Renowned Nigerian leadership expert, Rev. Dr. Sam Adeyemi, has issued a call for a stewardship-based model of leadership at the 13th Annual Jospong Leadership Conference (JLC) 2026 on Tuesday.
Speaking to an audience of African business, government, and civil society leaders, Adeyemi warned that short-term decision-making erodes trust and jeopardises the future of institutions.
Delivering a keynote titled ‘Building a Sustainable Leadership Legacy’ at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Adeyemi framed leadership not as ownership, but as a temporary trust.
“Leaders do not own power, institutions, or people,” he stated. “They hold them in trust for a season and must pass them on stronger than they found them.”
Adeyemi identified the pursuit of quick results as a critical flaw.
“Short-term fixes can give results today and create serious problems tomorrow,” he cautioned, noting that many organisations suffer when leaders prioritise performance over people.
He highlighted the organisational cost of harsh, profit-driven managers who damage morale and drive away talent.
“Losing talent is losing money. Losing young talent is losing the future,” he stressed.
Citing an African proverb, Adeyemi reminded leaders that “the future is borrowed from children,” urging them to integrate young people into decision-making and development processes.
He emphasised deliberate mentorship and succession, referencing the biblical principle of faithful transmission in 2 Timothy 2:2.
A central theme was the test of values under pressure. Adeyemi argued that true leadership is revealed when upholding values carries a high cost.
He pointed to Johnson & Johnson’s landmark handling of the Tylenol crisis, a $100 million decision that built enduring trust and set a new industry standard.
“Trust is a long-term asset,” he declared, asserting that in low-trust environments like many in Africa, integrity becomes a powerful competitive advantage.
Sharing a personal anecdote about the temptations of desperation, Adeyemi was unequivocal: “Poverty and pressure must never justify unethical behaviour.”
He explained that low trust forces organisations into costly layers of control and bureaucracy.
The presentation also examined Microsoft’s cultural transformation under CEO Satya Nadella as a case study in renewing a successful organisation by shifting mindset and culture, not just strategy.
Adeyemi concluded with a rallying cry for a new generation of African leaders grounded in values, trust, and stewardship.
He defined impact not by titles or profit, but by what leaders leave behind and whom they empower to lead next.
The Jospong Leadership Conference 2026, themed “Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,” convenes leaders from across sectors to advance leadership development and sustainable impact in Africa.
The Jospong Leadership Conference is an annual premier forum dedicated to fostering transformative leadership dialogue and sustainable development across Africa.
