As a human, it isn’t easy to accept certain realities of life. How do you start a life from the womb, get into the world, go through early childhood and adult life, become used to this world with the strong belief that specific experiences will last? Being available to meet people, keeping friendships and relationships alive, and even living are experiences we take for granted assuming that we will always have them. Funny right?
One such for me, is that a guy I have worked with, who put me to task, challenged me with a high sense of responsibility, commitment, altruism, loyalty, and purposeful leadership will suddenly be gone.
Today, with a sense of profound loss, I remember the quotes that I have tagged the ten lessons from Tolu Ogunkoya and how his beliefs have shaped my self-development and attitude to life:
- “Good is the enemy of great; read and raise your game and be the best always.” Tolu lived a life of working hard to be the best. He encouraged everyone around him to read and gain knowledge in their field to be the best. I remember him repeating this quote. He gave me many books and constantly pushed for knowledge diversity. Initiatives like OMD Academy, media facts book, and mediaReachOMD as a vital learning organization are testimonies to this quote.
- “There is no reward for efforts, only result.” As a beginner or middle-level talent at OMD, I didn’t think this statement made sense. Why can’t we be rewarded for our efforts? As I grew older, I realized the essence of this. Tolu was a strong advocate of that. It shaped the ambition of those around him to be result-oriented instead of just trying.
- “Numbers don’t lie. The devil is in the details.” This quote brings many boardroom memories of the man Tolu Ogunkoya. You cannot hoodwink him in any business review or board meeting. To convince him, you must get your numbers right and be consistent with your narrative.
- “The reward for good work is more work.” I got a considerable amount of this quote . You would not understand why he always wants you in a room. To him, good work breeds more work. It is also a testimony that you can’t win once and think you are a superstar. He appreciates and commends your successive win, not your last win. You only understand his personality and appreciate his mindset if you consider the successive win or next performance target after your previous good work.
- “I don’t want a fire brigade approach” He was a strategist and planner par excellence. He looked ahead of the curve and conservatively planned for it. Tolu wasn’t a last-minute man with clients. He was always eager to work on client deliverables, which stood out.
- “Get make-good for poor production and compliance” Tolu was 100% a pro-client leader. He will never go to sleep, and you will not, as a colleague, if the client is not happy and satisfied with our execution. He embodies this approach in all that he does. To him, if the client isn’t satisfied with the quality of work, a quality make-good is a crucial solution. Remember that as an agency, we show up to service the client.
- “We are building a world-class agency here, so our work must be world-class.” It is amazing how Tolu constantly reminds us of our global DNA. We want to compete globally with our local impact on brands. His ambition has always been to get his team to play on the global stage, and today, the impact of our talents and business on the global stage is a testimony.
- “Get the best media, buy across publications” Tolu was a disciple of integrated media planning. He believes you cannot optimize to reach your maximum target audience with one publication, channel, or platform.
- “Let’s meet at 7 a.m. tomorrow to review the presentation.” This quote embodies his doggedness to win. He did not know Laziness and he did not work well with lazy people or accept basic work. Starting your day early, getting up early, and being prompt at meetings were his keys to success.
- “Fantastic presentation…Well done, guys.” His highest praise, especially when the job is above and beyond and when the client attests to this. The good news is that he embodies a reward for outstanding work and will invariably be part of delivering presentations. You get this quote from him if you truly and genuinely deserve it.
For one year, I have reflected on some of the lessons that form the core of what TO did, how his life and death shaped my perspective of life, advertising in particular, marketing communications in general and leadership. It has been a harsh reality to accept- Tolu was a friend, a confidant, a mentor, and a debate partner (we would debate on everything, including our perspectives to briefs). Above all, Tolu was a leader with a very kind heart. It has taken me this long to accept that Tolu is no more. I would copy him in emails, hoping that he will respond.
Tolu is no longer there, but we are more inspired by the lessons, legacy, and structure he has built. As We carry on with his mandate and celebrate him today, we must acknowledge that HE IS TRULY UNFORGETTABLE.
Rest in Peace TO.
Stephen Oluwatoyin Onaivi
25th April 2024
