General Manager of Commercial Operations at Telecel Ghana, Mercy Dawn Akude, has called for the prioritisation of authenticity in leadership as a critical need for business growth at the 10th Women in Human Resources (HR) Conference in Accra.

She was speaking on a panel at the conference organised by the Ghana Employers’ Association on the theme ‘Leading with Authenticity: Building Confidence & Influence.’

Mercy Dawn said the path to authentic leadership is long and often challenging but consistent adherence to the tenets of transparency, integrity and being exemplary are the values that promote business.

“Leading with authenticity is not just about being a good leader, it’s about being a leader who makes a difference. Authenticity is not gained in a day; it is developed over time. It will be tried and tested. It will have to go through the test of fire.”

Mercy Dawn’s submissions resonated deeply with the audience of HR professionals, employers, and other business practitioners as she shared a blend of personal stories and professional insights that stressed the value of authenticity in leadership.

Reflecting on her journey, she recounted her return to Ghana from the UK and how she secured her first role at then Ghana Telecom, where she focused on cost control measures to drive efficiency.

Despite the opposition to her new policies for continuous improvement, Mercy remained on course and leaned on her authenticity to stay in the business.

“Authenticity is not an easy road. Once you decide to be authentic, it means you are being your true self. It also means a mindset shift. It’s not about you anymore. It’s about your purpose and impact. Once you have that shift, you change your ways and you allow that focus to be your guide,” she explained.

Mercy Dawn’s career trajectory from Ghana Telecom to Vodafone and eventually to Telecel, where she now leads close to 1,000 people as General Manager of Commercial Operations, exemplifies the process of becoming more authentic.

Mercy Dawn shared her experiences of going the extra mile in her work, including a significant project to roll out Telecel retail shops, to increase the number from 60 to over 300 outlets across Ghana. For that project, she leveraged her previous retail shop work experience at Marks & Spencer in the UK.

“Understand that leadership is a journey. You must start from somewhere. We deliver on our commercial strategy because there is a team that believes in my authenticity. I reward and appreciate them based on their performance. It’s a team that delivers on the job so give them their due,” she said.

Mercy Dawn’s submission concluded with a powerful call to action for all women leaders to embrace authenticity and lead with confidence with continued dependence on God!