Lessons in Self & Personal Leadership for Founders

I joined a webinar on Self & Personal Leadership with WomHub that got me thinking a lot about how I lead, the way I make decisions, and how much of myself is tied to my business.

Here are the main things I walked away with.

1. Your business is your baby, but you are not just “the parent”

In the early days, you do everything yourself. You are the developer, the admin person, the marketer, the one chasing invoices. It is normal. But as you grow, your role will need to change.

Ask yourself:

• Do I actually want to be the CEO as the business scales, or do my skills lie somewhere else?

• Which roles or skills do I need to bring in next?

• How much am I willing to let go so the business can grow?

  
  

Letting go is uncomfortable, but without it, your “baby” will never mature.

2. Your leadership style shapes your company culture

Culture is not the values you put on your website. It is the everyday experience in your business.

You cannot say your team is “innovative” if every new idea has to go through five committees before it gets tested.

Decide the behaviours you want in your company and model them yourself. That is what creates culture people can feel.

3. Start with yourself before you start with strategy

There are three reasons why personal leadership matters for founders.

First, entrepreneurship can be lonely, especially for women balancing cultural expectations with growth ambitions.

Second, in the early stage, investors and partners are betting on you as much as the business itself.

Third, your values, worldview, and decisions directly shape the business in good ways and in not so good ways.

If you do not understand yourself, you cannot lead effectively.

4. Get clear on your values

We did an exercise to pick our top five core values. It sounds easy until you try it.

Values guide how you make decisions, what frustrates you, and how you lead. For many African women founders, respect, integrity, and service came up again and again. It makes sense when you think about how upbringing and culture shape what we care about most.

When your values clash with a situation, like feeling disrespected in a meeting, your reaction will be stronger. Knowing your values helps you recognise those moments and respond in a way that aligns with who you are.

5. Surround yourself with people who balance you out

Not everyone you bring in has to be a full time hire. You might need a strategic hire to handle areas outside your expertise, an advisory board to give you perspective, or a mentor who challenges the way you think.

Be careful about adding a co-founder later in the journey. It works in rare cases but only when there is deep alignment.

6. Your personal brand is part of your leadership

We looked at brands like Nike and Coca Cola and asked why they stick in our minds. It is not just the logo. It is the feeling they create.

The same applies to you as a leader.

Ask yourself:

• What do people feel after interacting with me?

• What is the connection I leave behind?

• Is that the way I want to be known?

  
  

Final thought

Building a business goes beyond market strategy, products, or funding. It is also about building yourself. The more self-aware you are, the better your business can grow with purpose and resilience.