At Davos this week, Nigeria’s Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, spoke to CNN’s Richard Quest about two concepts that should spark deep reflection with every modern leader: Sustained Reinvention and a Reformed Business Climate.

At a national level, these words signal economic agility, structural reform, and a recognition that yesterday’s models will not deliver tomorrow’s growth.

But the more important question is this. What do they mean for us inside our own organisations?

Because nations do not reinvent themselves. Leaders do. Teams do. Systems do.

Watching Hnr. Oduwole on that global stage was instructive. She was composed, clear, and confident, neither defensive nor overstated. Her presence communicated credibility as much as her policy points did. In many ways, she modelled what it looks like to lead with assurance while steering a country through change.

Yet beyond national pride, her message lands squarely in our own spheres of influence.

Sustained reinvention, when translated to leadership, is not about constant change for its own sake. It is about disciplined evolution. It means asking, on a regular basis:
• Is the way we lead still fit for today’s reality?
• Are our teams structured for speed, learning, and impact?
• Are we rewarding the behaviours that create lasting value rather than short term comfort?
• And crucially, are we personally evolving at the same pace as the world around us?

A reformed business climate at company level is less about policy and more about culture. It is about whether we are creating environments where curiosity is rewarded, experimentation is safe, and failure is treated as data rather than stigma.

Many leaders say they want innovation, but still run their teams on rigid hierarchies, risk aversion, and outdated performance measures. That is reform rhetoric without reform practice.

The real takeaway for modern leaders is this.

You cannot ask for transformation in your organisation if you are unwilling to transform yourself.

Sustained reinvention starts with personal reflection.
How have you changed your leadership in the last 12 months?
What have you unlearned? What have you upgraded? What have you let go of?

And it extends to your sphere of control.
Are you building a business climate that empowers people to think bigger, move faster, and act more boldly?

Davos conversations are inspiring. But leadership is tested on Monday morning in our own teams.

So the question is not whether your country is reforming.

The question is whether you are.

⸻

Call to action

If this question resonates, it is exactly what the Connectors Code Value Challenge is designed to help leaders explore this April.

Over six weeks, we create a structured space for reflection, peer insight, and practical repositioning, so you move beyond thinking about reinvention and begin to practise it in how you lead, communicate, and create value.

If you are navigating change, feeling professionally plateaued, or simply determined to show up with greater clarity, confidence, and influence, this programme is for you.

Spaces are intentionally limited. Register on our website.

Your next level of leadership does not begin with a new title. It begins with a new way of seeing yourself.

Image credit: Jumoke Oduwole via Instagram