By Chibuzo Ihegboro
A “Doability” coach and mindset re-engineering queen, Debola Deji-Kurunmi, popularly known as DDK, possesses an unmatched flair for equipping people with the energy and guts needed to run their vision.
She is Executive Director, Ideation Hub Africa, an organisation seeking to accelerate social impact across Africa; Founder/CEO, Immerse Coaching Company, a personal transformation institute; and President/Founder, Deborah Initiative for Women and the Firebrand Movement, two platforms via which she impacts women spiritually.
A transformational coach, who has clinched global recognition for her work, she is a receiver of the New Leader for Tomorrow Award by Crans Montana Forum, Geneva. For two consecutive years, she was selected to serve as a Mentor on the Queen’s Young Leader UK Programme; a recognition by the Queen of England, which celebrates exceptional young leaders across the Commonwealth. A speaker and author of over a dozen books, the 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow tells more in this interview.
What drives your passion for developing social innovators, entrepreneurs, and change agents?
In 2013, I quit my high-paying consulting job to step into the social impact sector because I caught an exponential vision that burned like fire within me; and still does. My conviction is that the third sector constitutes the next most significant engine for any nation’s development, after the government.
This is because of the nimble interventions of its players in closing the gaps and inefficiencies in leadership, governance and markets. This third sector consists of social entrepreneurs, innovators, change makers, nonprofit professionals, civil societies and corporate social investors, among others.
As a continent, Africa sits right at the interesting centre of a paradoxical mix. On the one hand, we are contextually rising with ecstatic projections about our economic growth, industrial revolutions and exports of creativity to the global stage. Yet, on the other, we may seem the proverbial pregnant woman with gold in her womb; as we still grapple with extreme dimensions of depravation, slow progress on Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, and sitting at the bottom of the human capital index, for example.
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But isn’t that supposed to be the burden of government?
My belief is that government has a huge role to play but will not go far without the systematic engagement of social saviours, as I love to call them, who can partner at policy levels, as well as deliver transformations to low-income communities at the bottom of the pyramid.
I am driven by the commitment to empower these social saviours through education, incubation and collaborations; so that they can effectively trigger transformations and become significant change-makers, who accelerate Africa’s prosperity in small and big ways.
…And for how long have you been on this journey?
My leadership and mentorship journey started about eighteen years ago while in the university. From 2002, I started rallying several hundreds of young women into a Christian community that later morphed into a ministry in the city. In particular, I have my eyes on Africa; and I am using my different assignments to equip a new breed of African visionaries, who will enthrone the continent into global prominence. This is my big “WHY”, and it is at the heart of all my work.
Let us talk about the impact of your work at Ideation Hub and the Immerse Coaching Company…
Immerse Coaching Company is a 40,000 plus strong tech-driven global coaching community, with members in 99 countries of the world, through which we deliver personal transformation coaching to help men and women step into a life of peace, purpose and prosperity.
I founded this coaching practice in 2014, and so far, we’ve grown into a powerful movement of visionaries. We provide one-on-one coaching, executive masterclasses (one is actually on-going), courses, close-knit learning communities, resources, e-books marketplace and conference access, all in one place.
For Ideation Hub Africa, we run a social impact incubator, providing early-stage social entrepreneurs and non-profit professionals with experiential education, enterprise incubation, growth advisory and collaborative platforms to start, scale and sustain their big ideas for changing Africa. Among other strategies, we help them understand social problems.
Deborah Initiative for Women and the Firebrand Movement have influenced thousands of women; was there any spiritual encounter that birthed these dreams?
At the core of my life assignment is a devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. Of all the things that I do, and I’m known for, my relationship with God is the anchor of my identity. So, these ministry assignments draw from that place of love and service to God. I was raised by godly parents, Pastor and Mrs. Adedayo Adeoye; and their parenting formed the foundation for who I am today.
Growing up, I saw the vivid impact of a spiritual anchor, a life of prayers and intentional commitment to spiritual growth. Let’s just say I was caught early. And because my parents truly love the Lord, it imprinted huge desires in my spirit to also encounter the God they know.
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Then from those earlier days, to more recently, the last fifteen years, I have been deeply transformed by the guidance of other spiritual mentors and leaders, in a way that convinces me about the power of discipleship!
With Deborah Initiative for Women, which started in 2010, and the Firebrand Movement, which began in 2017—both of which have spread to several countries of the world, the underlying drive is disciplining men and women in the faith of Christ as well as advancing the kingdom agenda in their sphere of influence. I’ve written 17 books, spoken at several conferences and churches, as well as held revival festivals across the country; and the goal is the same— “Lead people into encounters with God that sets them on fire so that they can set their cities on fire too!”
At a time like this, what should everyone leverage on to be at their best?
The global pandemic is a difficult occurrence on the timeline of our history, and my heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones, businesses grappling with losses and even governments desperate for answers. As a people, we were not prepared for this. But we can ride on the waves of this crisis to experience a rebirth. I’d say first of all, let us reach out to one another.
Let us become tender, more giving and more present. This, hopefully, would be a positive from the pain. Second, this pandemic has permanently altered the way we live, communicate, do business and engage the markets. It is thus important to learn, unlearn and relearn the “new normal” for going forward.
What principles would you recommend for any woman desiring to be successful?
Well, the goal is not to be a successful woman. Be a successful human being! The same fundamental principles shape our evolution and move us toward lives of meaning, contribution and influence— whether man or woman. I have shared an original three-pillar pathway in my coaching programmes for upgrading the outcomes in your life in a predictable fashion. First, you must start with personal growth or what we call radical evolution.
Next is rapid execution. You must grow the set of skills that facilitate quickly turning around your wildly important goals so that you work in an agile fashion and create results in sustained increments. The last is that versatility of expressions that free you from “being known for one thing”. I don’t know who sold the lie that our best is released only when we are known for one thing. Many women will find themselves pulled in more than one direction and may have multiple visions they want to explore. Go for it. Just get schooled in how to launch your multi-influential flows, as I love to call it.
Your parting shot?
Don’t copy anyone. Until you find your message, don’t seek a platform. Let your voice be formed and fortified before you start to speak from the top of the mountains. Don’t allow any other person’s success put you under pressure. Be under the creative pressure of personal growth and evolution. As you grow, your relevance will grow.
What principles would you recommend for any woman desiring to be successful?
Well, the goal is not to be a successful woman. Be a successful human being! The same fundamental principles shape our evolution and move us toward lives of meaning, contribution and influence— whether man or woman. I have shared an original three-pillar pathway in my coaching programs for upgrading the outcomes in your life in a predictable fashion. First, you must start with personal growth or what we call radical evolution.
Next is rapid execution. You must grow the set of skills that facilitate quickly turning around your wildly important goals so that you work in an agile fashion and create results in sustained increments.
The last is that versatility of expressions that free you from “being known for one thing”. I don’t know who sold the lie that our best is released only when we are known for one thing. Many women will find themselves pulled in more than one direction and may have multiple visions they want to explore. Go for it. Just get schooled in how to launch your multi-influential flows, as I love to call it.
Your parting shot?
Don’t copy anyone. Until you find your message, don’t seek a platform. Let your voice be formed and fortified before you start to speak from the top of the mountains. Don’t allow any other person’s success put you under pressure. Be under the creative pressure of personal growth and evolution. As you grow, your relevance will grow.