Speaking and Writing with Ruth Oji

Dear readers, Let me tell you about Chidi. Chidi works for a logistics company in Lagos. Last month, his manager sent him a quick message: “We need those containers moved to the warehouse by Friday.” Simple enough, right? Chidi assumed his manager meant the company’s main warehouse in Apapa. He organized the trucks, coordinated with […]

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Three months ago, a brilliant software engineer lost a promotion he’d been working toward for two years. His technical skills were exceptional. His project portfolio was impressive. But when he stood before the executive team to pitch his vision for a new product line, he began with a tangent about his university research, jumped to customer […]

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Last month, I received an email from a marketing executive who was wrestling with her conscience. Her company had developed a new software product that was genuinely innovative, but her boss wanted her to create a campaign that exaggerated its capabilities and downplayed its limitations. “Ruth,” she wrote, “I know how to persuade people. I’m good […]

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Picture this: A woman walks into a room. She doesn’t announce herself. She doesn’t demand attention. Yet somehow, the atmosphere shifts. Conversations pause mid-sentence. Heads turn. People straighten in their seats. She hasn’t said a word, but everyone knows—someone significant has arrived. What just happened? Was it her title? Her reputation? Perhaps. But more likely, it […]

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