The Oga at the top mentality is rapidly becoming a liability because it stifles the innovation and psychological safety that modern talent, especially Gen Z, demands. While traditional hierarchy worked in a rigid, industrial era, today’s landscape requires leaders to pivot toward servant leadership where the focus is on enabling teams rather than issuing top-down directives. In my experience within the tech and creative sectors, companies that still operate with a heavy hand are losing their best employees to global remote opportunities that prioritize output over optics. For leadership to evolve, managers need to trade ego for emotional intelligence and replace micromanagement with a culture of radical transparency and trust. If businesses want to remain competitive, they must realize that authority no longer comes from a job title alone, but from the ability to listen, mentor, and empower the people on the front lines.

The traditional Oga at the top style is definitely losing its effectiveness because today’s workforce, especially Gen Z, values transparency and collaborative input over rigid hierarchy. While many older organizations in sectors like banking and construction still cling to this authoritarian approach, they are increasingly struggling with high staff turnover and disengaged teams who prefer environments that foster growth rather than just compliance. For leadership to truly evolve, bosses need to transition from being task-masters to mentors who prioritize emotional intelligence and open communication, as people are now more likely to leave a toxic environment than stay for the prestige of a job title. If you are in a leadership position, try shifting toward a servant-leadership model where you ask your team what tools they need to succeed instead of simply dictating expectations from a distance. Ultimately, the future of work in Nigeria belongs to leaders who can balance authority with empathy, creating a space where team members feel heard and valued enough to contribute their best work.