Renowned economist and former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi has reacted to criticisms coming the way of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, pointing out that people have not been fair to the Governor, whom he said comes with a lot of substance.
Stressing that those criticizing the Governor have really not taken time to study his management style, he described Ambode as “a very clever guy” who is administering the state methodically and is very sensitive to important things.
Speaking with newsmen shortly before delivering a keynote address at the unveiling of the Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment, otherwise known as Lagos Global, Utomi said from his assessment of the Governor so far, “the man is governing the state with the mindset of an accountant, and that informed why he was being methodical and concentrating on getting things done.”
He continued: “You know I have had the opportunity of talking to him (Governor Ambode) quite a number of times before the elections and after the elections. I think people have not been as fair to him as he deserves.
“However, I think he is a very clever guy and I think that he is very sensitive to what is important to do, but people who are used to one style are not in a hurry usually to accept a new way of doing things, but I think he would probably be more methodic in getting things done from what I see of him.
“He has the accountant mind which is a different kind of mindset. When I teach corporate leadership, I refer to styles of management or cultures of management as they are called and there are three unique cultures of management as stated by a former professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Edgar H. Schein.
“One is called the operator culture, another one is called the engineering culture which means people who have specific professional kind of background loyal to the way their professional backgrounds affect the way they do things like engineers driven by safety; accountant driven by certain things.
“So all of those things will mean that there would be a shift in style and if people pay more attention to what is getting done than style, they would probably find out that the Governor has a lot of substance,” the public commentator stated.
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