrive.
Beyond the byline: Rebecca Ejifoma’s blueprint for leadership, emotional intelligence in journalism
