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SIYLI seek to uplift Africa's corporate scene with emotional intelligence

SIYLI seek to uplift Africa's corporate scene with emotional intelligence

Ivory Coast

Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI) with a programme developed at Google, and based on neuroscience, in a bid to replicate the success of the initiative, recently held the first ever training in Africa for the staff of Africa Development Bank. The programme, with the aim of helping workers in pursuit of finding and harnessing their self worth, was indeed a welcome initiative.

The surest way to lose your self-worth is by trying to find it through the eyes of others. And because of this, not many youths find what is innately in them because finding worth in one’s self is not always easy.

In most cases, it takes a push from an individual, situation or entity to find that worth and make use of it. And once a person achieves this, leadership becomes second nature.

SIYLI says ‘Search Inside Yourself’

In light of this, Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute recently hosted a first of its kind in Africa training for members of staff of African Development Bank. The training, which ran through June 28 and 29, hosted trainers from the much-heralded program born at Google and backed by neuroscience, called Search Inside Yourself.

The interactive workshop, which was designed for business environments, was employed to train African Development Bank staff to optimise performance, improve leadership skills, manage stress and increase wellbeing.

All around, properly employed, the skills learnt at the training would give any organisation a competitive advantage. This puts them ahead of others in many regards, especially when it comes to emotional intelligence. The concept is known as mindfulness training, and it enjoys acclaim around the world.

Trainees reflect on benefits of emotional intelligence

Already, many of the trainees have had great things to say about the workshop.

Bernard Chitunga, a young professional said, “To me what is important is leadership, people and culture. So this course, emotional intelligence, just put together what is needed, the ingredients that are needed for people to listen more for people to lead more and manage less; and for people to reorient cultures and that is why it was so important.”

Oley Dibba-Wadda, a Bank Director, speaking on the workshop shared, “Each of us are a sum of a whole. So if we come in, it’s important that we’re very conscious of the present; how we support each other to achieve the vision of the organisation moving forward.”

SIYLI, a 501c3 non-profit organisation established in 2012 by the trio of Chade Meng-Tan, Marc Lesser, and Philippe Goldin, to deliver SIY trainings to organisations has recorded remarkable success judging from Google.

The training, which started as a mindful leadership initiative within Google has spread to over 30 countries and 100 cities around the world, and Africa, like others, has begun to benefit from it.

Search Inside Yourself has helped African Development Bank staff develop new ways to thrive in a fast-paced, connected world without boundaries. It also taught skills to manage emotions that are part of human beings’ everyday interaction.

Mounria Latrache, Search Inside Yourself trainer explained that, “The course shows people how they can train emotional intelligence, how they can start from knowing themselves to working with others more effectively and what we also show is actually based on mindfulness.

An employee, Mubac Ogunmola, also opined that, “The first thing that enticed me about the program is the title, ‘emotional intelligence’. In our day-to-day life, at work or at home we have emotions and it’s important we know how to manage our emotions.”

Our emotions need to be as educated as our intellect. It is important to know how to feel, how to respond, and how to let life in so that it can touch you. Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute certainly achieved this with the AfDB staff.

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