We were lucky to catch up with Ibukunkristi Bankole recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ibukunkristi , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

It takes a community to be successful.

Here is what I mean: the thought of success itself is borne from the mind, and that mind inhabits a person who originates from a background of people and experience that have either expressly or subtly made their marks on that mind. This person grows with these several marks, which then form beliefs and desires that become the person’s guide and approach to living.

One of such desires and beliefs that the mind can arrive at is Success. Now, whatever a person desires to be successful at varies, depending on their experience and what they now know; then, whether that desire becomes a passion will also depend on the person; but, success itself is to set a target and be able to meet it.

It can start from as little as me setting my to-dos for a day, and I was able to tick them all off; that makes me successful at meeting my targets for that day. It can also graduate to bigger things; for instance, I targeted saving a particular amount of money for a year, and I ended up saving more. I was successful at that.

But it didn’t merely take my desire to want to hit a target; whether I am aware or not, it also took the different exposures I have had to make me approach my target the way I did, and then, it took everyone I interacted with aligning with my plan. I give you an example: it took my employer aligning with my plan to get my monthly income, my family and friends aligning with my plan to only give out a limited amount, and a book I read on financial intelligence, and some elites I listened to while discussing how they spend and manage their finances, and many more factors that I may not have paid attention to.

These are things we may describe to be coincidences that didn’t catch our attention.

A quote that stood out to me from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” and this emphasises my understanding of what it takes to be successful.

It starts from the accumulation of a person’s experience, which forms a belief/desire in them that metamorphoses into a passion they are willing to make plans for, and with every needed person and factor conspiring together with their passion, they arrive at their desired target, which makes them successful at it.

That is what I mean when I say it takes a community to be successful.

Ibukunkristi , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Ibukunkristi Bankole. I am a Lawyer, Podcaster, Voiceover artist, and a Creative writer.
At my core, I am a storyteller – whether through law, podcasting, voiceover, or writing, I weave transformative narratives that help individuals and businesses bring their vision to life.

With my legal practice, particularly in the maritime industry, I help businesses maintain ideal work operations, protect their brand, create profitable business relationships and resolve conflicts in ways that drive growth.

Beyond advocacy, I host the Showers of Ìbùkún Podcast, a platform that empowers people, ranging from entrepreneurs to employees to students, with the mindset and tools to achieve stability and self-governance amidst several life demands without being victimised by pressure and overwhelm.
That is why Showers of Ìbùkún reassures every viewer that they can be at peace in every way every day.

I have also had the privilege of speaking engagements, where I leverage storytelling to connect with people on a deeper level—leaving them inspired and transformed. One such opportunity was my recent session with SpeakHER, an organization dedicated to helping women and girls achieve communication excellence. Through storytelling, I empowered both men and women to recognize and take ownership of their personal brand.

Voiceover is yet another conduit pipe for my communication skills, allowing me to help individuals and organisations tell compelling stories that connect them with their target audience and reinforce their identity.

What distinguishes me is my attention to detail, staying power and interpersonal intelligence. I believe I got these from my introverted nature, helping me to be orderly and keenly observant to spot/realise inconspicuous problems and solutions and to stay tenacious to produce results out of them while approaching them with interpersonal intelligence.

These have gotten me at the front line of advocacy, negotiations and settlements for clients; they’ve enabled me to foster quality business relationships for organisations and to lead one of the branches of my organisation, which I was appointed to lead after a year of joining her.

For the longest time, I saw my introversion as a weakness because people often associated it with being slow, having low self-esteem, shyness and all sorts. But it started to expose itself to me as I started my career, to be what it truly is – my strength.
It has rather become what turns the spotlight on me in a room, and now, I get to serve society and satisfy my clients’ needs with it.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the most significant lessons I had to unlearn was avoiding conflict.

For a long time, I believed that the ideal approach to disagreements was to avoid them altogether.

My introversion was more profound as a child, particularly when I was a teenager, so I would keep my thoughts to myself, especially when they differ from that of anyone. In fact, I sometimes felt guilty for having a different opinion, convincing myself that harmony was best preserved by suppressing any form of disagreement.

But as I grew, it started to become clear that my belief only stemmed from the fear of confrontation. I didn’t realise how much I believed in avoiding conflicting until I got into the work space and I had to engage with different personalities on a daily basis.

I found myself silently harboring frustrations, particularly when encountering individuals who were assertive and unwavering in their opinions. I often thought, “If they are so audacious and confident in their viewpoints, what chance do I have in disagreeing with them?”
I knew this couldn’t continue, but I didn’t know how.

A turning point was when I signed up for the BMGA Fellowship program founded by Gbemisola Abudu, Country head of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in Nigeria.

The Fellowship programme was tailored to develop leadership and other essential professional skills and through it, I had the opportunity to learn with and from incredible women across Africa and Asia about the value of my voice and why I must not remain silent, especially on the tables that matter.

There was a shift, and I remember a colleague at work categorically asked me why I had suddenly become vocal about my views. Oh well, they had no idea.

Now, I fully embrace the reality that conflict is an inevitable part of life and success. Rather than avoiding it, I have learned to navigate it wisely—ensuring that when disagreements arise, they are handled in a way that fosters growth and positive outcomes.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

As a team lead, it is essential to cultivate emotional intelligence and maintain a high level of professionalism.

Effective leadership requires an understanding of personality diversity and the wisdom to engage with each individual according to their unique disposition while remaining professional enough not to take things personally.

While some may believe that leadership should be strictly professional, allowing no room for human complexities, the reality is that every individual, including the team lead, has their own nuances and excesses. Ignoring this fundamental truth can lead to toxicity and counterproductivity within the workplace.

In my experience managing teams, I once attempted a rigid, no-tolerance approach to performance and behavior. However, the human nature’s tendency toward imperfection made it clear that some level of flexibility is necessary.

This is where emotional intelligence becomes crucial. A leader must be able to assess the needs of each team member and adapt their approach accordingly. For instance, a team member who struggles with discipline may require firmness, whereas a high-performing but temperamental team member may need a more measured and gentle approach.

However, while emotional intelligence fosters a healthy and functional team dynamic, maintaining professional boundaries is equally important. There may be a temptation to blur the lines between professional and personal interactions, but doing so can compromise the effective working relationships necessary for productivity. This does not mean you cannot build relationships with your team members outside of work—it simply means that clear distinctions must be maintained.

By striking the right balance between emotional intelligence and professionalism, a team lead can create an organized, toxicity-free, and highly productive work environment.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showersofibukun?igsh=ZzlyM2VvNHJ6Mm9z
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibukunkristi-bankole
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@showersofibukun?si=rExvSIQZWklA7Yw1