Leadership Is the Steering Wheel for Building African Businesses That Endure – Balogun

By Funke Olaode

Dr. Cornelius Collins Balogun is an entrepreneur and industrial strategist focused on sustainable manufacturing and long-term national development. As founder and Managing Partner of Colton Group and other Nigerian enterprises, he has consistently argued that Africa’s business challenge is not capital, but leadership. In this interview, he explains why disciplined, values-driven leadership is central to building resilient institutions, identifies the gaps holding African companies back, and outlines what founders must do to create businesses that endure beyond their own tenure.Excerpts

Many analysts argue that leadership, not capital, is Africa’s biggest business challenge. From your perspective, why is leadership such a critical determinant of business success on the continent?

Leadership is the steering wheel of any enterprise, and nowhere is this more evident than in Africa. Our continent is rich in potential, including human, natural, and intellectual. Contrary to popular belief, capital is not our biggest challenge. In fact, Africa is attracting more venture capital, private equity, and development funding than ever before. What we lack is disciplined leadership capable of converting opportunity into sustainable outcomes.

Over the years, I’ve observed businesses that had ample capital, access to markets, and good products collapse simply because leadership lost focus. When vision becomes blurry, execution becomes scattered. When decisions are driven by ego instead of purpose, even the best plans unravel. Strong leadership creates clarity, mobilises talent, attracts investment, and builds trust. Weak leadership repels all three.

Leadership determines pace, culture, direction, and resilience. If the head is steady, the body stabilises. If the head is confused, the entire organisation wobbles. Ultimately, in Africa’s complex, high-pressure environment, leadership is not just a factor—it is the foundation upon which everything else stands.

What are the most common leadership gaps you see in African businesses today?

One of the most prevalent gaps is the overdependence on founders. Many African businesses operate like personal kingdoms rather than institutions. Founders hold critical information close, make all the key decisions, and rarely empower people to lead. This creates bottlenecks that slow down innovation and weaken scalability.

Another gap is emotional decision-making. Instead of relying on data, processes, and long-term strategy, many leaders react impulsively to daily pressures. This results in inconsistent policies, confused employees, and missed opportunities.

A third gap is the absence of accountability systems. Without strong governance, businesses begin to run on personal relationships rather than principles. This erodes trust and impedes growth.

Finally, succession planning is often neglected. Leaders underestimate how fragile their organisations become when knowledge, authority, and strategy reside in one person. These gaps collectively create businesses that grow rapidly but crumble just as quickly.

Why do so many African companies fail to survive beyond their founders?

It is a painful pattern, but a predictable one. When companies are built around personalities rather than structure, their survival becomes tied to the founder’s presence. This means that once the founder retires, relocates, or passes away, the entire organisation loses direction.

A sustainable organisation is one where systems are stronger than sentiments. Processes, governance, and culture must be clearly institutionalised so that the company can thrive even when leadership changes. The biggest mistake founders make is assuming they will always be available to guide the organisation. True leadership involves preparing others to take over and designing a system so robust that the business thrives regardless of who occupies the corner office.

When leadership is centralised, succession becomes a crisis. When leadership is distributed, succession becomes a transition.

You often speak about “values-driven leadership.” What does this mean in practical terms, and how can it transform the way African businesses operate?

Values-driven leadership is not theory—it is everyday behaviour. It is a conscious decision to operate from a moral and strategic compass rather than convenience or pressure. It means a leader refuses to cut corners for short-term gain, upholds integrity even when no one is watching, and treats people with fairness and dignity.

Practically, it means making decisions that align with the organisation’s core values, even when those decisions are costly. It means prioritising long-term trust over instant praise. When leaders behave consistently and transparently, employees feel secure, partners feel confident, and customers feel respected.

Values-driven leadership gives an organisation stability. It creates predictable behaviour patterns, reduces internal conflict, and strengthens reputation. In Africa—where trust deficits are common—values are not just ethics; they are strategy.

What key lessons can African businesses learn from global companies that have lasted for generations?

There are three core lessons that stand out.

First, governance must outlive individuals. Companies like GE, Procter & Gamble, and Toyota made governance a non-negotiable ingredient of sustainability. They built boards that had real authority, created systems that were transparent, and documented every critical decision.

Second, culture must shape behaviour consistently. Culture is not a set of motivational posters. It is a behavioural code that guides how people treat clients, manage conflict, build products, resolve issues, and respond to crises. Global companies survive disruptions because their culture anchors them.

Third, succession must be intentional. Generational companies train leaders long before they need them. They see leadership not as a person but as a pipeline. In Africa, we can learn a lot from this. Businesses that last beyond founders embrace the idea that leadership should be renewable.

Culture is often said to be the heartbeat of sustainable organisations. How should African business leaders shape workplace culture to drive innovation, accountability, and longevity?

Culture must begin with the leader. You cannot preach what you do not practise. A leader who demands punctuality but arrives late is teaching hypocrisy. A leader who rewards mediocrity creates an atmosphere where excellence becomes optional. Culture is a mirror held up to leadership behaviour.

African leaders must model accountability, discipline, collaboration, and openness. They must create safe spaces for innovation, reward initiative, and build systems that celebrate performance rather than proximity to power. When employees see leadership acting consistently, they follow suit.

Culture becomes powerful when it turns into identity. When employees feel they belong to something meaningful, productivity rises naturally.

How can founders balance entrepreneurial agility with strong governance and systems?

Agility without governance is chaos; governance without agility is stagnation. The sweet spot is building a structure flexible enough to allow innovation but firm enough to prevent disorder.

Founders must establish basic governance early—clear roles, documented processes, financial controls, compliance frameworks, and reporting lines. These do not slow down growth; they enable it.

At the same time, leaders must remain open to learning, iteration, and experimentation. Governance should not be a cage but a compass. The idea is to create stability while allowing adaptability. When the organisation has a backbone, it can grow new limbs without falling apart.

The continent is experiencing rapid technological disruption and demographic change. What kind of leadership mindset is required to navigate this new business landscape?

Africa demands a leadership mindset that is both courageous and humble. Leaders must be flexible enough to adapt to change yet grounded enough to uphold values. They must combine the wisdom of tradition with the insight of technology, blending cultural intelligence with global awareness.

The leaders who succeed in Africa understand that uncertainty is normal. They embrace curiosity, stay open to new ideas, and remain calm in the face of volatility. The continent rewards those who innovate with empathy and execute with discipline.

What top leadership qualities must the next generation of African business leaders embody?

The next generation must be disciplined, trustworthy, emotionally intelligent, and data-driven. They must value learning over titles and responsibility over recognition. Africa needs leaders who are not obsessed with being celebrated but committed to serving.

New-generation leaders must also understand ecosystems—how industries, technology, policy, and society connect. They must be collaboration-minded and courageous enough to challenge outdated systems with fresh thinking.

What practical advice would you offer to business owners, founders, and corporate leaders who want to build organisations that not only grow, but endure for decades?

Start by building structure early. Do not wait until problems arise before documenting processes, defining roles, and establishing governance. Build people intentionally—train them, trust them, and empower them. Build governance without sentiment, allowing systems to guide behaviour rather than emotions.

Most importantly, build with the mindset that the business should stand even when you are no longer there. The goal is not to build a monument to yourself but an institution that serves others long after your time.

Businesses that endure are not accidental; they are engineered with clarity, discipline, and purpose.