More than 10 years ago I founded my then "small" business that today has more than 600 employees and tens of thousands of customers around the globe. I talk to small-business owners every day, and while they all come from different industries and places, it is passion, freedom and impact that have been the main drivers determining their success or failure, progress or regression. Let's take a closer look: Passion Passion is your drive, ambition and the love of what you do and who you serve. It provides you with a very special view of the world that others often…

In April, the NGX All-Share Index witnessed a significant downturn, shedding N3.57 trillion in market value. This marks the first monthly decline for the NGX this year, following substantial gains of 17.7%, 12.47%, and 5.64% in January, February, and March respectively. Nonetheless, the NGX maintains a year-to-date increase of 31.36%. The decline in the index was primarily driven by policy announcements from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), particularly the proposed recapitalization plan for commercial banks, aiming to raise approximately N4 trillion in fresh capital over the next two years. Additionally, the CBN's substantial rate hike triggered intensified sell-offs, resulting…

Trust in bosses is on the decline, according to a new survey by Interaction Associates released last month. Nearly 60 percent of the 520 managers or supervisors polled worldwide believe their organization lacks trust. And 85 percent of 24,000 respondents to a worldwide Regus survey last year said they wanted their bosses to show more trust in their employees who work flexible hours. Indeed employee engagement measured just 13 percent in a huge worldwide survey conducted by Gallup in 2012. The best bosses know the key to keeping employees engaged is by giving them the managerial support they seek. Here…

One common type of good boss really sticks out from the rest, says workplace culture expert Tom Gimbel: the people person. Traditionally, good bosses have skills in areas like time management, constructive criticism and simply being able to help co-workers through day-to-day tasks. A "people person" additionally uses soft skills like communication, empathy and compassion to strengthen their rapport with their employees and foster a workplace culture that people actually want to be a part of, says Gimbel, the CEO of Chicago-based employment agency LaSalle Network. "The more authentic you are, the more people are going to connect with you…