“I was prone to outbursts, lacking tact and an unapologetic disposition”. These were the words that came to mind about Moussa when his colleagues thought about him. Moussa Hassan Ousseini, a Programme Manager at Youth Volunteer of Environment Niger (YVE-Niger), realised the negative effect his attitude was having on his relationships with his colleagues and their work. It was time to make a change.

“I needed this leadership training for the next level of my career. Prior to WACSI’s Civil Society Leadership Institute (CSLI), I did not give any room for the people I supervised to make mistakes and grow from it. I thought barking orders and shouting at them, would cause them to do their work more efficiently,” Moussa lamented. “However, that only intimidated them and stifled the productivity of YVE-Niger. Now I know better, I attribute this growth to the CSLI training which has helped me to better manage my emotions and my sense of leadership.”

Moussa now boasts of a complete change in his personal development and career. He is now able to manage his reactions during moments of pressure and his colleagues can feel the change. Work has never been better.

“Thanks to the CSLI, I now mentor the colleagues I supervise, guiding them to execute their tasks much better than before. Today, I can brag of an efficient team, where every opinion counts,” he shared proudly.

“One of my major challenges was anger management. The skills I acquired from the training, have made me emotionally grounded and I can now manage myself during moments of anger,” Moussa added.

Employees of YVE-Niger have each been taken through a session on the importance of emotional intelligence. New staff members are also taken through the same during their orientation.

“We all work with confidence now. Everyone is unafraid to express their views because they are assured it will be respected and welcomed. Middle management colleagues are no longer nervous when executing their tasks because they are assured of the space to make mistakes and learn from them,” Sani Ayouba, the Executive Director of YVE-Niger, shared with the CSLI team.

*The CSLI programme is designed to groom the next generation of leaders in civil society. It equips participating fellows with the skills and tools they need to create sustainability in their fields and places of work and amplify their effectiveness. The program brings the present and future young leaders in civil society together to share ideas and build each other up to construct a vibrant, resilient and effective civil society in West Africa. The programme is run in two phases, the training phase and mentorship/coaching phase. Together, these provide fellows with a strong theoretical foundation coupled with experiential guidance to transform civil society leadership.

Read the rest of the 2017 CSLI stories here.