In this interview with Stanley Ugagbe of The Nigerian Canadian Newspaper, Canada, the charismatic Chief Talent Officer for the Ontario Public Service, Nosa Ero-Brown shared insight on how journey so far.
NCNC: Thank you for finding time to have this interview with us. You are quite an accomplished professional. What do you currently do?
Ero-Brown: First, thank you so much for the opportunity. I am honored to be featured as part of the diverse stories of our Nigerian Canadian communities.
I wear many hats. I am a proud mother of two amazing teenagers, a life partner, a daughter, sister and friend. I am aunty to many and a mentor and mentee to countless people.
I am currently privileged to serve as the Chief Talent Officer for the Ontario Public Service or (OPS), which is the workforce of the Government of Ontario. What I do in this role is to attract, develop and retain the best talent to serve the public. I have also worked in other roles in the private, and not-for profit sectors prior to this.
NCNC: How do you measure success as a professional?
Ero-Brown: My inner nerd is very excited about this question because I am all about evaluating and assessing my work, continuous improvement, taking stock, and always striving to be the best version of myself.
I haven’t been one to say I want to be in a certain role by a certain time. What I have focused on is growth and development and being the best person, I can be in whatever role I am in. This has led me to seek new opportunities where I can stretch myself, learn from others and contribute.
Success to me, is delivering what you committed to in a manner that is aligned with your values, puts people first and helps me grow.
NCNC: Can you share a challenge you have encountered in your career and how you have overcome that challenge?
Ero-Brown: This is an important question. There have been many challenges that I am so pleased also turned into great opportunities. As a young international student in Canada, I faced systemic barriers. Years back we could not work “off campus,” it was very challenging to support my education and living expenses. When I entered the work force there were cultural norms I had to quickly learn – like speaking up, challenging authority, and even code switching, which research shows many people from the Black community do. These challenges notwithstanding, I benefited from great mentors from the Nigerian community and beyond, which always ground me and remind me of who I am and where I come from. Such grounding made it that much easier to turn challenges into opportunities.
NCNC: You talked a bit about growth and continuously improving. What do you do to improve yourself as a leader?
Ero-Brown: I strongly believe that effective leaders – and people generally – commit to continually bettering themselves and have some sort of approach to improve their experience and skills. I love to read (and not just books about my work discipline, which is currently HR). I love reading about various topics. I listen to podcasts – I was just listening to Trevor Noah’s new podcast and was fascinated by his interview with Stan Altman, so I started reading about Artificial Intelligence and its potential and impact. I also believe in coaching and mentoring. I have had some awesome coaches and managers who challenged me by asking the right questions. I also learn by teaching and having conversations. It’s amazing the things you pick up by just having a chat with someone outside your usual circle.
NCNC: What is something you wish you knew early in your career that you would want to share with others just starting out?
Ero-Brown: When I was about five years old, I read the slogan “No condition is permanent” emblazoned boldly and colorfully across the sides of one of the “lorries” that plied the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. I asked my mother what it meant – and she said that lie can change in ways that we cannot always explain or predict… that today’s suffering, challenges, and disappointments are not here to stay. This is something I wish I hung on to earlier in my career. I mean, I knew it theoretically but when I was in the eye of a storm, it was sometimes hard to keep this perspective. Instead of focusing on what was not going right in my job or work place or career, I would have spent way more time doing what I am doing now – focusing on the things I can control, doing the best I can do in any role I am in, leading with my values and truly understanding that things can, and do change at any time.
