Dfcu BANK’s ANGELINA OFWONO TO WOMEN: Build skills, be consistent, spot and grab opportunities Unlike men, women naturally tend to push themselves to perfection and when opportunities come up and they don’t have all the requisite skills, self-doubt sets in and they hold back instead of grabbing the chance. Angelina Namakula-Ofwono, Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary at dfcu Bank says this, in part explains the low numbers of women in C-level positions. Here below, she tells CEO East Africa Magazine how she has been able to successfully juggle the duties of a wife, mother, and accomplished career woman.

You’ve had an impressive career path, reaching an executive level that is not as common for women as is for men. What enabled you to reach such heights?

A lot of hard work, consistency and being able to determine the direction I wanted to take with my career quite early. I can’t say I have fully exhausted my potential yet, but I am on a journey, and as it is with any journey, you’re bound to hit bumps, navigate corners, climb hills, and go through valleys. All this has moulded me along my career path.

Being competent at my work has also helped. I ensure that I have the skills to be able to contribute to any organisation that I am with. Additionally, keeping tabs on the changing landscape related to my career helps me deliver beyond expectation.

For anyone on their journey to the top, it’s imperative to ‘have the courage to ask for what you believe you are entitled to and be able to follow through. So, as you lay out your demands be ready to deliver.

More importantly, though is that I am surrounded by a strong network of ladies who are high achievers starting with my mum. Now that may sound biased obviously, but she has achieved a lot in her career inspiring me to be more and do more. I also have some very close lady friends who are my cheerleaders. They cheer me on but also bring out the best in me by offering constructive feedback. We, therefore, need to be mindful of who we surround ourselves with.

Are there certain skills that have helped you see what your next step is and to make yourself known as someone who can perform the next-level job?

The ability to adapt to the changing environment is pertinent. I, for instance, started my career in criminal law but figured out quite early that I simply was not cut out for that. So, I went into administration where I helped set-up the continuing legal education desk at the Uganda Law Society.  An opportunity then came up to get into banking. I obviously had to adapt quickly, and this also called for my ability to be able to work with others and deliver to the expectations of various stakeholders.

The other important skill is how you build relationships. These relationships must be based on trust, honesty, and the ability to understand all parties involved. Working in a team calls for building great relations if you are to achieve the desired goals. You must be able to sell your ideas to the team, so communication becomes a critical skill. How you communicate is important. This is particularly critical for growth as well. Being a solutions-based person who solves problems but is also adept at negotiating are must-have skills. As a leader, the ability to inspire and coach others to be the best they can be is priceless. I always ensure I train someone to take over from me at the appropriate time. Last but certainly not least, resilience is a skill that must be developed.  

How do you make a comeback after experiencing a setback? Is it that promotion you were eagerly waiting for but never got? That pay raise that didn’t come, or were you dealing with an issue and made a mistake, how do you lift yourself out of these situations and continue to give the best of yourself? You best be ready for this, because along with your career there will be difficult situations.

What is your perspective on why there is a lack of women in C-level positions?

I find that we naturally tend to push ourselves to perfection and when opportunities come up and we don’t have all the requisite skills, self-doubt sets in and we hold back. Men, on the other hand, will grab an opportunity even with just 60% of the skills required, get into the role, and wing it while a lady would rather have 150% before she can grab it.

Secondly, we juggle quite a number of things. We must deal with family, children, partners, extended relatives and then work.  All this can get overwhelmingly difficult. If for instance, I stayed up with a sick child all night, then I would need to first get the treatment in the morning before I get into the office.  If I do not have a good support structure around me, then I will not be able to fully concentrate on work as my thoughts will be with my sick child and how they are faring.

Thirdly, some of the preconceived ideas about women that I have come across is that when women get up to the top, they have too much going on and struggle to give the job 100%. That’s why sometimes we may find low numbers of women promoted to higher roles.  For instance, I was once part of a ten-member executive committee and was the only female at the time. 

There is also the perception that women are risk-averse, so promotions are a bit limited for ladies. But we must not forget the traditional mentality that men are best suited for some roles.  

I have, however, increasingly seen and heard of a number of sessions organized for women to enhance their skills, acquire knowledge, allowing women to become more self-aware and daring to believe more. What we are starting to see is a lot more confidence in our women especially the younger generation because of the times they have grown up in.

My view is that as women, we need to embrace our femininity. I love colour, so I enjoy wearing bright colours and enjoy wearing my make-up. As a lawyer, we have been trained to dress and look a certain way.

Is there a disadvantage for companies that do not have women in top-level positions?

Companies benefit from having a diversity of skills, experience, knowledge and most especially gender balance. Each gender brings different skills and experiences to the table. I find that organisations that have a balance of gender at the executive level, in the boardroom, in management and within the organisation, are able to thrive more due to the varying contributions from all sides.

Ladies can multi-task, have a softer nature, pay attention to detail, these usually come in very handy when organisations are developing policies that promote corporate culture, such as flexible working. A man may not have the same perspective that the lady has. By having ladies on board, you can strike a balance around certain decisions.

I have also found that, as ladies, we tend to be better listeners. It is in our nature, as we are the ones who mostly handle children, listen to relatives, and many other things.

What challenges did you encounter on your path to an executive role? How did you persevere through these challenges?

One of the challenges is that, in most cases, people make judgements about who you are even without knowing you. Someone may make assumptions about you without actually listening to you. So sometimes you find that decisions are made not based on what you have done/said but built on assumptions about who you are. It’s important to always have conversations with people around you, (such as your boss, your peers, your subordinates, among others) to ensure that you people understand who you are and also get to know others opinions of you.

I have also found it sometimes hard to balance people’s expectations of me. You want to be perfect for everyone – work, home, community, family, but guess what? You’re only human! You are not God, so you may disappoint people along the way. You just need to have a balance and try and have a strong support structure around you in all areas of your life. You also need to learn to seek help whenever you need it, as there will always be someone who can give a helping hand.

Will you talk about your leadership style — shared leadership? Do you see this as being a leadership style that requires more emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is important in leadership because you are able to have a better understanding of the people you lead. I do not believe am the smartest person, but I try and surround myself with smart people who are willing to share ideas.

I have also learnt that it is important to delegate, so as to be able to understand the different skills of my team and get a better picture of the people am working with.

I do not believe that one person should have a solution to everything, as this may limit you from getting alternate and probably better ideas.  By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of my team, we can figure out how we can develop and grow them further while building on the strengths.

Who are your role models and how have these role models helped you along your career path?

These ladies have strong personalities and they are high achievers. They are all different people and bring different aspects to the table. For instance, Jenifer Musisi, the former Executive Director of KCCA, who brought good and hopefully sustainable changes to the city- she is a very accomplished businesswoman, with a successful cake business that continues to thrive, even without her physical presence.

Justice Julia Ssebutinde is an accomplished judge of the International Court of Justice. Her leadership during the commissions of inquiry that she handled and how these brought about change in the Uganda Police.

As a role model yourself, what advice would you offer women who want to reach the C-suite level? Are there any strategies you can share to help women overcome obstacles to advancement?

Do not underestimate the power of networking. Your social network is what may take you to the next level. While networking, you must also be able to give. You build a network not to be exploitative, but to develop not only you but also the people within your network.

Continuous investment in learning is very key, as learning never stops. I am currently pursuing my PhD and I attend various short courses when I get an opportunity.  As a leader and a mother, learning is important.

With some of the existing obstacles that prevent women from getting to the top, women must be more competent than their male counterparts which means like it or not you, must do the work to ensure you are the most competent person in the room, other than a technocrat. Accordingly, when you get into the boardroom, you must have the information to contribute to the discussions, otherwise, you will be quiet. That means you will not be able to show up at the table. When you enter the boardroom, sit at the table, do not look for the furthest chair from the main table, because you will disappear into the furniture. No one will remember you.

Have a mentor to support, guide and advise you on your journey.

Have a strong support system of friends and family that help keep you grounded, who you can call on whenever you need help or advice.

Most importantly, believe in yourself and put God at the forefront of all that you do.