Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Power of Storytelling
"Stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity." – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
We feature award-winning writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for this month's First Friday Inspiration! Adichie's novels, short stories, and essays have been translated into over 30 different languages, shedding light on the politics of race, gender, identity, and culture, promoting a more humanistic way of relating to one another.
Born in Enugu, Nigeria, in 1977, Adichie grew up in the town of Nsukka, home of the University of Nigeria, where her father was a professor and her mother was the first female Registrar. She started her academic career in medicine but found the courage to change after a year and a half and left for the United States to pursue a different educational path. Adichie has shared that she owes her love of storytelling to African writers and – inspired by seeing her own life represented in their pages – decided to follow her passion and love of learning as a writer.
Adichie was not accustomed to racial identification in the United States. However, being recognized primarily by her skin color rather than for her personhood led her to explore the concepts of race and identity in her bestselling novel, Americanah. In Americanah, as in much of her work, Adichie demonstrates the need to shift towards relationships based on mutual care and equality (rather than roles, gender, or skin color), an approach similar to our leadership development training and Shared Leadership Framework™.
As a leader, Adichie fearlessly addresses challenging themes like diversity and inclusivity and showcases how collaboration between citizens and organizations can address social injustices. Her 2012 TEDx talk titled "We Should All Be Feminists" called for all genders to acknowledge, address, and collectively work towards breaking down gender barriers, in a remarkable invitation into team development and ensemble leadership.
We all encounter Adichie's social themes in our everyday business operations. Just like your organization, our ensemble is constantly learning and growing. Knowing how to approach these complex but essential issues is pivotal to creating a safe work environment and successful teaming. With coaching and mentoring from us, you can establish a more humane and vibrant shared experience in your company.
Learn best practices through our leadership training program and executive coaching services. Contact us for more information.